Judith 3

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	BIBLES DES PEUPLES
1 Then the kings as well as the princes of the provinces sent their emissaries from all of the cities: from Syria, particularly Mesopotamia, and Syria Sobal, and Libya as well as Cilicia. These, upon coming to Holofernes, said:	1 Alors on lui envoya des messagers pour demander la paix:
2 “Let your indignation concerning us cease. For it is better for us to live in service to Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, and to become subject to you, rather than to die, even though we may have to suffer our condemnation into the annihilation of slavery.	2 “Nous sommes les serviteurs de Nabukodonozor, le grand roi. Nous voici devant toi, fais de nous ce qu’il te plaira.
3 All our cities and all our possessions, all mountains, and hills, and fields, and herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, and goats, and horses, and camels, and all our resources and families are in your sight.	3 Voici nos fermes, nos villages, tous nos champs de blé, nos brebis et nos bœufs, tous nos campements et leurs enclos; tout cela est à toi, fais-en ce que tu voudras.
4 Let all that we have be subject to your law.	4 Voici nos villes: leurs habitants sont tes esclaves. Viens, tu peux t’y présenter comme tu voudras.”
5 We, and our sons, are your servants.	5 Ces messagers se présentèrent donc devant Holoferne et lui remirent leur message.
6 Come to us as a peaceful lord, and use our service, just as it pleases you.”	6 Alors il descendit vers la côte avec son armée, il établit des garnisons dans toutes les villes fortifiées et il enrôla des hommes de guerre comme troupes auxiliaires.
7 Then he descended from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and he took charge of every city and of every inhabitant of the land.	7 Les habitants de ces cités et des cités voisines le reçurent avec des couronnes et des danses accompagnées de tambourins.
8 And, from all the cities, he took for himself auxiliaries: strong men and well-chosen for war.	8 Cela ne l’empêcha pas de détruire leurs temples et de couper leurs arbres sacrés. Il avait reçu la mission d’exterminer tous les dieux des pays et d’obliger tous les peuples à ne plus adorer que le seul Nabukodonozor. Il devait obliger toute langue et toute race à l’invoquer comme un Dieu.
9 And such a dread lay upon those provinces, that the leading and honored inhabitants of all the cities, together with the people, went out to meet him at his arrival.	9 C’est ainsi qu’il arriva dans la plaine d’Esdrelon, près de Dotaia, un village situé aux pieds de la grande chaîne de Judée.
10 They received him with garlands and lamps; they were led by choirs with timbrels and flutes.	10 Il installa son camp entre Guéba et Scythopolis et il y resta tout un mois pour refaire ses forces.
11 Yet, not even by doing these things were they able to mitigate the ferocity of his chest.
12 For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their sacred groves.
13 For king Nebuchadnezzar had instructed him to exterminate all the gods of the earth, evidently so that he alone might be called ‘god’ by those nations which were able to be subjugated by the power of Holofernes.
14 But when he had passed through Syria Sobal, and all of Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans in the land of Gibeah.
15 And he took their cities, and he sat there for thirty days, during which days he instructed all the troops of his army to regroup.