Judith 3

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	EINHEITSUBERSETZUNG BIBEL
1 Then the kings as well as the princes of the provinces sent their emissaries from all of the cities: from Syria, particularly Mesopotamia, and Syria Sobal, and Libya as well as Cilicia. These, upon coming to Holofernes, said:	1 Sie schickten Boten zu ihm mit einem Friedensangebot und ließen ihm sagen:
2 “Let your indignation concerning us cease. For it is better for us to live in service to Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, and to become subject to you, rather than to die, even though we may have to suffer our condemnation into the annihilation of slavery.	2 Wir, die Sklaven des großen Königs Nebukadnezzar, liegen dir zu Füßen. Tu mit uns, wie du willst.
3 All our cities and all our possessions, all mountains, and hills, and fields, and herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, and goats, and horses, and camels, and all our resources and families are in your sight.	3 Unsere Gehöfte, alle unsere Ortschaften und Weizenfelder, die Herden, das Klein- und Großvieh in allen Hürden an unseren Lagerplätzen stehen dir zur Verfügung. Verfahr damit nach deinem Belieben!
4 Let all that we have be subject to your law.	4 Auch unsere Städte mit ihren Einwohnern sind dir untertan. Komm und verfahr mit ihnen nach deinem Willen!
5 We, and our sons, are your servants.	5 Mit dieser Botschaft kamen die Männer zu Holofernes.
6 Come to us as a peaceful lord, and use our service, just as it pleases you.”	6 Da stieg er mit seinen Truppen zur Küste hinab, besetzte die befestigten Städte und hob dort die tüchtigsten Männer aus zur Verstärkung seines Heeres.
7 Then he descended from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and he took charge of every city and of every inhabitant of the land.	7 Die Einwohner der Städte und des Landes empfingen ihn mit Kränzen und unter Tanz und Paukenschlag.
8 And, from all the cities, he took for himself auxiliaries: strong men and well-chosen for war.	8 Doch er ließ alle ihre Kulthöhen zerstören und ihre Götterhaine umhauen. Ihm war die Macht gegeben, alle Götter der Erde zu vernichten. Alle Völker sollten nur Nebukadnezzar verehren und alle Stämme und Nationen ihn als Gott anrufen.
9 And such a dread lay upon those provinces, that the leading and honored inhabitants of all the cities, together with the people, went out to meet him at his arrival.	9 So kam er in das Gebiet von Jesreel nahe bei Dotan, das vor dem großen Gebirgszug von Judäa liegt.
10 They received him with garlands and lamps; they were led by choirs with timbrels and flutes.	10 Er schlug zwischen Gabbai und Skythopolis sein Lager auf und blieb dort einen Monat, um den ganzen Tross seines Heeres zusammenzuziehen.
11 Yet, not even by doing these things were they able to mitigate the ferocity of his chest.
12 For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their sacred groves.
13 For king Nebuchadnezzar had instructed him to exterminate all the gods of the earth, evidently so that he alone might be called ‘god’ by those nations which were able to be subjugated by the power of Holofernes.
14 But when he had passed through Syria Sobal, and all of Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans in the land of Gibeah.
15 And he took their cities, and he sat there for thirty days, during which days he instructed all the troops of his army to regroup.