Good News Translation feels this is a more logical place to begin a new paragraph than verse 5 (Revised Standard Version). Holofernes has stopped his rebuke and now directs his soldiers to take Achior away.

Now my slaves are going to take you back into the hill country: Although it can be disputed, my slaves here probably means nothing more than “my men” or “some of the men under my command.” Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version prefer “my men.” By it they mean soldiers, as will become clear at 6.12. Take you back into the hill country does not mean “take you way back into the hills”; it means “return you into the hills.” It implies that Achior has been there before, that he is in the hire of the Israelites (compare 6.2). Not many translations pick up on this point, but the Greek word does mean that.

Put you in one of the cities beside the passes: The Greek text reads literally “one of the cities of the ascents.” This appears to mean that Achior will be escorted up into the hills, and left at one of the towns along the way. Several translations speak of towns “in/along the passes” (New American Bible, New English Bible), which is another, and more natural way, of explaining where they were. Good News Translation simply talks of “Israelite towns.” This shifts focus rather dramatically, but not inaccurately.

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.