Judith 7 • The siege and the water crisis — Greek text and reception

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On the next day Holofernes ordered his whole army and all his people who had come to support him as allies to break camp against Bethulia, occupy the ascents into the hill country in advance, and make war against the sons of Israel.

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That day every mighty man among them broke camp. Their force of fighting men numbered a hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, apart from the baggage and the men on foot among it, an exceedingly great multitude.

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They camped in the valley near Bethulia, by the spring, extending in breadth toward Dothaim as far as Belbaim, and in length from Bethulia as far as Kyamon, which is opposite Esdraelon.

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When the sons of Israel saw their multitude, they were greatly troubled and said, each to his neighbor, “Now these people will lick clean the face of the whole earth. Neither the high mountains nor the ravines nor the hills will bear their weight.”

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Each took up his weapons of war, and they lit fires on their towers and remained on watch throughout that whole night.

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On the second day Holofernes led out all his cavalry before the sons of Israel who were in Bethulia.

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He inspected the ascents to their city, explored the water springs, seized them in advance, and stationed camps of fighting men over them. Then he himself marched back to his people.

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All the rulers of the sons of Esau, all the leaders of the people of Moab, and the generals of the coast approached him and said:

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“Let our master hear a word, so that no loss may occur in your army.

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For this people, the sons of Israel, have not trusted in their spears but in the heights of the mountains where they live. It is not easy to approach their mountain summits.

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Now, master, do not fight them as one fights a pitched battle, and not one man of your people will fall.

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Remain in your camp, preserving every man of your army, and let your servants take control of the water spring that flows from the foot of the mountain.

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For all the inhabitants of Bethulia draw water from there; thirst will kill them, and they will surrender their city. We and our people will go up onto the nearby mountain summits and camp there as a guard, so that not a single man may leave the city.

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They, their wives, and their children will waste away in famine; before the sword comes upon them, they will be laid low in the squares of their dwelling place.

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Then you will repay them with a bitter repayment for rebelling and failing to meet you in peace.”

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Their words pleased Holofernes and all his attendants, and he ordered that it be done as they had said.

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A camp of the sons of Ammon moved out, with five thousand sons of Asshur alongside them. They camped in the valley and seized the waters and water springs of the sons of Israel.

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The sons of Esau and the sons of Ammon went up and camped in the hill country opposite Dothaim. They sent some of their number southward and eastward, opposite Egrebel, which is near Chous, on the torrent Mochmour. The rest of the Assyrian army camped in the plain and covered the whole face of the earth; their tents and baggage were encamped in a great throng, an exceedingly great multitude.

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The sons of Israel cried out to the Lord their God, because their spirit had grown faint: all their enemies had surrounded them, and there was no escaping from their midst.

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The whole camp of Asshur remained around them, its infantry, chariots, and cavalry, for thirty-four days. All the water containers of all the inhabitants of Bethulia ran dry,

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and the cisterns were emptied. They did not have enough water to drink their fill for a single day, because drink was given to them by measure.

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Their little children lost heart; the women and young men fainted from thirst and fell in the city squares and in the passages through the gates. There was no strength left in them.

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All the people gathered against Uzziah and the rulers of the city—the young men, the women, and the children. They cried out loudly and said before all the elders:

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“May God judge between you and us, because you have done us a great injustice by not speaking words of peace with the sons of Asshur.

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Now there is no helper for us; God has sold us into their hands, to be laid low before them in thirst and great destruction.

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Now summon them and surrender the whole city as plunder to Holofernes' people and all his army.

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It is better for us to become their booty. We shall become slaves, but our lives will be spared, and we shall not see our little children die before our eyes, or our wives and children breathing their last.

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We call heaven and earth, and our God, the Lord of our fathers, to witness against you—He who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers—so that He may not act according to these words this very day.”

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There was great weeping in the midst of the assembly, all together, and they cried out loudly to the Lord God.

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Uzziah said to them, “Take courage, brothers. Let us hold out for five more days, during which the Lord our God will turn His mercy toward us, for He will not abandon us completely.

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But if these days pass and no help comes to us, I will do as you have said.”

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He dispersed the people to their respective stations. They went to the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children to their houses. There was great humiliation in the city.