Livre de Judith 13

JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Quand il se fit tard, ses officiers se hâtèrent de partir. Bagoas ferma la tente de l'extérieur, aprèsavoir éconduit d'auprès de son maître ceux qui s'y trouvaient encore. Ils allèrent se coucher, fatigués par l'excèsde boisson,	1 So then, when it had become late, his servants hurried to their lodgings, and Vagao closed the chamber doors, and he went away.
2 et Judith fut laissée seule dans la tente avec Holopherne effondré sur son lit, noyé dans le vin.	2 But they were all drowsy from the wine.
3 Judith dit alors à sa servante de se tenir dehors, près de la chambre à coucher, et d'attendre sa sortiecomme elle le faisait chaque jour. Elle avait d'ailleurs eu soin de dire qu'elle sortirait pour sa prière et avait parlédans le même sens à Bagoas.	3 And Judith was alone in the chamber.
4 Tous s'en étaient allés de chez Holopherne et nul, petit ou grand, n'avait été laissé dans la chambre àcoucher. Debout près du lit Judith dit en elle-même: "Seigneur, Dieu de toute force, en cette heure, favorisel'oeuvre de mes mains pour l'exaltation de Jérusalem.	4 Moreover, Holofernes, being very inebriated, was fast asleep, reclining on his bed.
5 C'est maintenant le moment de ressaisir ton héritage et de réaliser mes plans pour écraser lesennemis levés contre nous."	5 And Judith told her handmaid to stand outside before the chamber, and to watch.
6 Elle s'avança alors vers la traverse du lit proche de la tête d'Holopherne, en détacha son cimeterre,	6 And Judith stood in front of the bed, praying with tears, and her lips moved in silence,
7 puis s'approchant de la couche elle saisit la chevelure de l'homme et dit: "Rends-moi forte en ce jour,Seigneur, Dieu d'Israël!"	7 saying: “Confirm me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look kindly upon the works of my hands, so that, just as you promised, you may raise up Jerusalem, your city, and so that, believing through you that this plan is able to be accomplished, I may succeed.”
8 Par deux fois elle le frappa au cou, de toute sa force, et détacha sa tête.	8 And when she had said this, she approached the pillar, which was at the head of the bed, and she released his blade, which was hanging tied to it.
9 Elle fit ensuite rouler le corps loin du lit et enleva la draperie des colonnes. Peu après elle sortit etdonna la tête d'Holopherne à sa servante,	9 And when she had unsheathed it, she grabbed him by the hair of his head, and she said, “Confirm me, O Lord God, in this hour.”
10 qui la mit dans la besace à vivres, et toutes deux sortirent du camp comme elles avaient coutume dele faire pour aller prier. Une fois le camp traversé elles contournèrent le ravin, gravirent la pente de Béthulie etparvinrent aux portes.	10 And she struck him twice on his neck, and she cut off his head, and she took off his canopy from the pillars, and she rolled away the trunk of his body.
11 De loin Judith cria aux gardiens des portes: "Ouvrez, ouvrez la porte! Car le Seigneur notre Dieuest encore avec nous pour accomplir des prouesses en Israël et déployer sa force contre nos ennemis comme il l'afait aujourd'hui!"	11 And after a little while, she went out, and she delivered the head of Holofernes to her handmaid, and she ordered her to put it in her bag.
12 Quand les hommes de la ville eurent entendu sa voix, ils se hâtèrent de descendre à la porte de leurcité et appelèrent les anciens.	12 And the two went out, according to their custom, as if to prayer, and they passed through the camp, and having circled around the valley, they came to the gate of the city.
13 Du plus petit jusqu'au plus grand tout le monde accourut, car on ne s'attendait pas à son arrivée.Les gens ouvrirent la porte, accueillirent les deux femmes, firent du feu pour y voir et les entourèrent.	13 And Judith, from a distance, spoke to the watchmen on the walls, “Open the gates, for God is with us, and he has acted with his power in Israel.”
14 D'une voix forte Judith leur dit: "Louez Dieu! Louez-le! Louez le Dieu qui n'a pas détourné samiséricorde de la maison d'Israël, mais qui, cette nuit, a par ma main brisé nos ennemis."	14 And it happened that, when the men had heard her voice, they called the elders of the city.
15 Elle tire alors la tête de sa besace et la leur montre: "Voici la tête d'Holopherne, le général en chefde l'armée d'Assur, et voici la draperie sous laquelle il gisait dans son ivresse! Le Seigneur l'a frappé par la maind'une femme!	15 And all rushed toward her, from the least to the greatest. For, until then, they held no hope that she would return.
16 Vive le Seigneur qui m'a gardée dans mon entreprise! Car mon visage n'a séduit cet homme quepour sa perte. Il n'a pas péché avec moi pour ma honte et mon déshonneur."	16 And, enflaming the lights, they gathered all around her. But she climbed up to a higher place, and she ordered them to be made silent. And when all had quieted down,
17 En proie à une grande émotion tout le peuple se prosterna pour adorer Dieu et cria d'une seule voix:"Béni sois-tu, ô notre Dieu, toi qui, en ce jour, as anéanti les ennemis de ton peuple!"	17 Judith said: “Praise the Lord our God, who has not abandoned those who hope in him.
18 Ozias, à son tour, dit à Judith: "Sois bénie, ma fille, par le Dieu Très-Haut, plus que toutes lesfemmes de la terre; et béni soit le Seigneur Dieu, Créateur du ciel et de la terre, lui qui t'a conduite pour trancherla tête du chef de nos ennemis!	18 And by me, his handmaid, he has fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel. And he has killed the enemy of his people, by my hand this night.”
19 Jamais la confiance dont tu as fait preuve ne s'effacera de l'esprit des hommes; mais ils sesouviendront éternellement de la puissance de Dieu.	19 Then, taking the head of Holofernes from the bag, she displayed it to them, saying: “Behold, the head of Holofernes the leader of the military of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, under which he reclined in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God struck him by the hand of a woman.
20 Fasse Dieu que tu sois éternellement exaltée et récompensée de mille biens, puisque tu n'as pasménagé ta vie quand notre race était humiliée, mais que tu as conjuré notre ruine en marchant droit devant notreDieu." Tout le peuple répondit: "Amen! Amen!"	20 But, as the Lord himself lives, his angel has been my guardian both from my departure, and while staying there, and when returning from there. And the Lord has not permitted me, his handmaid, to be defiled, but he has called me back to you without the pollution of sin, rejoicing in his victory, in my escape, and in your liberation.
	21 Confess everything to him, for he is good, for his mercy is with every generation.”
	22 Then everyone adored the Lord, and they said to her, “The Lord has blessed you by his power, because, through you, he has reduced our enemies to nothing.”
	23 Furthermore, Uzziah, the leader of the people of Israel, said to her: “O daughter, you have been blessed by the Lord, the most high God, above all the women on earth.
	24 Blessed is the Lord, who made heaven and earth, who has guided you in harming the head of the leader of our enemies.
	25 For he has so magnified your name this day, that your praise will not retire from the mouth of men, who will be mindful of the power of the Lord forever, because you have risked your life for the sake of the distress and tribulation of your people, and you have prevented our ruin before the sight of our God.”
	26 And all the people said: “Amen. Amen.”
	27 And so, Achior was called, and he drew near, and Judith said to him: “The God of Israel, to whom you gave testimony, has avenged himself on his enemies. He has cut down the head of all unbelievers, by my hand this night.
	28 And, so that you may determine that this is so, behold, the head of Holofernes, who, in the contempt of his pride, despised the God of Israel and threatened Israel with ruin, saying, ‘When the people of Israel have been captured, I will instruct your sides to be pierced through with a sword.’ ”
	29 Then Achior, seeing the head of Holofernes, and being distressed by fear, fell upon his face on the ground, and his soul became agitated.
	30 In truth, after this, when he had recovered his breath, he fell down before her feet, and he showed reverence for her, and he said:
	31 “Blessed are you by your God, in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation that will hear of your name, the God of Israel will be magnified over you.”