Judith 1

1 In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned over the Assyrians in Nineveh, the great city, in the days of Arphaxad, who reigned over the Medes in Ecbatana, 2 and built around Ecbatana walls of hewn stones three cubits broad and six cubits long, and made the height of the wall seventy cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, 3 and set its towers at its gates one hundred cubits high, and its breadth in the foundation was sixty cubits, 4 and made its gates, even gates that were raised to the height of seventy cubits, and their breadth forty cubits, for his mighty army to go out of, and the setting in array of his footmen— 5 in those days King Nebuchadnezzar made war with King Arphaxad in the great plain. This plain is on the borders of Ragau. 6 There came to meet him all that lived in the hill country, and all that lived by Euphrates, Tigris, and Hydaspes, and in the plain of Arioch the king of the Elymaeans. Many nations of the sons of Chelod assembled themselves to the battle. 7 And Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent to all who lived in Persia, and to all who lived westward, to those who lived in Cilicia, Damascus, Libanus, Antilibanus, and to all who lived along the sea coast, 8 and to those among the nations that were of Carmel and Gilead, and to the higher Galilee and the great plain of Esdraelon, 9 and to all who were in Samaria and its cities, and beyond Jordan to Jerusalem, Betane, Chellus, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Tahpanhes, Rameses, and all the land of Goshen, 10 until you come above Tanis and Memphis, and to all that lived in Egypt, until you come to the borders of Ethiopia. 11 All those who lived in all the land made light of the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, and didn’t go with him to the war; for they were not afraid of him, but he was before them as one man. They turned away his messengers from their presence without effect, and with disgrace. 12 And Nebuchadnezzar was exceedingly angry with all this land, and he swore by his throne and kingdom that he would surely be avenged upon all the coasts of Cilicia, Damascus, and Syria, that he would kill with his sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, the children of Ammon, all Judea, and all who were in Egypt, until you come to the borders of the two seas. 13 And he set the battle in array with his army against King Arphaxad in the seventeenth year; and he prevailed in his battle, and turned to flight all the army of Arphaxad, with all his horses and all his chariots. 14 He took possession of his cities. He came to Ecbatana and took the towers, plundered its streets, and turned its beauty into shame. 15 He took Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau, struck him through with his darts, and utterly destroyed him to this day. 16 He returned with them to Nineveh, he and all his company of sundry nations—an exceedingly great multitude of men of war. There he took his ease and banqueted, he and his army, for one hundred twenty days.

1 Arphaxad, roi des Mèdes, après avoir soumis à son empire beaucoup de nations, bâtit de pierres de taille équarries une ville très forte, qu’il appela Ecbatane. 2 Il l’entoura de murailles hautes de soixante-dix coudées, sur trente coudées de largeur, et il y construisit des tours hautes de cent coudées, 3 de forme carrée, chaque côté ayant vingt pieds de largeur, et il fit les portes en proportion de la hauteur des tours. 4 Il se glorifiait comme étant invincible par la puissance de son armée et par la multitude de ses chars. 5 Or, la douzième année de son règne, Nabuchodonosor, roi des Assyriens, qui régnait à Ninive, la grande ville, fit la guerre à Arphaxad et le vainquit 6 dans la grande plaine appelée Ragau, avec l’aide de ceux qui habitent près de l’Euphrate, du Tigre et du Jadason, dans la plaine d’Erioch, le roi des Eliciens. 7 Alors fut agrandie la domination de Nabuchodonosor, et son cœur s’éleva, et il envoya des messagers à tous ceux qui habitaient en Cilicie, à Damas et sur le mont Liban, 8 aux peuples du Carmel, de Cédar, aux habitants de la Galilée, dans la grande plaine d’Esdrelon, 9 à tous ceux qui étaient dans la Samarie, au-delà du fleuve du Jourdain, jusqu’à Jérusalem, et dans tout le pays de Gessen jusqu’aux frontières de l’Éthiopie : 10 à tous ces peuples, Nabuchodonosor, roi d’Assyrie, envoya des messagers. 11 Et tous, d’un commun accord, refusèrent ; ils les renvoyèrent sans présents et n’eurent pour eux que du mépris. 12 Alors le roi Nabuchodonosor entra en fureur contre tous ces pays, et jura par son trône et par son royaume de tirer vengeance de toutes ces contrées.