Yudit (Judith) — 5

Evil plan against the Yasharalym 

1 When Hulufarnas, the general of the Assyrian army, heard that the people of Yashar'AL had prepared for war and had closed the passes in the hills and had fortified all the high hilltops and set up barricades in the plains, 

2 he was very angry. So he called together all the princes of Muab and the commanders of Ammun and all the governors of the coastland, 

3 and said to them, “Tell me, you Canaanites, what people is this that lives in the hill country? What cities do they inhabit? How large is their army, and in what does their power or strength consist? Who rules over them as king, leading their army? 

4 And why have they alone, of all who live in the west, refused to come out and meet me?”

Achiur’s Report

5 Then Achiur, the leader of all the Ammunites, said to him, “Let my master now hear a word from the mouth of your servant, and I will tell you the truth about this people that dwells in the nearby mountain district. No falsehood shall come from your servant’s mouth. 

6 This people is descended from the Chaldaans. 

7 At one time they lived in Masuputamia, because they would not follow the idols of their fathers who were in Chaldaa. 

8 For they had left the ways of their ancestors, and they worshiped  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH of Shamaym, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH they had come to know; hence they drove them out from the presence of their idols; and they fled to Masuputamia, and lived there for a long time. 

9 Then their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH commanded them to leave the place where they were living and go to the land of Canaan. There they settled, and prospered, with much gold and silver and very many cattle. 

10 When a famine spread over Canaan they went down to Mitzraym and lived there as long as they had food; and there they became a great multitude, so great that they could not be counted. 

11 So the king of Mitzraym became hostile to them; he took advantage of them and set them to making bricks, and humbled them and made slaves of them. 

12 Then they cried out to their  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  afflicted the whole land of Mitzraym with incurable plagues; and so the Mitzraym drove them out of their sight. 

13 Then their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH dried up the Red Sea before them, 

14 and He led them by the way of Sinai and Kadash-barnaa, and drove out all the people of the wilderness. 

15 So they lived in the land of the Amurites, and by their might destroyed all the inhabitants of Hashbun; and crossing over the Yurdan they took possession of all the hill country. 

16 And they drove out before them the Canaanites and the Parizzites and the Yabusites and the Shachamites and all the Gargasites, and lived there a long time. 

17 As long as they did not sin against their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH they prospered, for the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH who hates iniquity is with them. 

18 But when they departed from the way which 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had appointed for them, they were utterly defeated in many battles and were led away captive to a foreign country; the temple of their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH was razed to the ground, and their cities were captured by their enemies. 

19 But now they have returned to their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, and have come back from the places to which they were scattered, and have occupied Yahushalam, where their sanctuary is, and have settled in the hill country, because it was uninhabited. 

20 Now therefore, my master if there is any unwitting error in this people and they sin against their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and we find out their offense, then we will go up and defeat them. 

21 But if there is no transgression in their nation, then let my master pass them by; for their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH will defend them, and their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH will protect them, and we shall be put to shame before the whole world.”

22 When Achiur had finished saying this, all the men standing around the tent began to complain; Hulufarnas officers and all the men from the seacoast and from Muab insisted that he must be put to death. 

23 “For,” they said, “we will not be afraid of the Yasharalym; they are a people with no strength or power for making war. 

24 Therefore let us go up, master Hulufarnas, and they will be devoured by your vast army.”