Judith 13

DOUAI-RHEIMS	BIBLES DES PEUPLES
1 And when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings, and Vagao shut the chamber doors, and went his way.	1 Lorsqu’il se fit tard, ses officiers sortirent; Bagoas ferma la porte de l’extérieur, après avoir mis dehors ceux qui étaient encore là. Tout le monde partit se coucher,
2 And they were all overcharged with wine.	2 épuisé par l’excès de la boisson, tandis que Judith restait seule dans la tente avec Holoferne écroulé sur son lit et noyé dans son vin.
3 And Judith was alone in the chamber.	3 Judith avait dit à sa servante de se tenir hors de la chambre à coucher et de guetter sa sortie comme chaque jour. Elle devait sortir, avait-elle dit, pour faire sa prière, et elle avait dit la même chose à Bagoas.
4 But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.	4 Lorsque tout le monde fut sorti et qu’il n’y eut personne, petit ou grand, dans la chambre à coucher, Judith se tint à côté du lit d’Holoferne et fit cette prière au plus profond de son cœur: “Seigneur, Dieu de toute puissance, pose ton regard à cette heure sur ce que je vais faire pour la gloire de Jérusalem!
5 And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before the chamber, and to watch:	5 C’est maintenant le moment de venir en aide à ton peuple et de faire réussir mon entreprise pour la ruine des ennemis qui se sont dressés contre nous.”
6 And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears, and the motion of her lips in silence,	6 Alors elle s’avança vers la traverse du lit qui était à la tête d’Holoferne, elle en décrocha son épée.
7 Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.	7 Elle s’approcha du lit et le saisit par ses cheveux: “Seigneur,dit-elle, Dieu d’Israël, donne-moi aujourd’hui ta force!”
8 And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.	8 Elle le frappa à deux reprises au cou, de toutes ses forces, et lui coupa la tête.
9 And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour.	9 Elle fit rouler son corps en bas du lit et décrocha la draperie de ses colonnes; elle sortit ensuite, donnant la tête d’Holoferne à sa servante.
10 And she struck twice upon his neck, and out off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body.	10 Vite, elle la mit dans le sac à provisions et toutes deux partirent ensemble, comme elles le faisaient chaque jour pour la prière. Elles traversèrent le camp, elle firent le tour du vallon et ensuite montèrent vers Béthulie pour se présenter devant la porte.
11 And after a while she went out, and delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.	11 Judith cria de loin à ceux qui montaient la garde près des portes: “Ouvrez! Ouvrez vite la porte! Dieu, notre Dieu est avec nous! Aujourd’hui il a manifesté sa force en Israël et montré sa puissance à nos ennemis!”
12 And they two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer, and they passed the camp, and having compassed the valley, they came to the gate of the city.	12 Dès que les hommes de la ville entendirent sa voix, ils se dépêchèrent de descendre vers la porte de la ville et appelèrent les anciens.
13 And Judith from afar off cried to the watchmen upon the walls: Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shewn his power in Israel.	13 Tout le monde accourut, du plus petit jusqu’au plus grand, car on ne s’attendait pas à son retour! Ils ouvrirent la porte et accueillirent les deux femmes. Ils allumèrent un feu pour éclairer et se rassemblèrent autour d’elles.
14 And it came to pass, when the men had heard her voice, that they called the ancients of the city.	14 Judith leur dit alors d’une voix forte: “Louez Dieu! Louez-le! Louez Dieu qui n’a pas été infidèle à la maison d’Israël, mais qui, cette nuit, a écrasé nos ennemis par ma main!”
15 And all ran to meet her from the least to the greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come.	15 À ces mots, elle tira la tête de son sac et la leur montra: “Voici la tête d’Holoferne, le général en chef de l’armée des Assyriens, et voici la draperie sous laquelle il gisait ivre mort. Le Seigneur l’a frappé par la main d’une femme.
16 And lighting up lights they all gathered round about her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace,	16 Oui! Aussi vrai que le Seigneur est vivant, lui qui m’a gardé sur le chemin où j’ai marché, mon visage l’a séduit pour sa perte, mais il ne m’a ni souillée, ni déshonorée par le péché.”
17 Judith said: Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him.	17 Tout le monde était saisi de stupeur, on se prosternait, on adorait Dieu et tous ensemble disaient: “Béni sois-tu ô notre Dieu, toi qui en ce jour as réduit à rien les ennemis de ton peuple!”
18 And by me his handmaid he hath fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel: and he hath killed the enemy of his people by my hand this night.	18 Osias lui dit: “Tu es bénie, ma fille, par le Dieu Très-Haut, plus que toutes les femmes de la terre! Béni soit le Seigneur Dieu, Créateur du ciel et de la terre, qui a fait réussir ton projet: tu as donc tranché la tête du chef de nos ennemis!
19 Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman.	19 “Désormais tous ceux qui voudront rappeler les exploits de Dieu auront présente à l’esprit ton espérance.
20 But as the same Lord liveth, his angel hath been my keeper both going hence, and abiding there, and returning from thence hither: and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory, for my escape, and for your deliverance.	20 “Que Dieu te comble d’honneurs et de toutes sortes de biens, car tu as su risquer ta propre vie pour notre race humiliée, tu nous as sauvé de la ruine en faisant de ton mieux les œuvres de notre Dieu.” Tout le peuple répondit: “Amen! Amen!”
21 Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And they all adored the Lord, and said to her: The Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath brought our enemies to nought.
23 And Ozias the prince of the people of Israel, said to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth.
24 Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies.
25 Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.
26 And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
27 And Achior being called for came, and Judith said to him: The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that he revengeth himself of his enemies, he hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this night by my hand.
28 And that thou mayst find that it is so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel: and threatened thee with death, saying: When the people of Israel shall be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.
29 Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.
30 But after he had recovered his spirits he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her and said:
31 Blessed art thou by thy God in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee.