The sword of my army and the spear of my servants shall pierce your sides: The literal Greek text reads “The sword of my army and the people of my servants shall pierce your sides.” This is usually approached, as in Revised Standard Version, as a textual problem, so spear is read instead of “people.” This follows the Old Latin, Vulgate, and Syriac. Good News Translation apparently reads the Greek text, but it so severely shortens the first clause (“my soldiers will put you to death”) that the vicious force Holofernes intends is lost. New English Bible tries to keep the text also by identifying “the people of my servants” as Holofernes’ bodyguard: “the warriors of my bodyguard will run you through.” All in all, the textual change made by Revised Standard Version is easier and more likely. Translators may either keep the two phrases the sword of my army and the spear of my servants, as Revised Standard Version has done (for example, “My army and the soldiers who protect me [or, my bodyguard] will put you to death”), or they may combine the two phrases, as Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have done. Shall pierce your sides implies a fatal wound. This is reflected in Good News Translation with “will put you to death.”

You shall fall among their wounded is intended to convey to Achior the absolute certainty that he will be killed. Good News Translation has “You will be just another name on the casualty list.” As Moore points out, this focuses on Achior’s death as anonymous (which Holofernes has no intention of it being) and misses the point. Contemporary English Version is better with “you will die like one of the Israelites.”

When I return: This clause refers to Holofernes coming to punish Achior and the Israelites (verse 5). It will be helpful in a number of languages to place this clause at the beginning of the verse; for example, “And when I do [come]” (Good News Translation) or simply “Then…” (Contemporary English Version).

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.