because that is where the people of Bethulia get all their water. They will die of thirst so they will surrender their town. We and our people will climb the highest points of the nearby mountains and establish outposts to stop anyone from leaving the town.
Stay at your camp and keep all your men safe, but let us take control of the spring coming from the foot of the mountain,
Therefore, master, if you want to save your men’s lives, do not confront them in battle formation.
These people of Israel trust not in javelins but in the heights of the mountains they inhabit, since it is not easy to reach the summits of their mountains.
The leaders of the Edomites, the commanders of the Moabites, and the generals of the seacoast came to Holofernes and said:
He observed the approaches to their town, identified the water sources, seized them, and stationed guards over them, then he returned to his army.
On the second day, Holofernes assembled all his cavalry in front of the Israelites at Bethulia.
Nevertheless, each one grabbed his fighting gear; they lit fires on the tops of the towers and kept watch all night.
When the Israelites saw how many they were, they were afraid and said to each other: “Without a doubt, this crowd will consume the entire country; neither the high mountains, nor the ravines, nor the hills will be able to stop their advance.”
