1.攻击伯图利亚的战役 次日，何乐弗尼下令他的整个军队和所有加入他的盟友，解除营地，向伯图利亚进军，并占领通往山地的山口，对以色列人发动战争。The Campaign against Bethulia The next day Holofer′nes ordered his whole army, and all the allies who had joined him, to break camp and move against Bethu′lia, and to seize the passes up into the hill country and make war on the Israelites.
2.于是他们所有的勇士当天就移动了营地，他们的战士人数有十万七千步兵和一万二千骑兵，还有随行的辎重和运送辎重的步兵，人数极多。So all their warriors moved their camp that day; their force of men of war was one hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, together with the baggage and the foot soldiers handling it, a very great multitude.
3.他们在伯图利亚附近的山谷中安营，靠近泉源，他们向外延伸，宽度达到多坦，长度从伯图利亚到基亚蒙，基亚蒙面对以斯得拉伦。They encamped in the valley near Bethu′lia, beside the spring, and they spread out in breadth over Dothan as far as Balba′im and in length from Bethu′lia to Cy′amon, which faces Esdrae′lon.
4.以色列人看见他们的人数很多，就非常害怕。他们彼此说：“这些人要把整个地面吃尽，连高山、山谷和山丘也不能承受他们的重量。”When the Israelites saw their vast numbers they were greatly terrified, and every one said to his neighbor, “These men will now lick up the face of the whole land; neither the high mountains nor the valleys nor the hills will bear their weight.”
5.于是每个人都拿起武器，当他们在瞭望塔上点燃火时，他们整个夜晚都保持警戒。Then each man took up his weapons, and when they had kindled fires on their towers they remained on guard all that night.
6.第二天，荷罗孚尼带领所有骑兵，在伯图利亚的以色列人面前公开展示。On the second day Holofer′nes led out all his cavalry in full view of the Israelites in Bethu′lia,
7.并且检查了通往城市的道路，参观了供水的泉水，占领了它们，并在那里驻扎了士兵守卫，然后回到他的军队。and examined the approaches to the city, and visited the springs that supplied their water, and seized them and set guards of soldiers over them, and then returned to his army.
8.于是以扫人的所有族长和摩押人的所有首领以及沿海地的军长都来到他面前说，Then all the chieftains of the people of Esau and all the leaders of the Mo′abites and the commanders of the coastland came to him and said,
9.求我们的主听一个话， lest他的军队被击败变为：求我们的主听一句话，免得他的军队被打败“Let our lord hear a word, lest his army be defeated.
10.这些人，就是以色列人，不是依靠枪矛，而是依靠他们居住的山的高度，因为到达他们山的顶峰是不容易的。For these people, the Israelites, do not rely on their spears but on the height of the mountains where they live, for it is not easy to reach the tops of their mountains.
11.因此，我的主，请不要与他们列阵交战，你的军队也不会有一人倒下。Therefore, my lord, do not fight against them in battle array, and not a man of your army will fall.
12.你们要留在营中，将你们的军队全部留在你们那里，只让你的仆人去占据从山脚流出的水泉—Remain in your camp, and keep all the men in your forces with you; only let your servants take possession of the spring of water that flows from the foot of the mountain—
13.因为所有伯特利的人都从这里取水。所以，口渴会消灭他们，他们会交出自己的城市。我们和我们的百姓将上到附近的山顶，并在那里扎营守望，免得城里有一个人逃出去。for this is where all the people of Bethu′lia get their water. So thirst will destroy them, and they will give up their city. We and our people will go up to the tops of the nearby mountains and camp there to keep watch that not a man gets out of the city.
14.他们和他们的妻子儿女将因饥荒而消耗殆尽，在刀剑到来之前，他们将散落在他们居住的街道上。They and their wives and children will waste away with famine, and before the sword reaches them they will be strewn about in the streets where they live.
15.所以你们要以恶报应他们，因为他们背叛了你们，不肯与你们和平相处。So you will pay them back with evil, because they rebelled and did not receive you peaceably.”
16.这些话得到了荷罗孚尼和他所有仆人的赞同，他便下令照他们所说的去做。These words pleased Holofer′nes and all his servants, and he gave orders to do as they had said.
17.于是，亚扪人的军队在五千亚述人陪同下向前推进，他们在山谷中扎营，占领了以色列人的水源和泉水。So the army of the Am′monites moved forward, together with five thousand Assyrians, and they encamped in the valley and seized the water supply and the springs of the Israelites.
18.以扫的儿子和亚们的儿子上去，在多坦对面的山地扎营，他们派一些人向南和向东，向亚克拉巴去，亚克拉巴靠近户西，近莫克穆尔溪。亚述军队的其余部分扎营在平原上，遮盖了全地， их的帐篷和辎重队大量展开，形成了庞大的军队。And the sons of Esau and the sons of Ammon went up and encamped in the hill country opposite Dothan; and they sent some of their men toward the south and the east, toward Acr′aba, which is near Chusi beside the brook Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army encamped in the plain, and covered the whole face of the land, and their tents and supply trains spread out in great number, and they formed a vast multitude.
19.以色列人的困苦 以色列人向他们的神耶和华哀求，因为他们失去了勇气，这是因为所有的敌人都围困了他们，没有逃脱的机会。The Distress of the Israelites The people of Israel cried out to the Lord their God, for their courage failed, because all their enemies had surrounded them and there was no way of escape from them.
20.整个亚述军队，包括步兵、战车和骑兵，围困他们三十四天，直到伯图利亚所有居民的水器都空了；The whole Assyrian army, their infantry, chariots, and cavalry, surrounded them for thirty-four days, until all the vessels of water belonging to every inhabitant of Bethu′lia were empty;
21.他们的水池即将干涸，他们没有足够的水可以喝饱一天，因为水是按量发放给他们喝的。their cisterns were going dry, and they did not have enough water to drink their fill for a single day, because it was measured out to them to drink.
22.他们的孩子失去了精神，妇女和年轻人因口渴而晕倒，倒在城里的街道上和城门的通道上；他们再也没有力气了。Their children lost heart, and the women and young men fainted from thirst and fell down in the streets of the city and in the passages through the gates; there was no strength left in them any longer.
23.于是，所有的人，包括年轻人、妇女和孩子，都聚集在乌西雅和城里的官长周围，大声哭喊，对所有的长老说，Then all the people, the young men, the women, and the children, gathered about Uzzi′ah and the rulers of the city and cried out with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,
24.愿上帝在你我之间做判断，因为你没有与亚述人讲和，这对我们是一件大冤。“God be judge between you and us! For you have done us a great injury in not making peace with the Assyrians.
25.现在我们没有人帮助我们，神将我们卖给他们，在他们面前使我们在干渴和完全毁灭中四散在地上。For now we have no one to help us; God has sold us into their hands, to strew us on the ground before them with thirst and utter destruction.
26.现在召集他们，向荷罗孚尼的军队和他的所有力量投降，任其掠夺整个城市。Now call them in and surrender the whole city to the army of Holofer′nes and to all his forces, to be plundered.
27.因为被他们俘虏对我们来说更好，我们将成为奴隶，但我们的生命将会保全，我们不会眼睁睁地看着自己的婴儿在我们面前死去，也不会看到自己的妻子和孩子断气。For it would be better for us to be captured by them; for we will be slaves, but our lives will be spared, and we shall not witness the death of our babes before our eyes, or see our wives and children draw their last breath.
28.我们以天地和我们祖先的神、主为证，对你作见证，他根据我们的罪和我们祖先的罪惩罚我们。愿他今天不这样做，我们所说的也不要发生！We call to witness against you heaven and earth and our God, the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers. Let him not do this day the things which we have described!”
29.于是，大会中出现了极大的哀哭，大家大声呼求主上帝。Then great and general lamentation arose throughout the assembly, and they cried out to the Lord God with a loud voice.
30.乌西雅对他们说，你们要勇敢，我的兄弟们，再坚持五天，到那时我们的神耶和华必再施恩于我们，他必不永远丢弃我们。And Uzzi′ah said to them, “Have courage, my brothers! Let us hold out for five more days; by that time the Lord our God will restore to us his mercy, for he will not forsake us utterly.
31.但如果这些日子过去了，我们却没有得到帮助，我就照你说的去做。But if these days pass by, and no help comes for us, I will do what you say.”
32.于是，他让众人回到各自的岗位，他们就上了城墙和城楼。妇人和孩子他都打发回家，城里的人都非常忧闷。Then he dismissed the people to their various posts, and they went up on the walls and towers of their city. The women and children he sent home. And they were greatly depressed in the city.