Judith 14

1And Judith said to all the people: Hear me, my brethren, hang ye up this head upon our walls.

2And as soon as the sun shall rise, let every man take his arms, and rush ye out, not as going down beneath, but as making an assault.

3Then the watchmen must needs run to awake their prince for the battle.

4And when the captains of them shall run to the tent of Holofernes, and shall find him without his head wallowing in his blood, fear shall fall upon them.

5And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under your feet.

6Then Achior seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, leaving the religion of the Gentiles, he believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the succession of his kindred until this present day.

7And immediately at break of day, they hung up the head of Holofernes upon the walls, and every man took his arms, and they went out with a great noise and shouting.

8And the watchmen seeing this, ran to the tent of Holofernes.

9And they that were in the tent came, and made a noise, before the door of the chamber to awake him, endeavouring by art to break his rest, that Holofernes might awake, not by their calling him, but by their noise.

10For no man durst knock, or open and go into the chamber of the general of the Assyrians.

11But when his captains and tribunes were come, and all the chiefs of the army of the king of the Assyrians, they said to the chamberlains:

12Go in, and awake him, for the mice, coming out of their holes, have presumed to challenge us to fight.

13Then Vagao going into his chamber, stood before the curtain, and made a clapping with his hands: for he thought that he was sleeping with Judith.

14But when with hearkening, he perceived no motion of one lying, he came near to the curtain, and lifting it up, and seeing the body of Holofernes, lying upon the ground, without the head, weltering in his blood, he cried out with a loud voice, with weeping, and rent his garments.

15And he went into the tent of Judith, and not finding her, he ran out to the people,

16And said: One Hebrew woman hath made confusion in the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for behold Holofernes lieth upon the ground, and his head is not upon him.

17Now when the chiefs of the army of the Assyrians had heard this, they all rent their garments, and an intolerable fear and dread fell upon them, and their minds were troubled exceedingly.

18And there was a very great cry in the midst of their camp.

1Dixit autem Judith ad omnem populum : Audite me, fratres : suspendite caput hoc super muros nostros:

2et erit, cum exierit sol, accipiat unusquisque arma sua, et exite cum impetu, non ut descendatis deorsum, sed quasi impetum facientes.

3Tunc exploratores necesse erit ut fugiant ad principem suum excitandum ad pugnam.

4Cumque duces eorum cucurrerint ad tabernaculum Holofernis, et invenerint eum truncum in suo sanguine volutatum, decidet super eos timor.

5Cumque cognoveritis fugere eos, ite post illos securi, quoniam Dominus conteret eos sub pedibus vestris.

6Tunc Achior, videns virtutem quam fecit Deus Israël, relicto gentilitatis ritu, credidit Deo, et circumcidit carnem præputii sui, et appositus est ad populum Israël, et omnis successio generis ejus usque in hodiernum diem.

7Mox autem ut ortus est dies, suspenderunt super muros caput Holofernis, accepitque unusquisque vir arma sua, et egressi sunt cum grandi strepitu et ululatu.

8Quod videntes exploratores, ad tabernaculum Holofernis cucurrerunt.

9Porro hi qui in tabernaculo erant, venientes, et ante ingressum cubiculi perstrepentes, excitandi gratia, inquietudinem arte moliebantur, ut non ab excitantibus, sed a sonantibus Holofernes evigilaret.

10Nullus enim audebat cubiculum virtutis Assyriorum pulsando aut intrando aperire.

11Sed cum venissent ejus duces ac tribuni, et universi majores exercitus regis Assyriorum, dixerunt cubiculariis:

12Intrate, et excitate illum, quoniam egressi mures de cavernis suis, ausi sunt provocare nos ad prælium.

13Tunc ingressus Vagao cubiculum ejus, stetit ante cortinam, et plausum fecit manibus suis : suspicabatur enim illum cum Judith dormire.

14Sed cum nullum motum jacentis sensu aurium caperet, accessit proximans ad cortinam, et elevans eam, vidensque cadaver absque capite Holofernis in suo sanguine tabefactum jacere super terram, exclamavit voce magna cum fletu, et scidit vestimenta sua.

15Et ingressus tabernaculum Judith, non invenit eam, et exiliit foras ad populum,

16et dixit : Una mulier hebræa fecit confusionem in domo regis Nabuchodonosor : ecce enim Holofernes jacet in terra, et caput ejus non est in illo.

17Quod cum audissent principes virtutis Assyriorum, sciderunt omnes vestimenta sua, et intolerabilis timor et tremor cecidit super eos, et turbati sunt animi eorum valde.

18Et factus est clamor incomparabilis in medio castrorum eorum.

1καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ιουδιθ ἀκούσατε δή μου ἀδελφοί καὶ λαβόντες τὴν κεφαλὴν ταύτην κρεμάσατε αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπάλξεως τοῦ τείχους ὑμῶν

2καὶ ἔσται ἡνίκα ἐὰν διαφαύσῃ ὁ ὄρθρος καὶ ἐξέλθῃ ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἀναλήμψεσθε ἕκαστος τὰ σκεύη τὰ πολεμικὰ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξελεύσεσθε πᾶς ἀνὴρ ἰσχύων ἔξω τῆς πόλεως καὶ δώσετε ἀρχηγὸν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὡς καταβαίνοντες ἐπὶ τὸ πεδίον εἰς τὴν προφυλακὴν υἱῶν Ασσουρ καὶ οὐ καταβήσεσθε

3καὶ ἀναλαβόντες οὗτοι τὰς πανοπλίας αὐτῶν πορεύσονται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγεροῦσι τοὺς στρατηγοὺς τῆς δυνάμεως Ασσουρ καὶ συνδραμοῦνται ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν Ολοφέρνου καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν καὶ ἐπιπεσεῖται ἐπ' αὐτοὺς φόβος καὶ φεύξονται ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν

4καὶ ἐπακολουθήσαντες ὑμεῖς καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες πᾶν ὅριον Ισραηλ καταστρώσατε αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν

5πρὸ δὲ τοῦ ποιῆσαι ταῦτα καλέσατέ μοι Αχιωρ τὸν Αμμανίτην ἵνα ἰδὼν ἐπιγνοῖ τὸν ἐκφαυλίσαντα τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ αὐτὸν ὡς εἰς θάνατον ἀποστείλαντα εἰς ἡμᾶς

6καὶ ἐκάλεσαν τὸν Αχιωρ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου Οζια ὡς δὲ ἦλθεν καὶ εἶδεν τὴν κεφαλὴν Ολοφέρνου ἐν χειρὶ ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον καὶ ἐξελύθη τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ

7ὡς δὲ ἀνέλαβον αὐτόν προσέπεσεν τοῖς ποσὶν Ιουδιθ καὶ προσεκύνησεν τῷ προσώπῳ αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν παντὶ σκηνώματι Ιουδα καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει οἵτινες ἀκούσαντες τὸ ὄνομά σου ταραχθήσονται

8καὶ νῦν ἀνάγγειλόν μοι ὅσα ἐποίησας ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ Ιουδιθ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ πάντα ὅσα ἦν πεποιηκυῖα ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας ἐξῆλθεν ἕως οὗ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς

9ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λαλοῦσα ἠλάλαξεν ὁ λαὸς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἔδωκεν φωνὴν εὐφρόσυνον ἐν τῇ πόλει αὐτῶν

10ἰδὼν δὲ Αχιωρ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ισραηλ ἐπίστευσεν τῷ θεῷ σφόδρα καὶ περιετέμετο τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ καὶ προσετέθη εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ισραηλ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης

11ἡνίκα δὲ ὁ ὄρθρος ἀνέβη καὶ ἐκρέμασαν τὴν κεφαλὴν Ολοφέρνου ἐκ τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἀνέλαβεν πᾶς ἀνὴρ τὰ ὅπλα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξήλθοσαν κατὰ σπείρας ἐπὶ τὰς ἀναβάσεις τοῦ ὄρους

12οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ Ασσουρ ὡς εἶδον αὐτούς διέπεμψαν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους αὐτῶν οἱ δὲ ἦλθον ἐπὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς καὶ χιλιάρχους καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα ἄρχοντα αὐτῶν

13καὶ παρεγένοντο ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν Ολοφέρνου καὶ εἶπαν τῷ ὄντι ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ ἔγειρον δὴ τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ὅτι ἐτόλμησαν οἱ δοῦλοι καταβαίνειν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς εἰς πόλεμον ἵνα ἐξολεθρευθῶσιν εἰς τέλος

14καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Βαγώας καὶ ἔκρουσε τὴν αὐλαίαν τῆς σκηνῆς ὑπενόει γὰρ καθεύδειν αὐτὸν μετὰ Ιουδιθ

15ὡς δ' οὐθεὶς ἐπήκουσεν διαστείλας εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κοιτῶνα καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς χελωνίδος ἐρριμμένον νεκρόν καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἀφῄρητο ἀπ' αὐτοῦ

16καὶ ἐβόησεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ στεναγμοῦ καὶ βοῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ

17καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν σκηνήν οὗ ἦν Ιουδιθ καταλύουσα καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν αὐτήν καὶ ἐξεπήδησεν εἰς τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἐβόησεν

18ἠθέτησαν οἱ δοῦλοι ἐποίησεν αἰσχύνην μία γυνὴ τῶν Εβραίων εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως Ναβουχοδονοσορ ὅτι ἰδοὺ Ολοφέρνης χαμαί καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπ' αὐτῷ

19ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς δυνάμεως Ασσουρ τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτῶν διέρρηξαν καὶ ἐταράχθη αὐτῶν ἡ ψυχὴ σφόδρα καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῶν κραυγὴ καὶ βοὴ μεγάλη σφόδρα ἐν μέσῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς