Judith 6 • Achior delivered to Bethulia — Greek text and reception

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When the uproar of the men around the council had subsided, Holofernes, commander-in-chief of the army of Asshur, spoke to Achior before the whole company of foreigners and to all the sons of Moab:

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“Who are you, Achior, and you hirelings of Ephraim, that you have prophesied among us today and said we should not fight the race of Israel because their God will shield them? Who is a god except Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his might and destroy them from the face of the earth, and their God will not rescue them.

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We, his slaves, shall strike them down as one man, and they will not withstand the might of our horses.

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For we shall burn them up among them; their mountains will be drunk with their blood, and their plains will be filled with their dead. No trace of their feet will withstand us; they will utterly perish, says King Nebuchadnezzar, the lord of all the earth. For he has spoken; the words of his pronouncements will not come to nothing.

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But you, Achior, hireling of Ammon, who have spoken these words on the day of your wrongdoing, shall no longer see my face from this day until I have taken vengeance on the race that came from Egypt.

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Then the iron of my army and the host of my attendants will pierce your sides, and you will fall among their slain when I return.

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My slaves will take you to the hill country and place you in one of the cities on the ascents.

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You shall not perish until you are destroyed with them.

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If in your heart you really hope that they will not be taken, do not let your face fall. I have spoken, and none of my words shall fail.”

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Holofernes ordered his slaves who stood in his tent to seize Achior, take him to Bethulia, and hand him over to the sons of Israel.

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His slaves seized him, led him outside the camp into the plain, and traveled from the middle of the lowland into the hill country. They came to the springs below Bethulia.

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When the men of the city on the mountain summit saw them, they took up their weapons and went out of the city onto the summit. Every slinger held their ascent against them and hurled stones at them.

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They slipped below the mountain, bound Achior, left him lying at the foot of the mountain, and went away to their lord.

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The sons of Israel came down from their city, reached him, untied him, brought him into Bethulia, and presented him to the rulers of their city.

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In those days these were Uzziah son of Micah, of the tribe of Simeon; Chabris son of Gothoniel; and Charmis son of Melchiel.

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They called together all the elders of the city, and all their young men and the women ran together to the assembly. They placed Achior in the midst of all their people, and Uzziah asked him what had happened.

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He answered and reported to them the words of Holofernes' council, everything he himself had said among the rulers of the sons of Asshur, and all Holofernes' boastful words against the house of Israel.

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The people fell down, worshiped God, and cried out:

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“Lord, God of heaven, look upon their arrogance, have mercy on the humiliation of our race, and look upon the face of those consecrated to You this day.”

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They encouraged Achior and praised him greatly.

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Uzziah took him from the assembly into his house and held a drinking feast for the elders. Throughout that whole night they called upon the God of Israel for help.