Judith 11

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 'Courage, woman,' Holofernes said, 'do not be afraid. I have never hurt anyone who chose to serveNebuchadnezzar, king of the whole world.	1 Then Holofernes said to her: “Be steadfast in soul, and do not be terrified in your heart. For I have never harmed a man who was willing to serve king Nebuchadnezzar.
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.	2 But if your people had not despised me, I would not have lifted up my lance over them.
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 You wil live through this night, and many after.	3 But now, tell me, for what reason have you withdrawn from them, and why has it pleased you to come to us?”
4 No one wil hurt you. On the contrary, you wil be treated as wel as any who serve my lord KingNebuchadnezzar.'	4 And Judith said to him: “Receive the words of your maidservant. For, if you will follow the words of your maidservant, the Lord will accomplish an excellent thing by you.
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.	5 For, as Nebuchadnezzar the king of the earth lives, and as his power lives, which is with you for the chastising of all straying souls: not only men serve him through you, but also the beasts of the field are submissive to him.
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.	6 For the diligence of your mind is being reported to all nations, and it has been revealed to all of this age that you alone are good and powerful in all his kingdom, and your discipline is being announced beforehand in all the provinces.
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.	7 This is not hidden, what Achior has said, nor are we ignorant of what you have ordered to befall him.
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.	8 For it is agreed that our God is so offended with sins that he has commanded, through his prophets to the people, that he will deliver them up for their sins.
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.	9 And since the sons of Israel know that they have offended their God, your trembling is upon them.
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.	10 Moreover, now also a famine has assailed them, and, by drought of water, they are already counted among the dead.
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.	11 And finally, they have a plan to put to death their herds, and to drink their blood.
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.	12 And the sacred things of the Lord their God, which God instructed them not to touch, among the grain, wine, and oil, these they have decided to expend, and they are willing to consume the things that they ought not to touch with their hands. Therefore, because they do these things, it is certain that they will be given over to perdition.
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,	13 And I, your maidservant, knowing this, have fled from them, and the Lord has sent me to report to you these same things.
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.	14 For I, your maidservant, worship God even now that I am with you, and your maidservant will go out, and I will pray to God.
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.	15 And he will tell me when he will repay them for their sins, and I will return and announce it to you, so that I may bring you through the midst of Jerusalem, and you will hold all the people of Israel, like sheep that have no shepherd, and there will not be so much as one dog that barks against you.
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.	16 For these things have been told to me through the providence of God.
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.	17 And because God has been angry with them, I have been sent to report these same things to you.”
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.	18 And so, all these words were pleasing before Holofernes, and before his servants, and they wondered at her wisdom, and they said to one another:
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.'	19 “There is not another woman so great upon the earth: in appearance, in beauty, and in charming words.”
20 Her words pleased Holofernes, and all his adjutants. Ful of admiration at her wisdom they exclaimed,	20 And Holofernes said to her: “God has done well, who sent you ahead of the people, so that you may give them into our hands.
21 'There is no woman like her from one end of the earth to the other, so lovely of face and so wise ofspeech!'	21 And if your promise is good, if your God will do this for me, he will also be my God, and you will be great in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, and your name will be renowned through all the earth.”
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 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.'