6 And when the disturbance of the men that were around the council had ceased, Holofernes the chief captain of Ashur’s (Assyria’s) army said to Ahior and to all the children of Moav[fn] before all the people of the foreigners:

2 “And who are you, Ahior, and the mercenaries of Efrayim (Ephraim),[fn] that you’ve prophesied among us as today, and have said that we shouldn’t make war with the race of Yisrael, because their god will defend them? And who’s God but Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar)? 3 He’ll send forth his might, and will destroy them from the face of the earth, and their god won’t deliver them; but we his servants will strike them as one man. They won’t sustain the might of our cavalry. 4 Because with them we’ll burn them up. Their mountains will be drunken with their blood. Their plains will be filled with their dead bodies. Their footsteps won’t stand before us, but they’ll surely perish, says King Nevukadnetsar, lord of all the earth; for he said, ‘The words that I’ve spoken[fn] won’t be in vain.’

5 But you, Ahior, hireling of Amon, who’ve spoken these words in the day of your iniquity, will see my face no more from this day, until I’m avenged of the race of those that came out of Mitsrayim (Egypt). 6 And then the sword of my army, and the multitude of those who serve me, will pass through your sides, and you’ll fall among their slain when I return. 7 Then my servants will bring you back into the hill country, and will set you in one of the cities by the passes. 8 You won’t perish until you’re destroyed with them. 9 And if you hope in your heart that they won’t be taken, don’t let your face fall. I’ve spoken it, and none of my words will fall to the ground.”

10 Then Holofernes commanded his servants who waited in his tent to take Ahior, and bring him back to Betulia, and deliver him into the hands of the Israeli people (Israel). 11 So his servants took him, and brought him out of the camp into the plain, and they moved from the middle of the plains into the hill country, and came to the springs that were under Betulia. 12 When the men of the city saw them on the top of the hill, they took up their weapons, and went out of the city against them to the top of the hill. Every man that used a sling kept them from coming up, and threw stones at them. 13 They took cover under the hill, bound Ahior, threw him down, left him at the foot of the hill, and went away to their lord.

14 But the Israeli people descended from their city, and came to him, untied him, led him away into Betulia, and presented him to the rulers of their city, 15 which were in those days Ozias the son of Mikah, of the tribe of Shim’on (Simeon), and Chabris the son of Otniel, and Charmis the son of Malkiel. 16 Then they called together all the elders of the city; and all their young men ran together, with their women, to the assembly. They set Ahior among all their people. Then Ozias asked him what had happened. 17 He answered and declared to them the words of the council of Holofernes, and all the words that he’d spoken among the princes of the children of Ashur (Assyria), and all the great words that Holofernes had spoken against the house of Yisrael. 18 Then the people fell down and worshipped God, and cried, saying, 19 “Oh master God of heaven, look at their arrogance, and pity the low estate of our race. Look on the face of those who are sanctified to you this day.” 20 They comforted Ahior, and praised him highly. 21 Then Ozias took him out of the assembly into his house, and made a feast for the elders. They called on the god of Yisrael for help all that night.