In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the month: In Jer 32.1 there is a reference to the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylon in that book), in which he lays siege to Jerusalem. The first month of the year would have been Nissan in the Jewish calendar. It falls in early spring, “when kings go forth to battle” (2 Sam 11.1).
There was talk in the palace: There is only talk or discussion in the palace at this time about revenge. The actual decision to exact revenge is not made until verse 3. Good News Translation is anticipating the decision in verse 1. New Jerusalem Bible interprets this talk as a “rumor,” but in light of what actually happens in verse 2, it is more likely to have been a conference: “a conference was held in the palace…” or “Nebuchadnezzar and his advisors held a conference in the palace….” If Nebuchadnezzar’s plan was really “secret,” as said in verse 2, there should not have been a rumor about it.
About carrying out his revenge on the whole region: For revenge see 1.12. The whole region is, as Good News Translation amplifies, “all those countries that had refused to help him.” They are listed in 1.7-10.
Just as he had said: Contemporary English Version includes this earlier in the verse with “he and his officials decided to keep his promise [our underlining] and take revenge on….”
Since this is the first verse of a new chapter, the translator should consider connecting it with the text of the previous chapter in some way. It is possible to do this by reordering the clauses as follows:
• Nebuchadnezzar had made a solemn promise [or, vow] to take revenge on all those countries that had refused to help him fight against Arphaxad. So in the eighteenth year that he ruled Assyria, on the twenty-second day of the first month of that year, he and his advisors met in the palace to discuss what they should do.
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.