The possessive my is used five times in this verse as a reference to Judith. Good News Translation translates each one “our.” Judith, of course, represents Israel here, so this justifies the use of “our.” The translator must be forewarned that in the next verses, 6-10, Judith will be referred to in the third person, but first person will be used for Judith in verses 11-12. By translating my as “our” here and in verses 11-12, Good News Translation is able to avoid the shift in persons at 16.6. However, the image of the childless Judith speaking of her people as her children for whom she risked her life to save has an effectiveness of its own: she is presented, like Deborah, as “a mother in Israel” (Jdg 5.7). Some translators may wish to preserve this image, but the term “mother” should not be used.

He boasted that he would burn up my territory: For translators who referred to the “Assyrian general” in the previous verse, He in the present verse refers to Holofernes. “Threatened” (Good News Translation) is a possible translation for boasted. Contemporary English Version has “They threatened to burn our land.”

Kill my young men with the sword: In many languages it will not be necessary to mention the sword since the focus here is on “killing”; so “slaughter our young men” (Good News Translation) is a good translation.

Dash my infants to the ground may be rendered “kill our babies by smashing them against the ground.” This vivid picture should be used if at all possible. Contemporary English Version‘s “kill our babies” is too weak. See similar language in Psa 137.9.

Seize my children as prey means “capture our children” (Contemporary English Version).

Take my virgins as booty: Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version are better with “carry off all our young women.”

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.