is that may make the children of Israel resist the king
Nebuchadnezzar and his army and host? Men cowards and without might and
without any wisdom of war. Therefore that Achior may know that he saith
not true, let us ascend the mountains, and when the mighty men of them
be taken let him be slain with them, that all men may know that
Nebuchadnezzar is god of the earth, and that there is none other but he.
Then when they ceased to speak, Holofernes having indignation said to
Achior: Because thou hast prophesied to us of the children of Israel
saying, that their God defend them, I shall show to thee that there is
no god but Nebuchadnezzar, for whom we have overcome them all and slain
them as one man, then shalt thou die with them by the sword of the
Assyrians, and all Israel shall be put into ruin and perdition, and then
shall be known that Nebuchadnezzar is lord of all the earth, and the
sword of my knighthood shall pass through thy sides. And thou shalt
depart hence and go to them, and shalt not die unto the time that I have
them and thee. And when I have slain them with my sword thou shalt in
like wise be slain with like vengeance. After this Holofernes commanded
his servants to take Achior, and lead him to Bethulia and to put him in
the hands of them of Israel. And so they took Achior and ascended the
mountains, against whom came out men of war. Then the servants of
Holofernes turned aside and bound Achior to a tree hands and feet with
cords, and left him and so returned to their lord. Then the sons of
Israel coming down from Bethulia loosed and unbound him, and brought him
to Bethulia, and he being set amid the people was demanded what he was,
and why he was so sore there bounden. And he told to them all the matter
like as it is aforesaid, and how Holofernes had commanded him to be
delivered unto them of Israel. Then all the people fell down on to their
faces worshipping God, and with great lamentation and weeping, with one
will made their prayers unto our Lord God of heaven, and that he would
behold the pride of them, and to the meekness of them of Israel, and to
take heed to the faces of his hallows and show to them his grace and not
forsake them, and prayed God to have mercy on them and defend them from
their enemies. And on that other side, Holofernes commanded his hosts to
go up and assail Bethulia, and so went up, of footmen one hundred and
twenty thousand, and twelve thousand horsemen, and besieged the town,
and