2 After calling together all his attendants and all his officials, he laid out before them his secret plan and established, with his own mouth, all the wickedness of the region.
3 They determined to destroy everyone who hadn’t obeyed his command.
4 When he finished laying out his plan, King Nebuchadnezzar of the Assyrians called for Holofernes, the general of his army and next in charge after the king himself. The king said to him,
5 “The great king, the master of all the earth, says that you will leave my presence and take with you men who are sure of their own strength, one hundred twenty thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry.
6 You will lead them out against all the lands in the west because they disobeyed my command.
7 "You will tell the people to prepare earth and water, for I’m coming out against them in my rage, and I will cover the entire earth with the feet of my army. I will hand them over as spoil.
8 Their wounded will fill up their valleys and every brook and river will be filled, overflowing with their dead.