The Worlds Greatest Books - Volume 13 | Page 5

upon their faces; but he said: Fear
not, for it shall go well with you. I go up to him that sent me; but write all the things
which were done in a book. And when they arose they saw him no more.
Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, saying: In the land of my captivity do I praise thee, O
Lord, and declare thy might and majesty to a sinful nation. For Jerusalem shall be built up,

her walls and towers and battlements restored. And all her streets shall say: Alleluia.
And when he was very aged, Tobit called his son and the six sons of his son, and bade
them go into Media, for he was ready to depart out of this life, and he surely believed that
which Jonas the prophet spake of Nineve, that it should be overthrown. When he had said
these things he gave up the ghost. Tobias departed with his wife to Media, and died there;
but before he died he heard of the destruction of Nineve, which was taken by
Nabuchodonosor.
JUDITH
In the days of Arphaxad, which reigned over the Medes in Ecbatane, he fortified
Ecbatane with great stone walls, and towers and gates, for the going forth of his mighty
armies. Nabuchodonosor, who reigned in Nineve, made war with King Arphaxad, and
sent ambassadors to Cilicia, Damascus and Syria, and the land of Moab and Ammon and
Judea and all Egypt asking aid; but the inhabitants thereof made light of the
commandment, and sent away his ambassadors with disgrace. Therefore,
Nabuchodonosor was very angry, and sware by his throne that he would be avenged upon
all the inhabitants of these countries, and would slay them with the sword.
Nabuchodonosor, in the seventeenth year of his reign, marched in battle array against
Arphaxad and overthrew his power and, all his horsemen and chariots, and took his cities
even unto Ecbatane, and spoiled the streets thereof, and turned the beauty of the city into
shame. He also took Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau and smote him. So he returned
to Nineve with all his company of sundry nations and feasted. In the eighteenth year,
Nabuchodonosor called the chief captain of his army, Holofernes, and commanded him to
take one hundred and twenty thousand footmen and twelve thousand horsemen and go
against all the west country because they had disobeyed his commandment. He charged
also Holofernes to spare none that would not yield, and put them to the slaughter, and
spoil them. And the army went forth with a great number of allies like locusts into Cilicia,
and destroyed Phud and Lud, and all the children of Rasses and Ishmael. Then the army
went over Euphrates and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyed all the high cities on
the river Arbonai to the sea, and then to Japheth over against Arabia, and Media and
Damascus, and burned up their tabernacles, destroyed their flocks and herds, utterly
wasted their countries, and smote all their young men with the edge of the sword. Then
fear fell upon the inhabitants of Tyrus and Sidon, on the sea coasts, who sent
ambassadors unto Holofernes, and made submission. He received them, yet he cast down
their frontiers, cut down their groves, destroyed all the gods of the land, and decreed that
all the nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and call upon him as God.
Now, the children of Israel that dwelt in Judea, who were newly returned from captivity,
were exceedingly afraid for Jerusalem and for the Temple of the Lord their God.
Therefore, they possessed themselves of all tops of the high mountains, and fortified the
villages, and laid up victuals for the provision of war. And Joacim and all the priests
ministered unto the Lord in the Temple, and offered sacrifices and prayed that he would
not give the children of Israel for a prey, their wives for a spoil, the cities of their
inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to profanation.
Holofernes was very angry when he heard this. And Achior, captain of the sons of
Ammon, told Holofernes what the Jews were, their history, and what their God had done
for them; and advised Holofernes not to meddle with them. There was then tumult in the
council of the Assyrian host, and Holofernes despised the God of the people of Israel, and

sent Achior to the children of Israel that were in Bethulia, in the hill country. Then
Holofernes with all his army besieged Bethulia, and took possession of the fountains of
water, so that the inhabitants fainted for thirst, and there was no longer any strength in
them. They murmured against the governors, and called upon them to deliver the city to
Holofernes and his army. Ozias, the chief of the city, said: Brethren, be