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Venerdi, 29 marzo 2024 - Santi Simplicio e Costantino ( Letture di oggi)

Judith 10


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1Thus Judith called on the God of Israel. When she had finished praying,2she got up from the floor, summoned her maid and went down into the rooms which she used onSabbath days and festivals.3There she removed the sackcloth she was wearing and taking off her widow's dress, she washed alover, anointed herself plentiful y with perfumes, dressed her hair, wrapped a turban round it and put on the robeof joy she used to wear when her husband Manasseh was alive.4She put sandals on her feet, put on her necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and al her jewel ery, andmade herself beautiful enough to beguile the eye of any man who saw her.5Then she handed her maid a skin of wine and a flask of oil, fil ed a bag with barley girdle-cakes, cakesof dried fruit and pure loaves, and wrapping all these provisions up gave them to her as wel .6They then went out, making for the town gate of Bethulia. There they found Uzziah waiting with the twoelders of the town, Chabris and Charmis.7When they saw Judith, her face so changed and her clothes so different, they were lost in admiration ofher beauty. They said to her:8May the God of our ancestors keep you in his favour! May he crown your designs with success to theglory of the children of Israel, to the greater glory of Jerusalem!9Judith worshipped God, and then she said, 'Have the town gate opened for me so that I can go out andfulfil all the wishes you expressed to me.' They did as she asked and gave orders to the young men to open thegate for her.10This done, Judith went out accompanied by her maid, while the men of the town watched her al theway down the mountain and across the valley, until they lost sight of her.11As the women were making straight through the valley, an advance unit of Assyrians interceptedthem,12and, seizing Judith, began to question her. 'Which side are you on? Where do you come from? Whereare you going?' 'I am a daughter of the Hebrews,' she replied, 'and I am fleeing from them since they wil soon beyour prey.13I am on my way to see Holofernes, the general of your army, to give him trustworthy information. Ishall show him the road to take if he wants to capture all the hil -country without losing one man or one life.'14As the men listened to what she was saying, they stared in astonishment at the sight of such abeautiful woman.15'It wil prove the saving of you,' they said to her, 'coming down to see our master of your own accord.You had better go to his tent; some of our men wil escort you and hand you over to him.16Once you are in his presence do not be afraid. Tel him what you have just told us and you wil be weltreated.'17They then detailed a hundred of their men as escort for herself and her attendant, and these led themto the tent of Holofernes.18News of her coming had already spread through the tents, and there was a general stir in the camp.She was still outside the tent of Holofernes waiting to be announced, when a crowd began forming round her.19They were immediately impressed by her beauty and impressed with the Israelites because of her.'Who could despise a people who have women like this?' they kept saying. 'Better not leave one of them alive;let any go and they could twist the whole world round their fingers!'20The bodyguard and adjutants of Holofernes then came out and led Judith into the tent.21Holofernes was resting on his bed under a canopy of purple and gold studded with emeralds andprecious stones.22The men announced her and he came out to the entrance to the tent, with silver torches carriedbefore him.23When Judith confronted the general and his adjutant, the beauty of her face astonished them al . Shefel on her face and did homage to him, but his servants raised her from the ground.