Judith
Ethiopian Bible (EBV)
Judith
Chapter 1 of 16
1In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled over Persia from Nineveh, the great city, in the days of Arphaxad, who ruled over the Medes in Ecbatana, 2Arphaxad built walls around Ecbatana of hewn stone. On the side facing the open country the base of the foundation was thirty cubits thick, and on the side facing the city the base of the foundation was sixty cubits. He made its walls seventy cubits high and its corners fifty cubits. 3He set its towers at the gates, each a hundred cubits high, and their foundations measured sixty cubits from corner to corner. 4He made the doors of its gates, which opened wide, seventy cubits high and thirty cubits across, so that his mighty men, his strong men and his army of foot soldiers could pass through. 5In those days Nebuchadnezzar made war on Arphaxad, the great king, in the great plain, the plain that lies in the region of Ragau. 6All who lived in the hill country came to him, and all who lived in the hills along the Euphrates, the Tigris and the Hydaspes, and in the fields of Arioch king of the Elymeans. A great many nations gathered to fight against the sons of Chelod. 7Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Persia sent word to all who lived in the region of Persia, and to all who lived toward the west: to those who lived in Cilicia, Damascus and Lebanon, and to all who lived along the seacoast, 8to the nations who lived in Carmel and Gilead, in upper Galilee, and in the great plain of Esdraelon, 9to all who lived in Samaria and its towns, and to those beyond the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, Betane, Chelus, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Tahpanhes, Rameses and all the land of Goshen, 10on past Tanis and Memphis, and to all who lived in Egypt as far as the borders of Ethiopia. 11But all the people in all that land scorned the command of Nebuchadnezzar king of Persia and would not go to war with him. They did not fear him; to them he was no more than one man. They sent his envoys back empty-handed and in disgrace. 12Nebuchadnezzar was furious with that whole land. He swore by the throne of his kingdom that he would take revenge on the whole region of Cilicia, Damascus and Syria and put them to the sword, along with all who lived in the land of Moab, the people of Ammon, all of Judea, and everyone in Egypt as far as the borders of the two lands. 13In the seventeenth year he went to war with his army against King Arphaxad and defeated him. He routed his whole army, all his cavalry and all his chariots. 14He took control of his cities and went on as far as Ecbatana. He seized its towers, plundered the city and laid it waste. 15He captured Arphaxad in the region of Ragau, ran him through with spears, and destroyed him for good. 16Then he went home, he and all who were with him, a vast multitude of fighting men. He stayed there a hundred and twenty days, taking counsel and laying plans. ‹
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Judith · Chapter 1 of 16