Judith 11

1Then Holofernes said to her: Be of good comfort, and fear not in thy heart: for I have never hurt a man that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor the king.

2And if thy people had not despised me, I would never have lifted up my spear against them.

3But now tell me, for what cause hast thou left them, and why it hath pleased thee to come to us?

4And Judith said to him: Receive the words of thy handmaid, for if thou wilt follow the words of thy handmaid, the Lord will do with thee a perfect thing.

5For as Nabuchodonosor the king of the earth liveth, and his power liveth which is in thee for chastising of all straying souls: not only men serve him through thee, but also the beasts of the field obey him.

6For the industry of thy mind is spoken of among all nations, and it is told through the whole world, that thou only art excellent, and mighty in all his kingdom, and thy discipline is cried up in all provinces.

7It is known also what Achior said, nor are we ignorant of what thou hast commanded to be done to him.

8For it is certain that our God is so offended with sins, that he hath sent word by his prophets to the people, that he will deliver them up for their sins.

9And because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, thy dread is upon them.

10Moreover also a famine hath come upon them, and for drought of water they are already to be counted among the dead.

11And they have a design even to kill their cattle, and to drink the blood of them.

12And the consecrated things of the Lord their God which God forbade them to touch, in corn, wine, and oil, these have they purposed to make use of, and they design to consume the things which they ought not to touch with their hands: therefore because they do these things, it is certain they will be given up to destruction.

13And I thy handmaid knowing this, am fled from them, and the Lord hath sent me to tell thee these very things.

14For I thy handmaid worship God even now that I am with thee, and thy handmaid will go out, and I will pray to God,

15And he will tell me when he will repay them for their sins, and I will come and tell thee, so that I may bring thee through the midst of Jerusalem, and thou shalt have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no shepherd, and there shall not so much as one dog bark against thee:

16Because these things are told me by the providence of God.

17And because God is angry with them, I am sent to tell these very things to thee.

18And all these words pleased Holofernes, and his servants, and they admired her wisdom, and they said one to another:

19There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.

20And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well who sent thee before the people, that thou mightest give them into our hands:

21And because thy promise is good, if thy God shall do this for me, he shall also be my God, and thou shalt be great in the house of Nabuchodonosor, and thy name shall be renowned through all the earth.

1Tunc Holofernes dixit ei : Æquo animo esto, et noli pavere in corde tuo : quoniam ego numquam nocui viro qui voluit servire Nabuchodonosor regi:

2populus autem tuus, si non contempsisset me, non levassem lanceam meam super eum.

3Nunc autem dic mihi, qua ex causa recessisti ab illis, et placuit tibi ut venires ad nos?

4Et dixit illi Judith : Sume verba ancillæ tuæ, quoniam si secutus fueris verba ancillæ tuæ, perfectam rem faciet Dominus tecum.

5Vivit enim Nabuchodonosor rex terræ, et vivit virtus ejus, quæ est in te ad correptionem omnium animarum errantium : quoniam non solum homines serviunt illi per te, sed et bestiæ agri obtemperant illi.

6Nuntiatur enim animi tui industria universis gentibus, et indicatum est omni sæculo quoniam tu solus bonus et potens es in omni regno ejus : et disciplina tua omnibus provinciis prædicatur.

7Nec hoc latet, quod locutus est Achior, nec illud ignoratur, quod ei jusseris evenire.

8Constat enim Deum nostrum sic peccatis offensum, ut mandaverit per prophetas suos ad populum quod tradat eum pro peccatis suis.

9Et quoniam sciunt se offendisse Deum suum filii Israël, tremor tuus super ipsos est.

10Insuper etiam fames invasit eos, et ab ariditate aquæ jam inter mortuos computantur.

11Denique hoc ordinant, ut interficient pecora sua, et bibant sanguinem eorum:

12et sancta Domini Dei sui, quæ præcepit Deus non contingi, in frumento, vino, et oleo, hæc cogitaverunt impendere, et volunt consumere quæ nec manibus deberent contingere : ergo quoniam hæc faciunt, certum est quod in perditionem dabuntur.

13Quod ego ancilla tua cognoscens, fugi ab illis, et misit me Dominus hæc ipsa nuntiare tibi.

14Ego enim ancilla tua Deum colo, etiam nunc apud te : et exiet ancilla tua, et orabo Deum,

15et dicet mihi quando eis reddat peccatum suum, et veniens nuntiabo tibi, ita ut ego adducam te per mediam Jerusalem, et habebis omnem populum Israël, sicut oves quibus non est pastor, et non latrabit vel unus canis contra te:

16quoniam hæc mihi dicta sunt per providentiam Dei,

17et quoniam iratus est illis Deus, hæc ipsa missa sum nuntiare tibi.

18Placuerunt autem omnia verba hæc coram Holoferne, et coram pueris ejus, et mirabantur sapientiam ejus, et dicebant alter ad alterum:

19Non est talis mulier super terram in aspectu, in pulchritudine, et in sensu verborum.

20Et dixit ad illam Holofernes : Benefecit Deus, qui misit te ante populum, ut des illum tu in manibus nostris:

21et quoniam bona est promissio tua, si fecerit mihi hoc Deus tuus, erit et Deus meus, et tu in domo Nabuchodonosor magna eris, et nomen tuum nominabitur in universa terra.

1καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν Ολοφέρνης θάρσησον γύναι μὴ φοβηθῇς τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ὅτι ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐκάκωσα ἄνθρωπον ὅστις ᾑρέτικεν δουλεύειν βασιλεῖ Ναβουχοδονοσορ πάσης τῆς γῆς

2καὶ νῦν ὁ λαός σου ὁ κατοικῶν τὴν ὀρεινὴν εἰ μὴ ἐφαύλισάν με οὐκ ἂν ἦρα τὸ δόρυ μου ἐπ' αὐτούς ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἐποίησαν ταῦτα

3καὶ νῦν λέγε μοι τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπέδρας ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἦλθες πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἥκεις γὰρ εἰς σωτηρίαν θάρσει ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ζήσῃ καὶ εἰς τὸ λοιπόν

4οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὃς ἀδικήσει σε ἀλλ' εὖ σε ποιήσει καθὰ γίνεται τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ κυρίου μου βασιλέως Ναβουχοδονοσορ

5καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ιουδιθ δέξαι τὰ ῥήματα τῆς δούλης σου καὶ λαλησάτω ἡ παιδίσκη σου κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ οὐκ ἀναγγελῶ ψεῦδος τῷ κυρίῳ μου ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ

6καὶ ἐὰν κατακολουθήσῃς τοῖς λόγοις τῆς παιδίσκης σου τελείως πρᾶγμα ποιήσει μετὰ σοῦ ὁ θεός καὶ οὐκ ἀποπεσεῖται ὁ κύριός μου τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτοῦ

7ζῇ γὰρ βασιλεὺς Ναβουχοδονοσορ πάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ ζῇ τὸ κράτος αὐτοῦ ὃς ἀπέστειλέν σε εἰς κατόρθωσιν πάσης ψυχῆς ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἄνθρωποι διὰ σὲ δουλεύουσιν αὐτῷ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ καὶ τὰ κτήνη καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διὰ τῆς ἰσχύος σου ζήσονται ἐπὶ Ναβουχοδονοσορ καὶ πάντα τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ

8ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν σου καὶ τὰ πανουργεύματα τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἀνηγγέλη πάσῃ τῇ γῇ ὅτι σὺ μόνος ἀγαθὸς ἐν πάσῃ βασιλείᾳ καὶ δυνατὸς ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ καὶ θαυμαστὸς ἐν στρατεύμασιν πολέμου

9καὶ νῦν ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησεν Αχιωρ ἐν τῇ συνεδρίᾳ σου ἠκούσαμεν τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ ὅτι περιεποιήσαντο αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες Βαιτυλουα καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς πάντα ὅσα ἐξελάλησεν παρὰ σοί

10διό δέσποτα κύριε μὴ παρέλθῃς τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ κατάθου αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀληθής οὐ γὰρ ἐκδικᾶται τὸ γένος ἡμῶν οὐ κατισχύει ῥομφαία ἐπ' αὐτούς ἐὰν μὴ ἁμάρτωσιν εἰς τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν

11καὶ νῦν ἵνα μὴ γένηται ὁ κύριός μου ἔκβολος καὶ ἄπρακτος καὶ ἐπιπεσεῖται θάνατος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ κατελάβετο αὐτοὺς ἁμάρτημα ἐν ᾧ παροργιοῦσιν τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν ὁπηνίκα ἂν ποιήσωσιν ἀτοπίαν

12ἐπεὶ παρεξέλιπεν αὐτοὺς τὰ βρώματα καὶ ἐσπανίσθη πᾶν ὕδωρ ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐπιβαλεῖν τοῖς κτήνεσιν αὐτῶν καὶ πάντα ὅσα διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς τοῖς νόμοις αὐτοῦ μὴ φαγεῖν διέγνωσαν δαπανῆσαι

13καὶ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τοῦ σίτου καὶ τὰς δεκάτας τοῦ οἴνου καὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου ἃ διεφύλαξαν ἁγιάσαντες τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν τοῖς παρεστηκόσιν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ἀπέναντι τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν κεκρίκασιν ἐξαναλῶσαι ὧν οὐδὲ ταῖς χερσὶν καθῆκεν ἅψασθαι οὐδένα τῶν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ

14καὶ ἀπεστάλκασιν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἐκεῖ κατοικοῦντες ἐποίησαν ταῦτα τοὺς μετακομίσοντας αὐτοῖς τὴν ἄφεσιν παρὰ τῆς γερουσίας

15καὶ ἔσται ὡς ἂν ἀναγγείλῃ αὐτοῖς καὶ ποιήσωσιν δοθήσονταί σοι εἰς ὄλεθρον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ

16ὅθεν ἐγὼ ἡ δούλη σου ἐπιγνοῦσα ταῦτα πάντα ἀπέδρων ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπέστειλέν με ὁ θεὸς ποιῆσαι μετὰ σοῦ πράγματα ἐφ' οἷς ἐκστήσεται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ὅσοι ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν αὐτά

17ὅτι ἡ δούλη σου θεοσεβής ἐστιν καὶ θεραπεύουσα νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας τὸν θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ νῦν μενῶ παρὰ σοί κύριέ μου καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ἡ δούλη σου κατὰ νύκτα εἰς τὴν φάραγγα καὶ προσεύξομαι πρὸς τὸν θεόν καὶ ἐρεῖ μοι πότε ἐποίησαν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν

18καὶ ἐλθοῦσα προσανοίσω σοι καὶ ἐξελεύσῃ σὺν πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει σου καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιστήσεταί σοι ἐξ αὐτῶν

19καὶ ἄξω σε διὰ μέσου τῆς Ιουδαίας ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἀπέναντι Ιερουσαλημ καὶ θήσω τὸν δίφρον σου ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς καὶ ἄξεις αὐτοὺς ὡς πρόβατα οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ποιμήν καὶ οὐ γρύξει κύων τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ ἀπέναντί σου ὅτι ταῦτα ἐλαλήθη μοι κατὰ πρόγνωσίν μου καὶ ἀπηγγέλη μοι καὶ ἀπεστάλην ἀναγγεῖλαί σοι

20καὶ ἤρεσαν οἱ λόγοι αὐτῆς ἐναντίον Ολοφέρνου καὶ ἐναντίον πάντων τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθαύμασαν ἐπὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπαν

21οὐκ ἔστιν τοιαύτη γυνὴ ἀπ' ἄκρου ἕως ἄκρου τῆς γῆς ἐν καλῷ προσώπῳ καὶ συνέσει λόγων

22καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν Ολοφέρνης εὖ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἀποστείλας σε ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ γενηθῆναι ἐν χερσὶν ἡμῶν κράτος ἐν δὲ τοῖς φαυλίσασι τὸν κύριόν μου ἀπώλειαν

23καὶ νῦν ἀστεία εἶ σὺ ἐν τῷ εἴδει σου καὶ ἀγαθὴ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου ὅτι ἐὰν ποιήσῃς καθὰ ἐλάλησας ὁ θεός σου ἔσται μου θεός καὶ σὺ ἐν οἴκῳ βασιλέως Ναβουχοδονοσορ καθήσῃ καὶ ἔσῃ ὀνομαστὴ παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν