1 The next day Holophernĕs commanded all his army and all his people who had come to take part, that they should remove their encampment against Bĕyth Yulia, to take the ascents of the hill country beforehand, and to fight against the children of Yisra’ĕl.
2 Then their mighty men removed their camps that day, and the army of the men of battle was one hundred and seventy thousand footmen and twelve thousand horsemen, besides the baggage and other footmen that were among them – a very great crowd.
3 And they camped in the valley near Bĕyth Yulia by the spring, and they spread themselves wide over Dothan even to Ba’al Mayim, and in length from Bĕyth Yulia to Yoqne’am, which is opposite Yizre’ĕl.
4 Now when the children of Yisra’ĕl saw the number of them, they were greatly troubled, and each one said to his neighbour, “Now these men shall lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains nor the valleys nor the hills are able to bear their weight.”
5 Then every man took up his weapons of battle and when they had kindled fires on their towers, they remained and watched all that night.
6 But on the second day, Holophernĕs led out all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Yisra’ĕl who were in Bĕyth Yulia,
7 and scouted the ascents to the city and came to the springs of their waters and took them and placed garrisons of men of battle over them, and he himself returned to his army.
8 Then all the chiefs of the children of Ĕsaw came to him and all the governors of the people of Mo’aḇ and the captains of the seacoast and said,
9 “Let our master now hear a word, that there shall not be an overthrow of your army.
10 “For this people of the children of Yisra’ĕl do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains in which they dwell, because it is not easy to ascend to the tops of their mountains.
11 “Now therefore, my master, do not fight against them in battle array, and not so much as one man of your army shall perish.
12 “Remain in your camp and keep all the men of your army, and let your servants take possession of the spring of water which issues from the foot of the mountain,
13 for all the inhabitants of Bĕyth Yulia get their water there; so thirst shall kill them and they shall give up their city. And we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near and shall lay seige to them to watch that none go out of the city.
14 “So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with fire and before the sword comes against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.
15 “Thus you shall render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and did not meet you peaceably.”
16 And these words pleased Holophernĕs and all his servants, and he gave orders to do as they had spoken.
17 So the camp of the children of Ammon departed and with them five thousand of Ashshur, and they encamped in the valley and seized the waters and the springs of water of the children of Yisra’ĕl.
18 Then the children of Ĕsaw went up with the children of Ammon and encamped in the hill country opposite Dothan. And they sent some of them toward the south and toward the east opposite Aqrabbah, which is near Ḵusi which is on the wadi Moḵmur; and the rest of the army of Ashshur encamped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land. And their tents and supply wagons were camped forming a very great crowd.
19 Then the children of Yisra’ĕl cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 their Elohim, because their hearts failed, for all their enemies had surrounded them, and there was no way to escape from among them.
20 So all the army of Ashshur surrounded them thirty-four days, both their footmen, chariots and horsemen, so that all the containers of water of the inhibitants of Bĕyth Yulia were empty.
21 And the cisterns were emptied and they had no water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure.
22 Therefore their young children were disheartened, and their women and young men fainted for thirst and fell down in the streets of the city and by the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.
23 Then all the people assembled to Uzziyah and to the chief of the city, both young men and women and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,
24 “Elohim be judge between us and you; for you have done us great injury, in that you have not required peace from the children of Ashshur.
25 “For now we have no helper; and Elohim has sold us into their hands, that we should be cast down before them with thirst and great destruction.
26 “Now therefore summon them to you, and deliver the whole city for plunder to the men of Holophernĕs, and to all his army.
27 “For it is better for us to be plundered by them, than to die for thirst; for we shall be his servants, that our beings may live and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children die.
28 “We take the shamayim and the earth to witness against you, and our Elohim and Aḏon of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that He does not do as we have said this day.”
29 Then there was great weeping with one accord in the midst of the assembly; and they cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim with a loud voice.
30 Then Uzziyah said to them, “Brothers, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in which time 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Elohim may turn His favour toward us; for He shall not utterly forsake us.
31 “And if these days pass, and no help comes for us, I shall do according to your word.”
32 And he dispersed the people, each one to their own watch; and they went to the walls and towers of their city and sent the women and children into their houses; and in the city they were brought very low.