They said: The Greek has no introductory they said. The story simply moves into the first person plural, but the reader needs to be alerted somehow that this is direct speech. Most translations use a quotation frame to introduce the speech; for example, Good News Translation has “they asked.”

We will not be afraid of the Israelites: This expression follows the Greek text closely, but it lacks boastfulness. Better renderings are “Why should we be afraid of the Israelites?” or “We are not afraid of the Israelites!”

They are a people with no strength or power for making war: Good News Translation is probably correct in thinking of strength as one thing (“they are weak”) and power for making war another (“they can’t put up a strong defense”). Power for making war is literally “power for a strong battle formation.” In this situation, Holofernes and his men are thinking of the Israelites putting up a defensive line of battle (so Good News Translation), but in fact, it will be the Israelites who attack (15.1-7). Good News Translation may be missing a subtle point by limiting the translation to defense. New English Bible does better by saying they cannot put “an effective army in the field.” Alternative translation models for this whole clause are “They are weak; they can’t put up a strong fight” and “They are too weak to fight against us.”

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.