This verse is a good place for a paragraph break. Despite the new chapter, the paragraph should go right on into 15.1.

When the leaders of the Assyrian army heard this: Good News Translation omits of the Assyrian army as redundant.

They rent their tunics: Bagoas simply rent “his garments” in verse 16, but here the officers rend their tunics. We cannot be sure exactly what garments these were, but we can agree with Good News Translation and New English Bible that it is not important; both have the men tear “their clothes,” just as Bagoas did. Good News Translation adds the clarifying phrase “in grief.” However, they are not mourning the dead so much as they are bewildered, horrified. They are terrified to find themselves now leaderless. They may be remembering their reaction when they first saw Judith: if this woman is like this, what must the men be like? (10.19).

Were greatly dismayed is literally “their soul was exceedingly shaken.” Moore uses “in consternation” as a translation of the literal clause. Good News Translation has “as the panic spread.” Either approach can be justified.

Their loud cries and shouts arose in the midst of the camp: Good News Translation‘s “wild cries and shouts” is an exceptionally good choice of words. It fits the context beautifully.

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.