And it was declared unto Holofernes, the chief captain of the Assyrian army, that the children of Israel had prepared themselves for defense, and had stopped the passages of the mountains.

Then Holofernes was greatly incensed and his anger was kindled within him, and he called all the princes of Moab and the captains of Ammon. And when Achior had finished these words, all the great men of Holofernes were wroth, and purposed to slay him, saying one to another,

And he said unto them, Tell me, who are these people that hold the mountains? And what are their cities? And what is their power and strength? And what is their multitude? And who is the captain of their army?

And how have they despised us, more than all the inhabitants of the East, and have not come forth to meet us peaceably?

Then Achior, the captain of all the children of Ammon, answered and said, If it please my lord, I will speak the truth before thee concerning these people that dwell in the mountains, and no lie shall proceed out of my mouth.

These people are descended from the Chaldeans.

And they dwelt first in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers who dwelt in the land of the Chaldeans.

For they forsook the customs of their fathers, which were of many gods.

And they worshipped the one God of heaven. And He commanded them to depart from thence and to dwell in Haran. And when famine spread over all the land, they went down into Egypt, and multiplied there for four hundred years, until their army was innumerable.

And when the king of Egypt oppressed them with burdens and enslaved them in building his cities with clay and bricks, they cried unto their Lord, and He smote the land of Egypt with various plagues.

And after the Egyptians had driven them out of their land, and the plague had ceased from them, they sought to seize them to reduce them again to servitude.

And as they fled, the God of heaven divided the sea for them, and the waters were congealed on both sides, so they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground.

And the army of the Egyptians, without number, pursued them there, but the waters overwhelmed them, so that not one of them remained to tell their descendants.

So they came out of the Red Sea and encamped in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, where no man could dwell, neither could the son of man rest.

And there He turned the bitter springs of water into sweet for them to drink, and provided them with food from heaven for forty years.

And when they entered, without bow, nor arrow, nor shield, nor sword, their God fought for them and triumphed.

And there was no one who could despise these people, unless they forsook the worship of the Lord their God. For whenever they worshipped other gods than their God, they were delivered up to spoil and sword and ignominy.

And whenever they repented of forsaking the worship of their God, the God of heaven gave them strength for defense.

So they overthrew before them the kings of the Canaanites, and the Jebusites, and the Perizzites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Amorites, and all the giants that were in Heshbon, and possessed their lands and their cities.

And as long as they sinned not before their God, good befell them, for their God hateth iniquity.

But when they had strayed from the way that God commanded them, these many years past, they were broken in wars before many peoples, and many of them were carried away captive into a land not their own.

Nevertheless, of late they have returned unto the Lord their God, and have gathered together from their dispersion whither they were scattered, and have gone up into all these mountains, and have repossessed Jerusalem, where are their holy things.

And now, my lord, behold, if there be iniquity in these people before their God, let us go up against them, for their God will deliver them into thy hand, and they shall be enslaved under the yoke of thy power.

But if there be no iniquity in these people before their God, we shall not be able to prevail against them, for their God will defend them, and we shall be a reproach upon all the face of the earth.

Who can say that the children of Israel have strength to resist King Nebuchadnezzar and his armies, for they are a people without arms or strength, and have no experience in matters of war?

Wherefore, that Achior may know that he deceiveth us, let us now go up to the mountains, and when their mighty men are taken, then we will put him also to the sword with them.

Until every nation shall know that Nebuchadnezzar is the god of the earth, and there is none other beside him.