וְיִשְׁלְחוּ אֵלָיו מַלְאָכִים לִקְרֹא לוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמְרוּ: And they sent envoys to him to sue for peace and they said:
עֲבָדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ הָאַדִּיר נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר: Servants are we, to the noble King Nebuchadnezzar.
הִנֵּה נָפַלְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ אַרְצָה עֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִיטַב בְּעֵינֶיךָ: Behold we have fallen before you to the ground, do with us as you see fit.
כֹּל אֲשֶׁר לָנוּ לְךָ הוּא חַוֹּתֵינוּ וְעָרֵינוּ שָׂדֵינוּ וּמִקְנֵנוּ גְּדֵרוֹתֵינוּ וְאָהֳלֵנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ הֵם לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם כְּפִי אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ: All that is ours is yours. Our farmsteads and cities, our cattle and sheep folds and our tents are before you, to do with as you please.
כָּל־הֶעָרִים וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶם בְּיָדְךָ נִתָּנוּ בֹּא־נָא אֵלֵינוּ וּרְדֵה־בָנוּ כַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ: All of the cities and their inhabitants are given into your hands, please come to us and go down with us as you please.
וַיְהִי בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֵּרֶד עִם־חֵילוֹ מִן־הָהָר אֵלֵיהֶם אֶל מוּל שְׂפַת הַיָּם וַיִּתֵּן מִשְׁמָר בְּכָל עִיר מִבְצָר וְאֵת־מֵיטַב הָעָם בָּחַר לְאַנְשֵׁי צְבָאוֹ: And it came to pass when they spoke to him in these manner of words, that he went down with his army from the highlands towards them, toward the banks of the sea, and he placed a garrison in every fortified city, and the best of the people, he drafted as auxiliaries.
וְכָל הָאָרֶץ מִסָּבִיב בָּאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיַאַסְפֻהוּ בַחֲלִילִים וּבְתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלוֹת: And all of the land all around went forth towards him with flutes and drums and dances.
וְהוּא הִשְׁחִית כָּל־גְּבוּלֵי הָאָרֶץ וַיַּכְרֵת אֶת אֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם: But he destroyed all of the borders of the land and cut down their Asherah Poles.
כִּי כֵן גָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ לְהַשְׁמִיד כָּל־אֱלֹהֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת לְבַעֲבוּר כָּל־הָעַמִּים יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לִנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר וְכָל לָשׁוֹן תִּקְרָא בִשְׁמוֹ: For so he set out in his heart to wipe out all of the gods of the lands, in order that all of the peoples will bow down to Nebuchadnezzar, and every tongue will call his name.
מִשָּׁם נָסַע לִקְרַאת יִזְרְעֶאל קָרוֹב לְדוֹתָן נֹכַח הָרֵי הַמָּצוֹר אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה: From there he traveled towards Jezreel near Dothan, opposite the fortified mountains of Judah.
וַיַּחַן אֶת־מַחֲנֵהוּ בֵּין יָגְבֳּהָה וּבֵין עִיר הַשִּׁטִּים וַיֵּשֶׁב שָׁם חוֹדֶשׁ יָמִים עַד הֵאָסֵף כָּל־רְכוּשׁ הַמַּחֲנוֹת: And he camped his encampment between Jogbehah and Ebel-Shittim, and he dwelt there a full month until all the forage was gathered to the camps.