1 And in the eighteenth year, the two and twentieth day of the first month, there was talk in the house of Nebuchadnez´zar king of the Assyrians, that he should, as he said, avenge himself on all the earth.
2 So he called unto him all his officers, and all his nobles, and communicated with them his secret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of the whole earth out of his own mouth.
3 Then they decreed to destroy all flesh, that did not obey the commandment of his mouth.
4 And when he had ended his counsel, Nebuchadnez´zar king of the Assyrians called Holofer´nes the chief captain of his army, which was next unto him, and said unto him,