Judith 7

How to read these pages: the text itself comes first, verse by verse, in the volume's own translation. Beneath each verse stands its Meaning — a rendering of what the passage's terms name in the inner life, drawn from the correspondences the text itself uses. The text is never altered; the meaning is offered, not imposed.

King James Version

1The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel.

The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people who were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take beforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel — the siege resolved: the ascents seized first, that the heights themselves be turned against the city.

2Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude.

Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude — the muster grown since chapter two: the subject peoples' strength added to the empire's own, and the sum still rendered in the empire's arithmetic.

3And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia unto Cynamon, which is over against Esdraelon.

And they camped in the valley — the low state — near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim — Dothan, the place of decision — even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia unto Cynamon, which is over against Esdraelon: the host spread to fill every dimension of the approach.

4Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour, Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight.

Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour: Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight — terror speaking in the city's streets: the multitude measured against the very landscape, and the landscape found too small.

5Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night.

Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night — the hidden state kept as a watch: fires on the towers, and the state awake inside its fear.

6But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia,

But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel who were in Bethulia — force displayed as an argument: the horsemen shown, that the sight itself might besiege.

7And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward his people.

And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward his people — the true objective found without a battle: the waters. Whoever holds the fountains holds the city, in whatever patience.

8Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau, and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said,

Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau — Esau, the outer bodily man, appetite, the red life of sense — and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said — counsel coming now from the appetite-line and the subject states, who know the hill country better than the empire does.

9Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army.

Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in your army — flattery framing the counsel as loyalty.

10For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains.

For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains — the enemy's strength diagnosed exactly: a trust seated in exalted states, not in weapons.

11Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of thy people perish.

Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of your people perish — the counsel of the bloodless victory: patience offered as strategy.

12Remain in thy camp, and keep all the men of thine army, and let thy servants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issueth forth of the foot of the mountain:

Remain in your camp, and keep all the men of your army, and let your servants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issues forth from the foot of the mountain — water: the fluid state of mind, thoughts and feelings not yet formed; the fountain at the mountain's foot is where the city's inner supply rises.

13For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of the city.

For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of the city — thirst appointed as the executioner, and the heights occupied to complete the sealing.

14So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with famine, and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.

So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with famine — the lack-state in its slowest form — and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.

15Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably.

Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably — rebellion redefined once more as the refusal to come out peaceably: the siege justified as a sentence.

16And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken.

And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken — the captain choosing the slow weapon: the empire consenting to wait.

17So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the children of Israel.

So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the children of Israel — the waters taken: the sentence of thirst now in force.

18Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great multitude.

Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against Dothaim; and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great multitude — the ring closed in every direction: appetite in the hills, the empire in the plain, the whole face of the land covered.

19Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them.

Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them — the first cry of the siege: prayer from a heart that has counted the ring and found no gap.

20Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhibitants of Bethulia.

Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhabitants of Bethulia — thirty-four days rendered in one verse: the patience of the empire outlasting the cisterns of the city.

21And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure.

And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure — the supply rationed: the unformed thoughts of the state doled out by measure, and the measure shrinking.

22Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.

Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them — the siege reaching the streets and the gates: the youngest states failing first, in public places.

23Then all the people assembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,

Then all the people assembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders — the whole state assembling against its own governors: thirst becoming a polity.

24God be judge between us and you: for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the children of Assur.

God be judge between us and you: for you have done us great injury, in that you have not required peace of the children of Assur — the accusation framed as a lawsuit before God: the governors charged with the injury of not surrendering.

25For now we have no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction.

For now we have no helper: but God has sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction — theology drawn from the cistern's bottom: the empty vessels read as a verdict of abandonment.

26Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army.

Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army — surrender demanded as policy, in the assembly, with a loud voice.

27For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst: for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.

For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst; for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die — servitude chosen over death, and reasoned from the children's faces: the argument of the sense-state at the end of its strength.

28We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God and Lord of our fathers, which punisheth us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that he do not according as we have said this day.

We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth — the inner realm and the outer world called as witnesses — and our God and Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that He do not according as we have said this day — the oath sworn against the governors even in surrender: the people binding heaven itself to their despair.

29Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice.

Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice — weeping and crying together: the assembly's last unity a sound of grief.

30Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly.

Then said Ozias to them: Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly — the governor's compromise: five days of mercy expected on a schedule, courage requested against a deadline.

31And if these days pass, and there come no help unto us, I will do according to your word.

And if these days pass, and there come no help unto us, I will do according to your word — the surrender promised and dated: the oath that Judith will presently call by its true name.

32And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children into their houses: and they were very low brought in the city.

And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children into their houses: and they were very low brought in the city — the state dispersed to its posts, and the city very low: the five days beginning at the bottom.

Companion volume to The Why Bible — the King James Apocrypha, rendered in its spiritual meanings. First final edition, October 2026.