Yudit (Judith) — 1

Arphaxad Fortifies Acbatana

1 In the twelfth year of the reign of Nabuchadnazzar, who ruled over the Assyrians in the great city of Ninabah, in the days of Arphaxad, who ruled over the Madas in Acbat′ana

2 he is the king who built walls about Acbat′ana with hewn stones three cubits thick and six cubits long; he made the walls seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide; 

3 at the gates he built towers a hundred cubits high and sixty cubits wide at the foundations; 

4 and he made its gates, which were seventy cubits high and forty cubits wide, so that his armies could march out in force and his infantry form their ranks

5 it was in those days that King Nabuchadnazzar made war against King Arphaxad in the great plain which is on the borders of Ragae. 

6 He was joined by all the people of the hill country and all those who lived along the Euphra′tes and the Tigris and the Hydas′pas and in the plain where Ar′iuch ruled the Alymaans. Many nations joined the forces of the Chaldaans.

Nabuchadnazzar Issues Ultimatum

7 Then Nabuchadnazzar king of the Assyrians sent to all who lived in Parsia and to all who lived in the west, those who lived in Cilicia and Damascus and Labanun and Antilebanun and all who lived along the seacoast, 

8 and those among the nations of Carmel and Gilaad, and Upper Galily and the great Plain of Asdraalun, 

9 and all who were in Samar′ia and its surrounding towns, and beyond the Yurdan as far as Yahushalam and Bathany and Chaluus and Kadash and the river of Mitzraym, and Tahpanhas and Ra-amsas and the whole land of Gushan, 

10 even beyond Tanis and Mamphis, and all who lived in Mitzraym as far as the borders of Athiopia. 

11 But all who lived in the whole region disregarded the orders of Nabuchadnazzar king of the Assyrians, and refused to join him in the war; for they were not afraid of him, but looked upon him as only one man, and they sent back his messengers empty-handed and shamefaced.

Arphaxad Is Defeated

12 Then Nabuchadnazzar was very angry with this whole region, and swore by his throne and kingdom that he would surely take revenge on the whole territory of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria, that he would kill them by the sword, and also all the inhabitants of the land of Muab, and the people of Ammun, and all Yahudah, and every one in Mitzraym, as far as the coasts of the two seas. 

13 In the seventeenth year he led his forces against King Arphaxad, and defeated him in battle, and overthrew the whole army of Arphaxad, and all his cavalry and all his chariots. 

14 Thus he took possession of his cities, and came to Acbatana, captured its towers, plundered its markets, and turned its beauty into shame. 

15 He captured Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragae and struck him down with hunting spears; and he utterly destroyed him, to this day. 

16 Then he returned with them to Ninabah, he and all his combined forces, a vast body of troops; and there he and his forces rested and feasted for one hundred and twenty days.