The sons of Esau and the sons of Ammon: The sons of Ammon would be the remaining Ammonite soldiers, so we may translate “The Edomite soldiers and the rest of the Ammonite soldiers.”

Encamped in the hill country opposite Dothan may be rendered “set up their tents in the mountains opposite the town of Dothan.”

Toward Acraba, which is near Chusi beside the brook Mochmur: Since the two towns Acraba and Chusi as well as the Mochmur River are unknown (for conjectures see Moore’s notes), the military situation here is not clear, and translators can only translate what is set before them. Again, one might refer to the map on page 157 of k The Macmillan Bible Atlask*. It is intelligently done and is the only map one is apt to find of these movements.

Supply trains refers to the carts used to carry their supplies (food, weapons, and so on). Good News Translation simply has “equipment,” and in many languages that will be sufficient.

The remainder of verse 18 has the same purpose as verses 2-3. Before the shift is made into the town of Bethulia, we are given a bird’s-eye view of the immense forces arrayed against the little place. There is no new information here, only a reinforcement of what has already been told.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The Edomite soldiers and the rest of the Ammonite soldiers set up their tents in the mountains opposite the town of Dothan. They also sent some soldiers southeast toward Acraba, which lies near the town of Chusi beside the Mochmur River. The rest of the Assyrian soldiers set up their tents in the valley. There were so many soldiers that their tents and their supplies covered the whole countryside.

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.