Judith 13

NEW JERUSALEM	VULGATA
1 It grew late and his staff hurried away. Bagoas closed the tent from the outside, having shown outthose who stil lingered in his lord's presence. They went to their beds wearied with too much drinking,	1 Ut autem sero factum est, festinaverunt servi illius ad hospitia sua, et conclusit Vagao ostia cubiculi, et abiit.
2 and Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes who had col apsed wine-sodden on his bed.	2 Erant autem omnes fatigati a vino,
3 Judith then told her maid to stay just outside the bedroom and wait for her to come out, as she didevery morning. She had let it be understood she would be going out to her prayers and had also spoken of herintention to Bagoas.	3 eratque Judith sola in cubiculo.
4 By now everyone had left Holofernes, and no one, either important or unimportant, was left in thebedroom. Standing beside the bed, Judith murmured to herself: Lord God, to whom al strength belongs, prosperwhat my hands are now to do for the greater glory of Jerusalem;	4 Porro Holofernes jacebat in lecto, nimia ebrietate sopitus.
5 now is the time to recover your heritage and to further my plans to crush the enemies arrayed againstus.	5 Dixitque Judith puellæ suæ ut staret foris ante cubiculum, et observaret.
6 With that she went up to the bedpost by Holofernes' head and took down his scimitar;	6 Stetitque Judith ante lectum, orans cum lacrimis, et labiorum motu in silentio,
7 coming closer to the bed she caught him by the hair and said, 'Make me strong today, Lord God ofIsrael!'	7 dicens : Confirma me, Domine Deus Israël, et respice in hac hora ad opera manuum mearum, ut, sicut promisisti, Jerusalem civitatem tuam erigas : et hoc quod credens per te posse fieri cogitavi, perficiam.
8 Twice she struck at his neck with all her might, and cut off his head.	8 Et cum hæc dixisset, accessit ad columnam quæ erat ad caput lectuli ejus, et pugionem ejus, qui in ea ligatus pendebat, exsolvit.
9 She then rol ed his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the bedposts. After which, shewent out and gave the head of Holofernes to her maid	9 Cumque evaginasset illum, apprehendit comam capitis ejus, et ait : Confirma me, Domine Deus, in hac hora.
10 who put it in her food bag. The two then left the camp together, as they always did when they went topray. Once they were out of the camp, they skirted the ravine, climbed the slope to Bethulia and made for thegates.	10 Et percussit bis in cervicem ejus, et abscidit caput ejus, et abstulit conopeum ejus a columnis, et evolvit corpus ejus truncum.
11 From a distance, Judith shouted to the guards on the gates, 'Open the gate! Open! For the Lord ourGod is with us stil , displaying his strength in Israel and his might against our enemies, as he has done today!'	11 Et post pusillum exivit, et tradidit caput Holofernis ancillæ suæ, et jussit ut mitteret illud in peram suam.
12 Hearing her voice, the townsmen hurried down to the town gate and summoned the elders.	12 Et exierunt duæ, secundum consuetudinem suam, quasi ad orationem, et transierunt castra, et gyrantes vallem, venerunt ad portam civitatis.
13 Everyone, great and smal , came running down, since her arrival was unexpected. They threw thegate open, welcomed the women, lit a fire to see by and crowded round them.	13 Et dixit Judith a longe custodibus murorum : Aperite portas, quoniam nobiscum est Deus, qui fecit virtutem in Israël.
14 Then Judith raised her voice and said, 'Praise God! Praise him! Praise the God who has notwithdrawn his mercy from the House of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand tonight!'	14 Et factum est cum audissent viri vocem ejus, vocaverunt presbyteros civitatis.
15 She pul ed the head out of the bag and held it for them to see. 'This is the head of Holofernes,general-in-chief of the Assyrian army; here is the canopy under which he lay drunk! The Lord has struck himdown by the hand of a woman!	15 Et concurrerunt ad eam omnes, a minimo usque ad maximum : quoniam sperabant eam jam non esse venturam.
16 Glory to the Lord who has protected me in the course I took! My face seduced him, only to his ownundoing; he committed no sin with me to shame me or disgrace me.'	16 Et accendentes luminaria, congyraverunt circa eam universi : illa autem ascendens in eminentiorem locum, jussit fieri silentium. Cumque omnes tacuissent,
17 Overcome with emotion, the people al prostrated themselves and worshipped God, exclaiming withone voice, 'Blessings on you, our God, for confounding your people's enemies today!'	17 dixit Judith : Laudate Dominum Deum nostrum, qui non deseruit sperantes in se,
18 Uzziah then said to Judith: May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond al womenon earth; and blessed be the Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth, who guided you to cut off the head of theleader of our enemies!	18 et in me ancilla sua adimplevit misericordiam suam, quam promisit domui Israël : et interfecit in manu mea hostem populi sui hac nocte.
19 The trust which you have shown wil not pass from human hearts, as they commemorate the power ofGod for evermore.	19 Et proferens de pera caput Holofernis, ostendit illis, dicens : Ecce caput Holofernis principis militiæ Assyriorum, et ecce conopeum illius, in quo recumbebat in ebrietate sua, ubi per manum feminæ percussit illum Dominus Deus noster.
20 God grant you may be always held in honour and rewarded with blessings, since you did not consideryour own life when our nation was brought to its knees, but warded off our ruin, walking in the right path beforeour God. And the people al said, 'Amen! Amen!'	20 Vivit autem ipse Dominus, quoniam custodivit me angelus ejus et hinc euntem, et ibi commorantem, et inde huc revertentem, et non permisit me Dominus ancillam suam coinquinari, sed sine pollutione peccati revocavit me vobis gaudentem in victoria sua, in evasione mea, et in liberatione vestra.
	21 Confitemini illi omnes, quoniam bonus, quoniam in sæculum misericordia ejus.
	22 Universi autem adorantes Dominum, dixerunt ad eam : Benedixit te Dominus in virtute sua, quia per te ad nihilum redegit inimicos nostros.
	23 Porro Ozias princeps populi Israël dixit ad eam : Benedicta es tu, filia, a Domino Deo excelso præ omnibus mulieribus super terram.
	24 Benedictus Dominus, qui creavit cælum et terram, qui te direxit in vulnera capitis principis inimicorum nostrorum :
	25 quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit, ut non recedat laus tua de ore hominum qui memores fuerint virtutis Domini in æternum, pro quibus non pepercisti animæ tuæ propter angustias et tribulationem generis tui, sed subvenisti ruinæ ante conspectum Dei nostri.
	26 Et dixit omnis populus : Fiat, fiat.
	27 Porro Achior vocatus venit, et dixit ei Judith : Deus Israël, cui tu testimonium dedisti quod ulciscatur se de inimicis suis, ipse caput omnium incredulorum incidit hac nocte in manu mea.
	28 Et ut probes quia ita est, ecce caput Holofernis, qui in contemptu superbiæ suæ Deum Israël contempsit, et tibi interitum minabatur, dicens : Cum captus fuerit populus Israël, gladio perforari præcipiam latera tua.
	29 Videns autem Achior caput Holofernis, angustiatus præ pavore cecidit in faciem suam super terram, et æstuavit anima ejus.
	30 Postea vero quam resumpto spiritu recreatus est, procidit ad pedes ejus, et adoravit eam, et dixit :
	31 Benedicta tu a Deo tuo in omni tabernaculo Jacob, quoniam in omni gente quæ audierit nomen tuum, magnificabitur super te Deus Israël.