14
So Holofernes left the king and called together all the commanders, generals, and officers of the Assyrian army.
15
Just as the king had ordered, he chose 120,000 of the best infantrymen and 12,000 of the best mounted archers
16
and arranged them in battle formation.
17
He also took along a very large number of camels, donkeys, and mules to carry the equipment, as well as many sheep, cattle, and goats for food.
18
Every soldier received plenty of rations and a large payment of gold and silver from the royal treasury.
19
Then Holofernes and his entire army set out, advancing ahead of King Nebuchadnezzar. The chariots, the cavalry, and the infantry marched out to overrun the entire western region.
20
Other troops went with them. There were so many that it was impossible to count them - they were like a swarm of locusts or like grains of sand in the desert.
21
Three days after they had left the city of Nineveh, they reached the plains around Bectileth near the mountains north of Cilicia, where they set up camp.
22
From there Holofernes advanced into the hill country with his entire army, his infantry, cavalry, and chariots.
23
He totally destroyed the countries of Libya and Lydia, then plundered all the people of Rassis and the Ishmaelites who lived on the edge of the desert, south of the land of the Chelleans.
24
Then Holofernes crossed the Euphrates River and marched through the land of Mesopotamia, completely destroying all the walled towns along the Abron River as far as the sea.