Giuditta 2

BIBBIA RICCIOTTI	NEW JERUSALEM
1 L'anno tredicesimo [del regno] del re Nabucodonosor, ai ventidue del mese primo, nella reggia di Nabucodonosor re degli Assiri, fu deciso che egli si vendicherebbe.	1 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, a rumour ran through the palace thatNebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians was to have his revenge on al the countries, as he had threatened.
2 Convocò tutti gli anziani, tutt' i capi e guerrieri suoi, e manifestò loro il segreto suo consiglio,	2 Summoning his general staff and senior officers, he held a secret conference with them, and with hisown lips pronounced utter destruction on the entire area.
3 dicendo essere suo pensiero di assoggettare al suo impero tutta la terra.	3 It was then decreed that everyone should be put to death who had not answered the king's appeal.
4 Ed essendo ciò piaciuto a tutti, il re Nabucodonosor chiamò Oloferne capo supremo della sua milizia,	4 When the council was over, Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent for Holofernes, general-in-chiefof his armies and subordinate only to himself. He said to him,
5 e gli disse: « Esci in campo contro tutt' i regni dell'occidente, e specialmente contro quelli che hanno disprezzato il mio impero;	5 'Thus speaks the Great King, lord of the whole world, "Go; take men of proven valour, about a hundredand twenty thousand foot soldiers and a strong company of horse with twelve thousand cavalrymen;
6 non risparmierai alcun regno, e mi assoggetterai tutte le città fortificate ».	6 then advance against all the western lands, since these people have disregarded my cal .
7 Allora Oloferne chiamò i capitani e gli ufficiali delle forze assire, e mise in ordine per la spedizione, secondo gli aveva comandato il re, centoventimila combattenti a piedi, e dodicimila arcieri a cavallo.	7 Bid them have earth and water ready, because in my rage I am about to march on them; the feet of mysoldiers wil cover the whole face of the earth, and I shal plunder it.
8 Ed a tutta questa spedizione fece andar avanti una moltitudine innumerevole di cammelli con abbondanti provvisioni per gli eserciti, ed armenti di bovi e greggi di pecore senza numero.	8 Their wounded will fil the val eys and the torrents, and rivers, blocked with their dead, wil overflow.
9 Dette ordine che da tutta la Siria si preparasse grano al suo passaggio.	9 I shall lead them captive to the ends of the earth.
10 E dalla casa del re prese oro ed argento in quantità straordinaria.	10 Now go! Begin by conquering this whole region for me. If they surrender to you, hold them for me untilthe time comes to punish them.
11 E partì, egli e tutto l'esercito, con le quadrighe ed i cavalieri e gli arcieri, che coprivano la faccia della terra come locuste.	11 But if they resist, look on no one with clemency, hand them over to slaughter and plunder throughoutthe territory entrusted to you.
12 E passati i confini degli Assiri, venne ai grandi monti d'Ange, a sinistra della Cilicia; prese d'assalto tutt' i loro castelli, e s'impadronì di tutt' i luoghi fortificati.	12 For by my life and by the living power of my kingdom I have spoken. Al this I shal do by my power.
13 Espugnò poi la rinomatissima città di Melotti e depredò tutti gli abitanti di Tarsia, ed i figli di Ismaele che erano di contro al deserto, ed al mezzogiorno della terra di Cellon.	13 And you, neglect none of your master's commands, act strictly according to my orders without furtherdelay." '
14 Indi passò l'Eufrate, e venne in Mesopotamia; ed espugnò tutte le città gloriose ch'erano ivi, dal torrente Mambre sino al mare.	14 Leaving the presence of his sovereign, Holofernes immediately summoned al the marshals, generalsand officers of the Assyrian army
15 Occupò il suo territorio, dalla Cilicia sino ai confini di Jafet che sono al mezzogiorno;	15 and detailed the picked troops as his master had ordered, about a hundred and twenty thousand menand a further twelve thousand mounted archers.
16 condusse via tutt' i figli di Madian, depredò tutte le loro ricchezze, e passò a fili di spada tutti quelli che gli resistevano.	16 He organised these in the normal battle formation.
17 Dopo ciò, sceso nelle pianure di Damasco al tempo della mietitura, dette fuoco a tutte le mèssi, e fece tagliar tutti gli alberi e le vigne.	17 He then secured vast numbers of camels, donkeys and mules to carry the baggage, and innumerablesheep, oxen and goats for food supplies.
18 E divenne lo spavento di tutti gli abitanti della terra.	18 Every man received ful rations and a generous sum of gold and silver from the king's purse.
	19 He then set out for the campaign with his whole army, in advance of King Nebuchadnezzar, tooverwhelm the whole western region with his chariots, his horsemen and his picked body of foot.
	20 A motley gathering fol owed in his rear, as numerous as locusts or the grains of sand on the ground;there was no counting their multitude.
	21 Thus they set out from Nineveh and marched for three days towards the Plain of Bectileth. FromBectileth they went on to pitch camp near the mountains that lie to the north of Upper Cilicia.
	22 From there Holofernes advanced into the highlands with his whole army, infantry, horsemen, chariots.
	23 He cut his way through Put and Lud, carried away captive al the sons of Rassis and sons of Ishmaelliving on the verge of the desert south of Cheleon,
	24 marched along the Euphrates, crossed Mesopotamia, rased al the fortified towns controlling the WadiAbron and reached the sea.
	25 Next he attacked the territories of Cilicia, butchering al who offered him resistance, advanced on thesouthern frontiers of Japheth, facing Arabia,
	26 completely encircled the Midianites, burned their tents and plundered their sheep-folds,
	27 made his way down to the Damascus plain at the time of the wheat harvest, set fire to the fields,destroyed the flocks and herds, sacked the towns, laid the countryside waste and put al the young men to thesword.
	28 Fear and trembling seized al the coastal peoples; those of Sidon and Tyre, those of Sur, Ocina andJamnia. The populations of Azotos and Ascalon were panic-stricken.