Livre de Judith 5

JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 On annonça à Holopherne, général en chef de l'armée assyrienne, que les Israélites se préparaient aucombat: ils avaient, disait-on, fermé les passes de la montagne, fortifié les hautes cimes et, dans les plaines,disposés des obstacles.	1 And it was reported to Holofernes, the leader of the military of the Assyrians, that the sons of Israel were preparing themselves to resist, and also that they had closed the mountain passes.
2 Il entra alors dans une très violente colère, convoqua tous les princes de Moab, tous les générauxd'Ammon tous les satrapes du littoral.	2 And he was enraged with extreme fury and great indignation, and he called together all the leaders of Moab and the leaders of Ammon.
3 Hommes de Canaan, leur dit-il, renseignez-moi: quel est ce peuple qui demeure dans la régionmontagneuse? Quelles sont les villes qu'il habite? Quelle est l'importance de son armée? En quoi résident sapuissance et sa force? Quel est le roi qui est à sa tête et dirige son armée?	3 And he said to them: “Tell me who this people may be, who obstruct the mountains. And which are their cities, and of what kind, and how many? And then, what may be their power, and what may be their number, and who is king over their military?
4 Pourquoi a-t-il dédaigné de venir au-devant de moi, contrairement à ce qu'ont fait tous les habitantsde la région occidentale?"	4 And why have these, more than all who dwell in the east, shown contempt for us, and have not gone out to meet us, so that they might receive us with peace?”
5 Achior, chef de tous les Ammonites, lui répondit: "Que Monseigneur écoute, je t'en prie, les parolesprononcées par ton serviteur. Je vais te dire la vérité sur ce peuple de montagnards qui demeure tout près de toi.De la bouche de ton serviteur aucun mensonge ne sortira.	5 Then Achior, commander of all the sons of Ammon, responding, said: “If you would deign to listen, my lord, I will tell the truth in your sight about this people, who dwell in the mountains, and not a false word will go forth from my mouth.
6 Les gens de ce peuple sont des descendants des Chaldéens.	6 This people is from the progeny of the Chaldeans.
7 Anciennement ils vinrent habiter en Mésopotamie parce qu'ils n'avaient pas voulu suivre les dieux deleurs pères établis en Chaldée.	7 These dwelt at first in Mesopotamia, because they were not willing to follow the gods of their fathers, who were in the land of the Chaldeans.
8 Ils s'écartèrent donc de la voie de leurs ancêtres et adorèrent le Dieu du ciel, Dieu qu'ils avaientreconnu. Bannis alors de la face de leurs dieux, ils s'enfuirent en Mésopotamie où ils habitèrent longtemps.	8 And so, forsaking the ceremonies of their fathers, which were with a multitude of gods,
9 Leur Dieu leur ayant signifié de sortir de leur résidence et de s'en aller au pays de Canaan, ils s'yinstallèrent et y furent surabondamment comblés d'or, d'argent et de nombreux troupeaux.	9 they worshipped one God of heaven, who also instructed them to go forth from that place and to dwell in Canaan. And when a famine covered the whole land, they went down into Egypt, and there, through four hundred years, they were so multiplied, that the army of them could not be numbered.
10 Ils descendirent ensuite en Egypte, car une famine s'était abattue sur la terre de Canaan, et ils ydemeurèrent tant qu'ils y trouvèrent de la nourriture. Là ils devinrent une grande multitude et une raceinnombrable.	10 And when the king of Egypt oppressed them, and also subjugated them to labor with clay and brick in the building of his cities, they cried out to their Lord, and he struck the entire land of Egypt with various plagues.
11 Mais le roi d'Egypte se dressa contre eux et se joua d'eux en les astreignant au travail des briques.On les humilia, on les assujettit à l'esclavage.	11 And when the Egyptians had cast them away from them, and the plague had ceased from them, and they were willing to seize them again and recall them to their servitude:
12 Ils crièrent vers leur Dieu, qui frappa la terre d'Egypte tout entière de plaies sans remède. LesEgyptiens les chassèrent alors loin d'eux.	12 the God of heaven opened the sea to these as they fled, so that the waters were made to stand firm like a wall on either side, and these walked across the bottom of the sea and passed through with dry feet.
13 Devant eux Dieu dessécha la mer Rouge	13 In that place, when an innumerable army of the Egyptians pursued after them, they were so overwhelmed with the waters, that not even one remained to report to posterity what had happened.
14 et les conduisit par le chemin du Sinaï et de Cadès-Barné. Après avoir repoussé tous les habitants dudésert,	14 In truth, going forth from the Red Sea, they occupied the deserts of mount Sinai, in which man could never dwell, nor a son of man take rest.
15 ils s'établirent dans le pays des Amorites et, vigoureusement, exterminèrent tous les habitants deHeshbôn. Puis, traversant le Jourdain, ils prirent possession de toute la montagne,	15 In that place, bitter fountains became sweet for them to drink, and, through forty years, they continued to receive provisions from heaven.
16 expulsant devant eux les Cananéens, les Perizzites, les Jébuséens, les Sichémites ainsi que tous lesGirgashites, et ils y habitèrent de longs jours.	16 And, although they had entered without bow and arrow, and without shield and sword, their God fought on their behalf and was victorious.
17 Tant qu'ils ne péchèrent pas en présence de leur Dieu, la prospérité fut avec eux, car ils ont un Dieuqui hait l'iniquité.	17 And there was no one who could attack this people, except when they withdrew from the worship of the Lord their God.
18 Quand au contraire ils s'écartèrent de la voie qu'il leur avait assignée, une partie fut complètementdétruite en de multiples guerres, l'autre fut conduite en captivité dans une terre étrangère. Le Temple de leurDieu fut rasé et leurs villes tombèrent au pouvoir de leurs adversaires.	18 But as often as they worshipped any other, except their own God, they were delivered to plunder, and to the sword, and into reproach.
19 Alors ils se retournèrent de nouveau vers leur Dieu, remontèrent de leur dispersion, des lieux où ilsavaient été disséminés, reprirent possession de Jérusalem où se trouve leur Temple et repeuplèrent la montagnedemeurée déserte.	19 But as often as they were repentant for having withdrawn from the worship of their God, the God of heaven gave them the power to resist.
20 Et maintenant, maître et seigneur, s'il y a dans ce peuple quelque égarement, s'ils ont péché contreleur Dieu, alors assurons-nous qu'il y a bien en eux cette cause de chute. Puis montons, attaquons-les.	20 And, indeed, they overthrew the king of the Canaanites, and of the Jebusites, and of the Perizzites, and of the Hethites, and of the Hevites, and of the Amorrhites, and all the powerful ones in Hesebon, and these same possessed their lands and their cities.
21 Mais s'il n'y a pas d'injustice dans leur nation, que Monseigneur s'abstienne, de peur que leurSeigneur et Dieu ne les protège. Nous serions alors la risée de toute la terre!"	21 And, as long as they did not sin in the sight of their God, it was well with them. For their God hates iniquity.
22 Quand Achior eut cessé de parler, toute la foule massée autour de la tente se prit à murmurer. Lesnotables d'Holopherne, tous les habitants de la côte comme ceux de Moab parlaient de le mettre en pièces.	22 And even some years ago, when they had withdrawn from the way that their God had given them to walk, they were destroyed in battles by many nations and very many of them were led away captive into a land not their own.
23 "Qu'avons-nous donc à craindre des Israélites? C'est un peuple sans force ni puissance, incapable detenir dans un combat un peu rude.	23 But, more recently, returning to the Lord their God, from the dispersion in which they had been scattered, they have united and have ascended into all these mountains, and they again possess Jerusalem, where their holy things are.
24 Allons donc! Montons et ton armée n'en fera qu'une bouchée, ô notre maître, Holopherne!"	24 Therefore, now my lord, inquire if there may be any iniquity of theirs in the sight of their God. If so, let us ascend to them, because their God will surely deliver them to you, and they will be subjugated under the yoke of your power.
	25 But if, in truth, there may be no offense of this people before their God, we will not be able to resist them, because their God will defend them, and we will become a disgrace to the whole earth.”
	26 And it happened, when Achior had ceased to speak these words, all the great men of Holofernes were angry, and they intended to execute him, saying to each other:
	27 “Who is this, that says the sons of Israel are able to resist king Nebuchadnezzar and his armies: unarmed men, and without strength, and without skill in the art of fighting?
	28 Therefore, so that Achior may know that he has failed us, let us ascend to the mountains. And, when the most powerful among them have been taken, then, with them, he will be impaled with the sword.
	29 So may every people know that Nebuchadnezzar is god of the earth, and there is no other, except him.”