1 So they sent messengers to Holofernes to say:
2 “We are servants of the great King Nebuchadnezzar. We surrender to you, General Holofernes. Do to us whatever you want.
3 Our buildings, our land, our wheat fields, our livestock, and our tents are yours.
4 Every town belongs to you. Treat us as you please, because we are your slaves.”
5 After Holofernes had listened to their message,
6 he led his army to the Mediterranean coast, where he stationed guards in every walled city and took the best men from these cities as soldiers.
7 The people in these cities and in the surrounding countryside welcomed Holofernes by wearing flowers around their necks and playing tambourines and dancing.