CHAPTER 4
1 Then the sons of Israel, that dwelled in the land of Judea, heard these things, and they dreaded greatly of the face of Holofernes.
2 Also trembling and hideousness assailed the wits of them, lest he should do this thing to Jerusalem, and to the temple of the Lord, which thing he had done to other cities and temples of them.
3 And they sent into all Samaria, by compass till to Jericho, and before-occupied all the cops (or the tops), or the heights, of the hills;
4 and they compassed their towns with walls, and gathered together wheat into the making ready of (or for) battle.
5 Also the (high) priest Joakim wrote to all men, that were dwelling(over) against Esdraelon, which is even against (or opposite) the face of the great field besides Dothan, and to all men by whom passage might be,
6 that they should hold [or wield] the goings-up of the hills, by which hills a way to (or for) their enemies might be to Jerusalem, and that they should keep (or be on guard) there, where (a) straight way might be among the hills.
7 And the sons of Israel did after this behest (or command), that Joakim, the (high) priest of the Lord, had ordained to them.
8 And all the people cried to the Lord with great instance, or hearty beseeching, and they and the women of them meeked their souls in fastings.
9 And the priests clothed them-selves with hair-shirts, and the young children bowed themselves against (or towards) the face of the temple of the Lord, and they covered the altar of the Lord with an hair-shirt.
10 And they cried together to the Lord God of Israel, lest the children of them should be given into prey, and the wives of them into parting, or departing, by (the) violence of ravishers, and their cities into destroying, and their holy things into defouling (or their temple defiled).
11 Then Joakim, the great (or high) priest of the Lord, compassed all Israel, and spake to them, and said,
12 Know ye, that the Lord shall hear your prayers, if ye dwelling dwell perfectly [or abide still] in fastings and in prayers in the sight of the Lord.
13 Be ye mindful of Moses, the servant of the Lord, which not in fighting with iron, but in praying with holy prayers, casted down Amalek (or the Amalekites) trusting in his virtue, or in his strength, and in his power, and in his host, and in his shields, and in his chariots, and in his knights [or in his horsemen];
14 and so shall all the enemies of Israel be cast down, if ye continue in this work, which ye have begun.
15 Therefore at this exciting, or stirring, [or exhortation], of (or by) him, the men of Israel prayed heartily to the Lord, and dwelled in the sight of the Lord,
16 so that also they, that offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord, were girt with hair-shirts, and they offered sacrifices to the Lord, and ashes were put upon their heads.
17 And all men of all their heart prayed to the Lord, that he would visit his people Israel.