Judith 11

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Then Holofernes said to her: "Take courage, lady; have no fear in your heart! Never have I harmed anyone who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth.	1 Then 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.
2 Nor would I have raised my spear against your people who dwell in the mountain region, had they not despised me and brought this upon themselves.	2 And if thy people had not despised me, I would never have lifted up my spear against them.
3 But now tell me why you fled from them and came to us. In any case, you have come to safety. Take courage! Your life is spared tonight and for the future.	3 But now tell me, for what cause hast thou left them, and why it hath pleased thee to come to us?
4 No one at all will harm you. Rather, you will be well treated, as are all the servants of my lord, King Nebuchadnezzar."	4 And 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.
5 Judith answered him: "Listen to the words of your servant, and let your handmaid speak in your presence! I will tell no lie to my lord this night,	5 For 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.
6 and if you follow out the words of your handmaid, God will give you complete success, and my lord will not fail in any of his undertakings.	6 For 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.
7 By the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth, and by the power of him who has sent you to set all creatures aright! not only do men serve him through you; but even the wild beasts and the cattle and the birds of the air, because of your strength, will live for Nebuchadnezzar and his whole house.	7 It is known also what Achior said, nor are we ignorant of what thou hast commanded to be done to him.
8 Indeed, we have heard of your wisdom and sagacity, and all the world is aware that throughout the kingdom you alone are competent, rich in experience, and distinguished in military strategy.	8 For 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.
9 "As for Achior's speech in your council, we have heard of it. When the men of Bethulia spared him, he told them all he had said to you.	9 And because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, thy dread is upon them.
10 So then, my lord and master, do not disregard his word, but bear it in mind, for it is true. For our people are not punished, nor does the sword prevail against them, except when they sin against their God.	10 Moreover also a famine hath come upon them, and for drought of water they are already to be counted among the dead.
11 But now their guilt has caught up with them, by which they bring the wrath of their God upon them whenever they do wrong; so that my lord will not be repulsed and fail, but death will overtake them.	11 And they have a design even to kill their cattle, and to drink the blood of them.
12 Since their food gave out and all their water ran low, they decided to kill their animals, and determined to consume all the things which God in his laws forbade them to eat.	12 And 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.
13 They decreed that they would use up the first fruits of grain and the tithes of wine and oil which they had sanctified and reserved for the priests who minister in the presence of our God in Jerusalem: things which no layman should even touch with his hands.	13 And I thy handmaid knowing this, am fled from them, and the Lord hath sent me to tell thee these very things.
14 They have sent messengers to Jerusalem to bring back to them authorization from the council of the elders; for the inhabitants there have also done these things.	14 For I thy handmaid worship God even now that I am with thee, and thy handmaid will go out, and I will pray to God,
15 On the very day when the response reaches them and they act upon it, they will be handed over to you for destruction.	15 And 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:
16 "As soon as I, your handmaid, learned all this, I fled from them. God has sent me to perform with you such deeds that people throughout the world will be astonished on hearing of them.	16 Because these things are told me by the providence of God.
17 Your handmaid is, indeed, a God-fearing woman, serving the God of heaven night and day. Now I will remain with you, my lord; but each night your handmaid will go out to the ravine and pray to God. He will tell me when the Israelites have committed their crimes.	17 And because God is angry with them, I am sent to tell these very things to thee.
18 Then I will come and let you know, so that you may go out with your whole force, and not one of them will be able to withstand you.	18 And all these words pleased Holofernes, and his servants, and they admired her wisdom, and they said one to another:
19 I will lead you through Judea, till you come to Jerusalem, and there I will set up your judgment seat. You will drive them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will growl at you. This was told me, and announced to me in advance, and I in turn have been sent to tell you."	19 There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.
20 Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; they marveled at her wisdom and exclaimed,	20 And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well who sent thee before the people, that thou mightest give them into our hands:
21 "No other woman from one end of the world to the other looks so beautiful and speaks so wisely!"	21 And 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.
22 Then Holofernes said to her: "God has done well in sending you ahead of your people, to bring victory to our arms, and destruction to those who have despised my lord.
23 You are fair to behold, and your words are well spoken. If you do as you have said, your God will be my God; you shall dwell in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, and shall be renowned throughout the earth."