ΙΟΥΔΙΘ - Giuditta - Judith 11

LXX	NEW JERUSALEM
1 και ειπεν προς αυτην ολοφερνης θαρσησον γυναι μη φοβηθης τη καρδια σου οτι εγω ουκ εκακωσα ανθρωπον οστις ηρετικεν δουλευειν βασιλει ναβουχοδονοσορ πασης της γης	1 'Courage, woman,' Holofernes said, 'do not be afraid. I have never hurt anyone who chose to serveNebuchadnezzar, king of the whole world.
2 και νυν ο λαος σου ο κατοικων την ορεινην ει μη εφαυλισαν με ουκ αν ηρα το δορυ μου επ' αυτους αλλα αυτοι εαυτοις εποιησαν ταυτα	2 Even now, if your nation of mountain dwellers had not insulted me, I would not have raised a spearagainst them. This was their fault, not mine.
3 και νυν λεγε μοι τινος ενεκεν απεδρας απ' αυτων και ηλθες προς ημας ηκεις γαρ εις σωτηριαν θαρσει εν τη νυκτι ταυτη ζηση και εις το λοιπον	3 But tell me, why have you fled from them and come to us? . . . Anyhow, this wil prove the saving of you. Courage! You wil live through this night, and many after.
4 ου γαρ εστιν ος αδικησει σε αλλ' ευ σε ποιησει καθα γινεται τοις δουλοις του κυριου μου βασιλεως ναβουχοδονοσορ	4 No one wil hurt you. On the contrary, you wil be treated as wel as any who serve my lord KingNebuchadnezzar.'
5 και ειπεν προς αυτον ιουδιθ δεξαι τα ρηματα της δουλης σου και λαλησατω η παιδισκη σου κατα προσωπον σου και ουκ αναγγελω ψευδος τω κυριω μου εν τη νυκτι ταυτη	5 Judith said, 'Please listen favourably to what your slave has to say. Permit your servant to speak inyour presence, I shal speak no word of a lie to my lord tonight.
6 και εαν κατακολουθησης τοις λογοις της παιδισκης σου τελειως πραγμα ποιησει μετα σου ο θεος και ουκ αποπεσειται ο κυριος μου των επιτηδευματων αυτου	6 You have only to fol ow your servant's advice and God will bring your work to a successful conclusion;in what my lord undertakes he wil not fail.
7 ζη γαρ βασιλευς ναβουχοδονοσορ πασης της γης και ζη το κρατος αυτου ος απεστειλεν σε εις κατορθωσιν πασης ψυχης οτι ου μονον ανθρωποι δια σε δουλευουσιν αυτω αλλα και τα θηρια του αγρου και τα κτηνη και τα πετεινα του ουρανου δια της ισχυος σου ζησονται επι ναβουχοδονοσορ και παντα τον οικον αυτου	7 Long life to Nebuchadnezzar, king of the whole world, who has sent you to set every living soul torights; may his power endure! Since, thanks to you, he is served not only by human beings, but because of yourmight the wild animals themselves, the cattle, and the birds of the air are to live in the service ofNebuchadnezzar and his whole House.
8 ηκουσαμεν γαρ την σοφιαν σου και τα πανουργευματα της ψυχης σου και ανηγγελη παση τη γη οτι συ μονος αγαθος εν παση βασιλεια και δυνατος εν επιστημη και θαυμαστος εν στρατευμασιν πολεμου	8 'We have indeed heard of your genius and adroitness of mind. It is known everywhere in the world thatthroughout the empire you have no rival for ability, wealth of experience and brilliance in waging war.
9 και νυν ο λογος ον ελαλησεν αχιωρ εν τη συνεδρια σου ηκουσαμεν τα ρηματα αυτου οτι περιεποιησαντο αυτον οι ανδρες βαιτυλουα και ανηγγειλεν αυτοις παντα οσα εξελαλησεν παρα σοι	9 We have also heard what Achior said in his speech to your council. The men of Bethulia having sparedhim, he has told them everything that he said to you.
10 διο δεσποτα κυριε μη παρελθης τον λογον αυτου αλλα καταθου αυτον εν τη καρδια σου οτι εστιν αληθης ου γαρ εκδικαται το γενος ημων ου κατισχυει ρομφαια επ' αυτους εαν μη αμαρτωσιν εις τον θεον αυτων	10 Now, master and lord, do not disregard what he said; keep it in your mind, since it is true; our nationwil not be punished, the sword wil indeed have no power over them, unless they sin against their God.
11 και νυν ινα μη γενηται ο κυριος μου εκβολος και απρακτος και επιπεσειται θανατος επι προσωπον αυτων και κατελαβετο αυτους αμαρτημα εν ω παροργιουσιν τον θεον αυτων οπηνικα αν ποιησωσιν ατοπιαν	11 But as it is, my lord need expect no repulse or setback, since death is about to fal on their heads, forsin has gained a hold over them, provoking the anger of their God each time that they commit it.
12 επει παρεξελιπεν αυτους τα βρωματα και εσπανισθη παν υδωρ εβουλευσαντο επιβαλειν τοις κτηνεσιν αυτων και παντα οσα διεστειλατο αυτοις ο θεος τοις νομοις αυτου μη φαγειν διεγνωσαν δαπανησαι	12 As they are short of food and their water is giving out, they have resolved to fall back on their cattleand decided to make use of al the things that God has, by his laws, forbidden them to eat.
13 και τας απαρχας του σιτου και τας δεκατας του οινου και του ελαιου α διεφυλαξαν αγιασαντες τοις ιερευσιν τοις παρεστηκοσιν εν ιερουσαλημ απεναντι του προσωπου του θεου ημων κεκρικασιν εξαναλωσαι ων ουδε ταις χερσιν καθηκεν αψασθαι ουδενα των εκ του λαου	13 Not only have they made up their minds to eat the first-fruits of corn and the tithes of wine and oil,though these have been consecrated by them and set apart for the priests who serve in Jerusalem in thepresence of our God, and may not lawfully even be handled by ordinary people,
14 και απεσταλκασιν εις ιερουσαλημ οτι και οι εκει κατοικουντες εποιησαν ταυτα τους μετακομισοντας αυτοις την αφεσιν παρα της γερουσιας	14 but they have sent men to Jerusalem -- where the inhabitants are doing much the same -- to bringthem back authorisation from the Council of Elders.
15 και εσται ως αν αναγγειλη αυτοις και ποιησωσιν δοθησονται σοι εις ολεθρον εν τη ημερα εκεινη	15 Now this wil be the outcome: when the permission arrives and they act on it, that very day they wil bedelivered over to you for destruction.
16 οθεν εγω η δουλη σου επιγνουσα ταυτα παντα απεδρων απο προσωπου αυτων και απεστειλεν με ο θεος ποιησαι μετα σου πραγματα εφ' οις εκστησεται πασα η γη οσοι εαν ακουσωσιν αυτα	16 'When I, your servant, came to know al this, I fled from them. God has sent me to do things with youat which the world wil be astonished when it hears.
17 οτι η δουλη σου θεοσεβης εστιν και θεραπευουσα νυκτος και ημερας τον θεον του ουρανου και νυν μενω παρα σοι κυριε μου και εξελευσεται η δουλη σου κατα νυκτα εις την φαραγγα και προσευξομαι προς τον θεον και ερει μοι ποτε εποιησαν τα αμαρτηματα αυτων	17 Your servant is a devout woman; she honours the God of heaven day and night. I therefore propose,my lord, to stay with you. I, your servant, shal go out every night into the val ey and pray to God to let me knowwhen they have committed their sin.
18 και ελθουσα προσανοισω σοι και εξελευση συν παση τη δυναμει σου και ουκ εστιν ος αντιστησεται σοι εξ αυτων	18 I shal then come and tel you, so that you can march out with your whole army; and none of them wilbe able to resist you.
19 και αξω σε δια μεσου της ιουδαιας εως του ελθειν απεναντι ιερουσαλημ και θησω τον διφρον σου εν μεσω αυτης και αξεις αυτους ως προβατα οις ουκ εστιν ποιμην και ου γρυξει κυων τη γλωσση αυτου απεναντι σου οτι ταυτα ελαληθη μοι κατα προγνωσιν μου και απηγγελη μοι και απεσταλην αναγγειλαι σοι	19 I shal be your guide right across Judaea until you reach Jerusalem; there I shall enthrone you in thevery middle of the city. And then you can round them up like shepherd-less sheep, with never a dog daring tobark at you. Foreknowledge tel s me this; this has been foretold to me and I have been sent to reveal it to you.'
20 και ηρεσαν οι λογοι αυτης εναντιον ολοφερνου και εναντιον παντων των θεραποντων αυτου και εθαυμασαν επι τη σοφια αυτης και ειπαν	20 Her words pleased Holofernes, and all his adjutants. Ful of admiration at her wisdom they exclaimed,
21 ουκ εστιν τοιαυτη γυνη απ' ακρου εως ακρου της γης εν καλω προσωπω και συνεσει λογων	21 'There is no woman like her from one end of the earth to the other, so lovely of face and so wise ofspeech!'
22 και ειπεν προς αυτην ολοφερνης ευ εποιησεν ο θεος αποστειλας σε εμπροσθεν του λαου του γενηθηναι εν χερσιν ημων κρατος εν δε τοις φαυλισασι τον κυριον μου απωλειαν	22 Holofernes said, 'God has done wel to send you ahead of the others. Strength will be ours, and ruintheirs who have insulted my lord.
23 και νυν αστεια ει συ εν τω ειδει σου και αγαθη εν τοις λογοις σου οτι εαν ποιησης καθα ελαλησας ο θεος σου εσται μου θεος και συ εν οικω βασιλεως ναβουχοδονοσορ καθηση και εση ονομαστη παρα πασαν την γην	23 As for you, you are as beautiful as you are eloquent; if you do as you have promised, your God shallbe my God, and you yourself shal make your home in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar and be famousthroughout the world.'