THEN was it declared to Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Ashshur, that the children of Yashar'el had prepared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill country, and had fortified all the tops of the high hills and had laid impediments in the champaign countries:
Wherewith he was very angry, and called all the princes of Mo'av, and the captains of Ammon, and all the governors of the sea coast,
And he said unto them, Tell me now, ye sons of Kena`an, who this people is, that dwells in the hill country, and what are the cities that they inhabit, and what is the multitude of their army, and wherein is their power and strength, and what king is set over them, or captain of their army;
And why have they determined not to come and meet me, more than all the inhabitants of the west.
Then said Akiyor, the captain of all the sons of Ammon, Let my adoniy now hear a word from the mouth of your servant, and I will declare unto you the Truth concerning this people, which dwells near you, and inhabits the hill countries: and there shall no lie come out of the mouth of your servant.
This people are descended of the Kasdiym:
And they sojourned heretofore in Aram Naharayim, because they would not follow the elohiym of their fathers, which were in the land of Kasdiy.
For they left the way of their ancestors, and worshipped the Elohiym of heaven, the Elohiym whom they knew: so they cast them out from the face of their elohiym, and they fled into Aram Naharayim, and sojourned there many days.
Then their Elohiym commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned, and to go into the land of Kena`an: where they dwelt, and were increased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle.
But when a famine covered all the land of Kena`an, they went down into Mitsrayim, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a great multitude, so that one could not number their nation.
Therefore the king of Mitsrayim rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with laboring in brick, and made them slaves.
Then they cried unto their Elohiym, and he smote all the land of Mitsrayim with incurable plagues: so the Mitsriym cast them out of their sight.
And Elohiym dried the Red Sea before them,
And brought them to Mount Ciynai, and Qadesh Barnea, and cast forth all that dwelt in the wilderness.
So they dwelt in the land of the Emoriym, and they destroyed by their strength all them of Cheshbon, and passing over the Yardan they possessed all the hill country.
And they cast forth before them the Kena`aniy, the Perizziy, the Yevuciy, and the Shikmiy, and all the Girgashiym, and they dwelt in that country many days.
And while they sinned not before their Elohiym, they prospered, because the Elohiym that hates iniquity was with them.
But when they departed from the way which he appointed them, they were destroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captives into a land that was not their's, and the Temple of their Elohiym was cast to the ground, and their cities were taken by the enemies.
But now are they returned to their Elohiym, and are come up from the places where they were scattered, and have possessed Yerushalayim, where their sanctuary is, and are seated in the hill country; for it was desolate.
Now therefore, my adoniy and governor, if there be any error against this people, and they sin against their Elohiym, let us consider that this shall be their ruin, and let us go up, and we shall overcome them.
But if there be no iniquity in their nation, let my adoniy now pass by, lest their Yahuah defend them, and their Elohiym be for them, and we become a reproach before all the world.
And when Akiyor had finished these sayings, all the people standing round about the tent murmured, and the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt by the sea side, and in Mo'av, spoke that he should kill him.
For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of the children of Yashar'el: for, lo, it is a people that have no strength nor power for a strong battle.
Now therefore, adoniy Holofernes, we will go up, and they shall be a prey to be devoured of all your army.