Achior Is Released to the Israelites

¹When the uproar made by the men outside the council died down, Holofernes, commander of the Assyrian army, spoke to Achior in the presence of all the foreigners and Moabites.

²He said, “Achior, who do you think you are—you and the other mercenaries of Ephraim? Who are you to tell us like some prophet not to make war against the people of Israel? Do you think their God will defend them? What god is there except Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his forces to wipe them from the face of the earth! Their God will not rescue them.

³We, the king’s servants, will destroy them as if they were but one man. They could never resist the force of our horsemen.

⁴We will burn them completely. Their mountains will be drunk with their blood, and their plains will be filled with their dead. Not a single trace of them will survive our attack; they will all die. So says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of the whole earth, for he has spoken, and he makes no empty threats.

⁵“As for you, Achior, you Ammonite mercenary, you have spoken these words rashly. You will not see my face again until I take revenge on these people who came out of Egypt.

⁶When I return, the swords of my soldiers and the spears of my servants will pierce your sides, and you will fall among their wounded.[#6:6 As in Latin Vulgate and Syriac version; Greek reads and the people.]

⁷Now my slaves are going to take you into the hill country and leave you in one of the towns near the mountain passes.

⁸You will not die until you are destroyed along with these people.

⁹If you really believe in your heart that they will not be conquered, don’t look so sad! But I have spoken, and none of my words will fail to come true.”

¹⁰Then Holofernes commanded his personal slaves to seize Achior and take him away to Bethulia, where they would hand him over to the Israelites.

¹¹So the slaves led him out of the camp into the plain. From there they went up into the hill country and came to the springs below Bethulia.

¹²When the men of the town saw them, they picked up their weapons and ran from the town to the top of the hill. All the slingers prevented Holofernes’ slaves from coming up because they kept slinging stones at them.

¹³So the slaves took shelter below the hill. Then they tied Achior, left him lying at the foot of the hill, and returned to their master.

¹⁴The Israelites came down from their town and found Achior. After untying him, they brought him into Bethulia, where he could speak to the leaders of their town.

¹⁵The leaders in those days were Uzziah son of Micah (of the tribe of Simeon), Chabris son of Gothoniel, and Charmis son of Melchiel.

¹⁶They called together all the elders of the town, and all the young men and women hurried to the assembly as well. Achior stood in the middle of all the people, and Uzziah questioned him about what had happened.

¹⁷Achior answered by telling them what had taken place at Holofernes’ council. He told them everything he had said to the Assyrian leaders and how Holofernes had bragged about what he would do to the people of Israel.

¹⁸Then all the people fell down and worshiped God. They cried out,

¹⁹“O Lord God of heaven, see their pride, and be merciful to our humble race. Show your kindness to those who are dedicated to you.”

²⁰Then they reassured Achior and praised him warmly.

²¹Uzziah took him from the assembly to his own house and gave a banquet for the elders. All that night they called on the God of Israel for help.