14. Everyone will starve to death — men, women, and children. Even before we attack, the streets will be littered with their corpses.
15. In this way you can make them pay for their rebellion and for refusing to surrender peacefully to you.”
16. Holofernes and his entire staff were pleased with this suggestion, so he gave orders to put the plan into action.
17. The Moabites and 5,000 Assyrians moved their camp into the valley to control the source of the town's water.
18. The Edomites and the Ammonites went up into the mountains and set up their camp opposite the town of Dothan. They sent some of their men to the south-east in the direction of Acraba, near Chusi, which is beside the River Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army set up camp in the valley. Their camp was spread out over the whole countryside, because the number of tents and the amount of equipment needed for such a large army were immense.
19. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord their God for help. They had lost their courage, for with the enemy all round them there was no way to escape.
20. The entire Assyrian army — infantry, chariots, and cavalry — blockaded Bethulia for 34 days until the town ran out of water.