4:1
And the sons of Yisra’el who dwelt in Yehudah heard all that Holofernes, the chief captain of Nevukhadnetzar, king of the Ashshurim, had done to the nations, and how he had plundered all their sanctuaries and brought them to nothing.
4:2
And they feared him exceedingly, and were troubled for Yerushalayim and for the House of Yahuah their Elohim.
4:3
For they had only recently returned from captivity, and all the people of Yehudah had only recently been gathered together. And the vessels, and the altar, and the House had been set apart again after profanation.
4:4
Therefore they sent into all the territory of Shomron, and to Kona, and Beit-Choron, and Belmain, and Yericho, and to Chovah, and Esora, and the valley of Shalem.
4:5
And they seized beforehand all the summits of the high mountains, and fortified the villages which were in them, and stored up food for the preparation of war, for their fields had only recently been harvested.
4:6
And Yoaqim, the great kohen, who was in Yerushalayim in those days, wrote to the inhabitants of Beit-Uluyah and Beit-Mesthaim, which is opposite Yizre’el before the plain near Dothan,
4:7
commanding them to seize the ascents of the hill country, because through them there was entrance into Yehudah, and it was easy to stop those who approached, for the passage was narrow, with room for only two ish at a time.
4:8
And the sons of Yisra’el did according to all that Yoaqim the great kohen had commanded, together with the elders of all the people of Yisra’el who dwelt in Yerushalayim.
4:9
And every ish of Yisra’el cried out to Elohim with great earnestness, and they humbled their beings with great fasting.
4:10
Both they, and their women, and their little ones, and their cattle, and every sojourner, and hired servant, and servant bought with silver, put sackcloth upon their loins.
4:11
And every ish and ishah of Yisra’el and their little ones who dwelt in Yerushalayim fell before the Sanctuary and cast ashes upon their heads and spread out their sackcloth before the face of Yahuah.
4:12
And they covered the altar with sackcloth, and cried out to Elohim of Yisra’el with one heart and great earnestness, that He would not give their little ones for plunder, nor their women for spoil, nor the cities of their Inheritance for destruction, nor the Sanctuary for profanation and reproach, for the nations to rejoice over.
4:13
And Yahuah heard their voice and looked upon their affliction. And the people fasted many days throughout all Yehudah and Yerushalayim before the Sanctuaryof Yahuah of Hosts.
4:14
And Yoaqim the great kohen, and all the kohenim who stood before Yahuah and those ministering to Yahuah, having their loins girded with sackcloth, offered the continual ascending offering, and the vows, and the freewill offerings of the people.
4:15
And ashes were upon their priestly coverings, and they cried to Yahuah with all their strength, that He would visit all the house of Yisra’el for good.