The Koine Bible

And it was reported to Holofernes, the chief commander of the force of Asshur, that the sons of Israel had prepared for war and had shut up the passes of the hill country and had walled every summit of a high mountain and had set stumbling blocks in the plains

And he was angered with great wrath, and he called all the rulers of Moab and the commanders of Ammon and all the satraps of the coastland.

And he said to them, Tell me now, sons of Canaan, what people is this, the one dwelling in the hill country, and what are the cities which they inhabit, and the multitude of their might, and in what consists their dominion and their strength, and what king has risen up over them, leading their army?

And why did they listen in so as not to come to meet me from among all those who dwell in the west?

And Achior, the leader of all the sons of Ammon, said to him, Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of your servant, and I will report to you the truth concerning this people who dwell in this hill country near where you are dwelling, and a lie will not come out of the mouth of your servant.

This people are descendants of the Chaldeans

And they dwelt formerly in Mesopotamia, because they were not willing to follow the gods of their fathers, who had come to be in the land of the Chaldeans.

And they went out from the way of their fathers and worshiped the God of heaven, the God whom they knew, and they cast them out from before the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia and dwelt there many days.

And their God said to go out from their sojourning and to go into the land of Canaan, and they dwelt there and were increased with gold and silver and with very many cattle.

And they went down into Egypt, for famine covered the face of the land of Canaan, and they dwelt there until they were nourished, and they became there into a very great multitude, and there was no number of their race.

And the king of Egypt rose up against them and outwitted them with toil and brickwork, and they humbled them and made them into slaves

And they cried out to their God, and he struck all the land of Egypt with plagues in which there was no healing, and the Egyptians drove them out from before them.

And God dried up the Red Sea before them

And he led them into the way of Sinai and Kadesh Barnea, and they cast out all those dwelling in the wilderness.

And they dwelt in the land of the Amorrites, and they destroyed all the Heshbonites by their strength, and crossing the Jordan they inherited all the hill country

And they drove out from before them the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and Shechem and all the Girgashites, and they dwelt in it many days

And as long as they did not sin before their God, the good things were with them, because God, hating injustice, is with them.

But when they departed from the way which he had appointed for them, they were destroyed in many wars for a very long time, and they were taken captive into a land not their own, and the temple of their God became into a level place, and their cities were seized by the adversaries

And now, having returned to their God, they went up from the dispersion where they were scattered there, and they occupied Jerusalem, where their sanctuary was, and they dwelt in the hill country, because it was desolate.

And now, master, lord, if indeed there is ignorance in this people, and they sin against their God, and we shall investigate that this is a stumbling block among them, then we shall go up and make war against them

But if there is no lawlessness in their nation, then let my lord pass by, lest perhaps their Lord and their God defend them, and we shall be for a reproach before all the earth

And it happened, when Achior ceased speaking these words, that all the people who were encircling the tent and standing around murmured, and the magnates of Holofernes and all those inhabiting the coastland and Moab said to cut him down

For we will not be afraid of the sons of Israel, for behold, a people in whom there is no power nor might for a strong battle line

Therefore now let us go up, and they will be for the devouring of all your army, lord Holofernes.