1 tunc miserunt legatos suos
universarum urbium et provinciarum reges ac principes
Syriae scilicet Mesopotamiae et Syriae Sobal
et Lybiae atque Ciliciae
qui venientes ad Holofernem dixerunt
2 desinat indignatio tua circa nos
melius est enim ut viventes serviamus Nabuchodonosor regi magno
et subditi simus tibi
quam morientes cum interitu nostro ipsi servitutis nostrae damna
patiamini
3 omnis civitas nostra omnisque possessio
omnes colles et montes et campi
armenta boum greges ovium caprarumque equorum camelorumque
et universae facultates nostrae atque familiae in conspectu tuo sunt
4 sint omnia sub lege tua
5 nos iam et filii nostri
servi tui sumus
6 veni nobis pacificus dominus
et utere servitia nostra sicut placuerit tibi
7 tunc descendit de montibus cum equitibus in virtute magna
et obtinuit omnem civitatem et omnem inhabitantem terram
8 de universis autem urbibus
adsumpsit sibi auxiliarios viros fortes et electos ad bellum
9 tantusque metus provinciis illius incubuit
ut universarum urbium habitatores
principes et honorati simul cum populis
exirent in obviam venienti
10 excipientes eum cum coronis et lampadibus
ducentes choros in tibiis et tympanis
11 nec ista tamen facientes ferocitatem eius pectoris mitigare potuerunt
12 nam et civitates eorum destruxit et lucos eorum excidit
13 praeceperat enim illi Nabuchodonosor rex
ut omnes deos terrae exterminaret
videlicet ut ipse solus diceretur deus ab his nationibus
quae potuissent Holofernis potentia subiugari
14 pertransiens autem Syriam Subal et omnem Apamiam omnemque Mesopotamiam
venit ad Idumeos in terra Gabaa
15 accepitque civitates eorum
et sedit ibi per triginta dies
in quibus diebus adunari praecepit universum exercitum virtutis suae
1 So they sent ambassadors unto him to treat of peace, saying,
2 Behold, we the servants of Nabuchodonosor the great king lie before thee; use us as shall be good in thy sight.
3 Behold, our houses, and all our places, and all our fields of wheat, and flocks, and herds, and all the lodges of our tents lie before thy face; use them as it pleaseth thee.
4 Behold, even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants; come and deal with them as seemeth good unto thee.
5 So the men came to Holofernes, and declared unto him after this manner.
6 Then came he down toward the sea coast, both he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for aid.
7 So they and all the country round about received them with garlands, with dances, and with timbrels.
8 Yet he did cast down their frontiers, and cut down their groves: for he had decreed to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god.
9 Also he came over against Esdraelon near unto Judea, over against the great strait of Judea.
10 And he pitched between Geba and Scythopolis, and there he tarried a whole month, that he might gather together all the carriages of his army.