Therefore, my lord: Literally, the direct address is not my lord, but simply “lord.” It is the same word used in verse 9. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version handle it better here with “General Holofernes” instead of “Sir.”

Do not fight against them in battle array: The speakers urge Holofernes not to attempt to attack Bethulia according to conventional warfare, that is, in battle array, “in regular formation” (New American Bible), “in pitched battle” (New Jerusalem Bible and others), “direct attack” (Good News Translation).

Not a man of your army will fall may be rendered “not one of your soldiers will be killed.”

An alternative translation model for this verse using an “if” clause is the following:

• So, General Holofernes, if you order your soldiers to attack Bethulia as they would attack any other town, some of them will be killed.

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.