Judit könyve 3

KÁLDI-NEOVULGÁTA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Követeket küldtek azért hozzá, hogy békét kérjenek:	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:
2 »Íme, mi Nebukadnezárnak a nagy királynak a szolgái vagyunk, itt állunk előtted. Tégy velünk tetszésed szerint.	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.
3 Majorjaink, egész földünk, minden gabonaföldünk, nyájaink és gulyáink, csordáink karámjai szolgálatodra állnak, élj velük, ahogy neked tetszik.	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.
4 Íme, városaink a bennük lakókkal szolgálatodra állnak, jöjj és vonulj be, amint jónak látod.«	4 Let all that we have be subject to your law.
5 Az emberek Holofernész elé járultak és átadták neki ezt az üzenetet.	5 We, and our sons, are your servants.
6 Erre leereszkedett a partvidékre ő és hadserege, helyőrséget hagyott a megerősített városokban, azután válogatott férfiakat szedett össze hadi szolgálatra.	6 Come to us as a peaceful lord, and use our service, just as it pleases you.”
7 Az egész vidék lakói koszorúkkal, dobszóval kísért tánccal fogadták.	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.
8 Ő pedig elpusztította vidéküket, szent ligeteiket kivágta, mert azt a parancsot kapta, hogy a föld összes istenét semmisítse meg, hogy minden nemzet egyedül Nebukadnezárnak szolgáljon, minden nyelv és minden törzs úgy könyörögjön hozzá, mint istenhez.	8 And, from all the cities, he took for himself auxiliaries: strong men and well-chosen for war.
9 Így érkezett meg Ezdrelon elé Dótain közelébe, amely Júda nagy hegylánca előtt van,	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.
10 és tábort ütöttek Gabbaj és a szkíták városa között. Itt maradt egy hónapig, hogy összegyűjtse hadseregének minden felszerelését.	10 They received him with garlands and lamps; they were led by choirs with timbrels and flutes.
	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.