Judith 7

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	BIBBIA TINTORI
1 The following day Holofernes ordered his whole army, and all the allied troops that had come to his support, to move against Bethulia, seize the mountain passes, and engage the Israelites in battle.	1 Il giorno dopo, Oloferne comandò alle sue truppe di salire contro Betulia.
2 That same day all their fighting men went into action. Their forces numbered a hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand horsemen, not counting the baggage train or the men who accompanied it on foot-a very great army.	2 Egli aveva centoventi mila combattenti a piedi e ventidue mila uomini a cavallo, oltre gli uomini atti alla guerra da lui fatti prigionieri, e la gioventù menata via dalle provinole e dalle città.
3 They encamped at the spring in the valley near Bethulia, and spread out in breadth toward Dothan as far as Balbaim, and in length from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.	3 Tutti ugualmente si prepararono per combattere contro i figli d'Israele, e si avanzarono per la parte inferiore della montagna fino alla cima che guarda su Dotain, e dal luogo detto Belma sino a Chelmon, che è dirimpetto a Esdrelon.
4 When the Israelites saw how many there were, they said to one another in great dismay: "Soon they will devour the whole country. Neither the high mountains nor the valleys and hills can support the mass of them."	4 I figli d'Israele, veduta quella moltitudine, si prostrarono per terra, e copertasi la testa di cenere, pregarono tutti insieme il Dio d'Israele a mostrare la sua misericordia sopra il suo popolo;
5 Yet they all seized their weapons, lighted fires on their bastions, and kept watch throughout the night.	5 poi, prese le loro armi di guerra, si posero tra le gole dei monti, nei luoghi ove passavano i sentieri, e vi facevan la guardia giorno e notte.
6 On the second day Holofernes led out all his cavalry in the sight of the Israelites who were in Bethulia.	6 Andando attorno, Oloferne trovò la fonte che alimentava il loro acquedotto dal lato del mezzogiorno, fuori della città, e fece tagliare quell'acquedotto.
7 He reconnoitered the approaches to their city and located their sources of water; these he seized, stationing armed detachments around them, while he himself returned to his troops.	7 Restarono però non lungi dalle mura delle sorgenti alle quali sembrava che andassero furtivamente ad attingere acqua più per ristorarsi che per bere.
8 All the commanders of the Edomites and all the leaders of the Ammonites, together with the generals of the seacoast, came to Holofernes and said:	8 Ma i figli d'Ammon e di Moab andarono a dire a Oloferne: « I figli d'Israele non confidano nelle lance nè nelle frecce; ma son difesi dalle montagne e resi sicuri dai colli sospesi sui precipizi.
9 "Sir, listen to what we have to say, that there may be no losses among your troops.	9 Per poterli vincere senza combattere, metti adunque delle guardie alle sorgenti a impedire che attingano acqua, e così li ucciderai senza spada, o almeno, scoraggiati, ti daran nelle mani la loro città, che credono inespugnabile perchè posta sui monti ».
10 These Israelites do not rely on their spears, but on the height of the mountains where they dwell; it is not easy to reach the summit of their mountains.	10 Essendo piaciute ad Oloferne e ai suoi ufficiali queste parole, egli pose di guardia intorno a ciascuna sorgente cento uomini.
11 Therefore, sir, do not attack them in regular formation; thus not a single one of your troops will fall.	11 Dopo venti giorni di tal guardia restarono a secco le cisterne e i serbatoi d'acqua per tutti gli abitanti di Betulia, in modo da non esserci in città tanto da dissetarsi per un solo giorno, e l'acqua si dava al popolo con misura ogni giorno.
12 Stay in your camp, and spare all your soldiers. Have some of your servants keep control of the source of water that flows out at the base of the mountain,	12 Allora tutti gli uomini, le donne, i giovani, i ragazzi s'affollarono presso Ozia, e tutti insieme ad una voce dissero:
13 for that is where the inhabitants of Bethulia get their water. Then thirst will begin to carry them off, and they will surrender their city. Meanwhile, we and our men will go up to the summits of the nearby mountains, and encamp there to guard against anyone's leaving the city.	13 « Dio sia giudice fra noi e te: perchè ci hai fatti questi mali e non hai voluto trattar di pace cogli Assiri, per questo Dio ci ha abbandonati nelle loro mani;
14 They and their wives and children will languish with hunger, and even before the sword strikes them they will be laid low in the streets of their city.	14 per questo non v'è chi ci aiuti, mentre sotto i loro occhi cadiam postrati dalla sete e dalla gran miseria.
15 Thus you will render them dire punishment for their rebellion and their refusal to meet you peacefully."	15 Or dunque radunate tutti quelli che si trovano nella città, chè ci arrendiamo volontariamente all'esercito d'Oloferne;
16 Their words pleased Holofernes and all his ministers, and he ordered their proposal to be carried out.	16 perché è meglio vivere e benedire Dio prigionieri, che morire ed esser l'obbrobrio di tutti gli uomini, dopo aver vedute le nostre mogli, e i nostri bambini morire sotto i nostri occhi.
17 Thereupon the Moabites moved camp, together with five thousand Assyrians. They encamped in the valley, and held the water supply and the springs of the Israelites.	17 Noi oggi, prendendo a testimoni il cielo, la terra e il Dio dei padri nostri, che ci punisce secondo i nostri peccati: vi scongiuriamo a consegnare ormai la città all'esercito d'Oloferne, per abbreviare la nostra fine che divien troppo lunga per l'arsura della sete ».
18 The Edomites and the Ammonites went up and encamped in the mountain region opposite Dothan; and they sent some of their men to the south and to the east opposite Egrebel, near Chusi, which is on Wadi Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army was encamped in the plain, covering the whole countryside. Their enormous store of tents and equipment was spread out in profusion everywhere.	18 Finite queste parole, nell'adunanza tutti diedero in pianti e alti grida, e per molte ore ad una voce gridarono al Signore, dicendo:
19 The Israelites cried to the Lord, their God, for they were disheartened, since all their enemies had them surrounded, and there was no way of slipping through their lines.	19 « Abbiamo peccato noi e i nostri padri, siamo stati ingiusti, e abbiamo commessa l'iniquità.
20 The whole Assyrian camp, infantry, chariots, and cavalry, kept them thus surrounded for thirty-four days. All the reservoirs of water failed the inhabitants of Bethulia,	20 Tu, che sei pietoso, abbi pietà di noi; punisci pure coi tuoi flagelli le nostre iniquità, ma non voler abbandonare ad un popolo che non ti conosce chi ti onora,
21 and the cisterns ran dry, so that on no day did they have enough to drink, but their drinking water was rationed.	21 chè non si dica tra le nazioni: Dov'è il loro Dio? »
22 Their children fainted away, and the women and youths were consumed with thirst and were collapsing in the streets and gateways of the city, with no strength left in them.	22 Quando, stanchi dal gridare e sfiniti dai pianti, si chetarono,
23 All the people, therefore, including youths, women, and children, went in a crowd to Uzziah and the rulers of the city. They set up a great clamor and said before the elders:	23 Ozia, alzatosi, tutto molle di lacrime, disse: « Fratelli, fatevi coraggio, aspettiamo ancora cinque giorni la misericordia del Signore:
24 "God judge between you and us! You have done us grave injustice in not making peace with the Assyrians.	24 può essere che egli, cessata la sua collera, dia gloria al suo nome.
25 There is no help for us now! Instead, God has sold us into their power by laying us prostrate before them in thirst and utter exhaustion.	25 Se poi, passati i cinque giorni, non verrà alcun soccorso, faremo secondo le role che avete detto ».
26 Therefore, summon them and deliver the whole city as booty to the troops of Holofernes and to all his forces;
27 we would be better off to become their prey. We should indeed be made slaves, but at least we should live, and not have to behold our little ones dying before our eyes and our wives and children breathing out their souls.
28 We adjure you by heaven and earth, and by our God, the Lord of our forefathers, who is punishing us for our sins and those of our forefathers, to do as we have proposed, this very day."
29 All in the assembly with one accord broke into shrill wailing and loud cries to the Lord their God.
30 But Uzziah said to them, "Courage, my brothers! Let us wait five days more for the Lord our God, to show his mercy toward us; he will not utterly forsake us.
31 But if those days pass without help coming to us, I will do as you say."
32 Then he dispersed the men to their posts, and they returned to the walls and towers of the city; the women and children he sent to their homes. Throughout the city they were in great misery.