Judith 6:1-9

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Achior Handed Over to the Israelites

6 When the disturbance made by the people outside the council had died down, Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, said to Achior^[a] in the presence of all the foreign contingents:

² “Who are you, Achior and you mercenaries of Ephraim, to prophesy among us as you have done today and tell us not to make war against the people of Israel because their God will defend them? What god is there except Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his forces and destroy them from the face of the earth. Their God will not save them;^{(A) 3} we the king’s^[b] servants will destroy them as one person. They cannot resist the might of our cavalry.^{(B) 4} We will overwhelm them;^[c] their mountains will be drunk with their blood, and their fields will be full of their dead. Not even their footprints will survive our attack; they will utterly perish. So says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of the whole earth. For he has spoken; none of his words shall be in vain.^(C)

⁵ “As for you, Achior, you Ammonite mercenary, you have said these words in a moment of perversity; you shall not see my face again from this day until I take revenge on this people that came out of Egypt.^{(D) 6} Then at my return the sword of my army and the spear^[d] of my servants shall pierce your sides, and you shall fall among their wounded. ⁷ Now my slaves are going to take you back into the hill country and put you in one of the towns beside the passes. ⁸ You will not die until you perish along with them. ⁹ If you really hope in your heart that they will not be taken, then do not look downcast! I have spoken, and none of my words shall fail to come true.”