Judith 7:19–23

The Distress of the Israelites

¹⁹The Israelites then cried out to the Lord their God, for their courage failed, because all their enemies had surrounded them, and there was no way of escape from them. ²⁰The whole Assyrian army, their infantry, chariots, and cavalry, surrounded them for thirty-four days, until all the water containers of every inhabitant of Bethulia were empty;^{* 21}their cisterns were going dry, and on no day did they have enough water to drink, for their drinking water was rationed.^{* 22}Their children were listless, and the women and young men fainted from thirst and were collapsing in the streets of the town and in the gateways; they no longer had any strength.^*

²³Then all the people, the young men, the women, and the children, gathered around Uzziah and the rulers of the town and cried out with a loud voice and said before all the elders,