Lord were clad with sackcloth, and had ashes on their
heads, and with all their heart they prayed God to
visit his people Israel. It was told to Holofernes
prince of the knighthood of the Assyrians that the
children of Israel made them ready to resist him,
and had closed the ways of the mountains, and he was
burned in overmuch fury in great ire. He called
all the princes of Moab and dukes of Ammon and said
to them: Say ye to me, what people is this that
besiege the mountains, or what or how many cities
have they? And what is their virtue, and what
multitude is of them? Or who is king of their
knighthood? Then Achior, duke of all of them
of Ammon, answering said: If thou deignest to
hear me I shall tell thee truth of this people that
dwelleth in the mountains, and there shall not issue
out of my mouth one false word. This people dwelled
first in Mesopotamia, and was of the progeny of the
Chaldees, but would not dwell there for they would
not follow the gods of their fathers that were in
the land of Chaldees, and going and leaving the ceremonies
of their fathers, which was in the multitude of many
gods, they honored one, God of heaven, which commanded
them to go thence that they should dwell in Canaan.
Then after was there much hunger, that they descended
into Egypt, and there abode four hundred years, and
multiplied that they might not be numbered. When
the king of Egypt grieved them in his buildings, bearing
clay tiles, and subdued them, they cried to their
Lord, and he smote the land of Egypt with divers plagues.
When they of Egypt had cast them out from them, the
plagues ceased from them and then they would have
taken them again and would have called them to their
service, and they fleeing, their God opened the sea
to them that they went through dry-foot, in which
the innumerable host of the Egyptians pursuing them
were drowned, that there was not one of them saved
for to tell to them that came after them. They
passed thus the Red Sea, and he fed them with manna
forty years, and made bitter waters sweet, and gave
them water out of a stone. And wheresoever this
people entered without bow or arrow, shield or sword,
their God fought for them, and there is no man may
prevail against this people but when they departed
from the culture and honor of their God. And
as oft as they have departed from their God and worshipped
other strange gods, so oft have they been overcome
with their enemies. And when they repent and come
to the knowledge of their sin, and cry their God mercy,
they be restored again, and their God giveth to them
virtue to resist their enemies. They have overthrown
Cananeum the king, Jebusee, Pheresee, Eneum, Etheum
and Amoreum, and all the mighty men in Esebon, and
have taken their lands and cities and possess them,
and shall, as long as they please their God.
Their God hateth wickedness, for tofore this time when
they went from the laws that their God gave to them,
he suffered them to be taken of many nations into
captivity, and were disperpled. And now late they
be come again and possess Jerusalem wherein is sancta
sanctorum, and be come over these mountains whereas
some of them dwell. Now therefore, my lord, see
and search if there be any wickedness of them in the
sight of their God, and then let us go to them, for
their God shall give them into thy hands and they
shall be subdued under the yoke of thy power.