Giuditta 10

BIBBIA TINTORI	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Finito che ebbe di alzare i suoi gemiti al Signore, si levò dal luogo dove si era prostrata davanti al Signore.	1 As soon as Judith had thus concluded, and ceased her invocation to the God of Israel,
2 poi, chiamata la sua serva, scese in casa, si tolse il cilizio, depose le vesti vedovili,	2 she rose from the ground. She called her maid and they went down into the house, which she used only on sabbaths and feast days.
3 si lavò il corpo, si unse di unguento prezioso, scompartì le sue chiome, si pose in testa una mitra, indossò le sue vesti di festa, si mise ai piedi i sandali, prese i braccialetti, i gigli, gli orecchini, gli anelli e si abbellì con tutti i suoi ornamenti.	3 She took off the sackcloth she had on, laid aside the garments of her widowhood, washed her body with water, and anointed it with rich ointment. She arranged her hair and bound it with a fillet, and put on the festive attire she had worn while her husband, Manasseh, was living.
4 Il Signore crebbe ancor più il suo splendore, perchè tale abbigliamento non proveniva da libidine, ma da virtù: il Signore le accrebbe la bellezza in modo da farla comparire tutta adorna d'incomparabile grazia.	4 She chose sandals for her feet, and put on her anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her other jewelry. Thus she made herself very beautiful, to captivate the eyes of all the men who should see her.
5 Essa fece portare dalla sua serva un otre di vino, un vaso d'olio, del grano abbrustolito, dei fichi secchi, dei pani, del cacio, e parti.	5 She gave her maid a leather flask of wine and a cruse of oil. She filled a bag with roasted grain, fig cakes, bread and cheese; all these provisions she wrapped up and gave to the maid to carry.
6 Alla porta della città trovarono Ozia e gli anziani della città, che l'aspettavano.	6 Then they went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia and found Uzziah and the elders of the city, Chabri and Charmis, standing there.
7 Essi al vederla rimasero stupefatti e pieni di maraviglia per la sua bellezza;	7 When these men saw Judith transformed in looks and differently dressed, they were very much astounded at her beauty and said to her,
8 ma senza dimandarle nulla, la lasciaron passare dicendo: « Il Dio dei padri nostri ti doni la sua grazia, e colla sua potenza confermi tutti i disegni del tuo cuore, in modo che Gerusalemme abbia a gloriarsi di te e il nome tuo sia scritto fra i santi e fra i giusti ».	8 "May the God of our fathers bring you to favor, and make your undertaking a success, for the glory of the Israelites and the exaltation of Jerusalem." Judith bowed down to God. Then she said to them,
9 Tutti quelli che eran li dissero a una voce: « Così sia, così sia! »	9 "Order the gate of the city opened for me, that I may go to carry out the business we discussed." So they ordered the youths to open the gate for her as she requested.
10 E Giuditta pregando il Signore, uscì fuori della porta colla sua serva.	10 When they did so, Judith and her maid went out. The men of the city kept her in view as she went down the mountain and crossed the valley; then they lost sight of her.
11 Or mentre sul levar del giorno, essa discendeva dalla montagna, s'imbatterono in lei gli esploratori degli Assiri, e, fermatala, le dissero: « Di dove vieni? Dove vai? »	11 As Judith and her maid walked directly across the valley, they encountered the Assyrian outpost.
12 Essa rispose: « Sono una figlia degli ebrei; son fuggita da loro, avendo riconosciuto che vi saran dati in preda, perchè, disprezzandovi, non han voluto arrendersi spontaneamente per trovar misericordia davanti a voi.	12 The men took her in custody and asked her, "To what people do you belong? Where do you come from, and where are you going?" She replied: "I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from them, because they are about to be delivered up to you as prey.
13 Ed è per questo che ho detto dentro di me: Andrò a presentarmi al principe Oloferne, pei manifestargli i loro segreti e mostrargli per qual via possa impadronirsi di loro, senza che perisca un sol uomo del suo esercito ».	13 I have come to see Holofernes, the general in chief of your forces, to give him a trustworthy report; I will show him the route by which he can ascend and take possession of the whole mountain district without a single one of his men suffering injury or loss of life."
14 Quegli uomini, mentre stavano a sentire le sue parole, la contemplavano in viso, e pieni gli occhi di stupore ne ammirarono oltremodo la bellezza.	14 When the men heard her words and gazed upon her face, which appeared wondrously beautiful to them, they said to her,
15 Poi le dissero: « Tu hai salvata la tua vita, prendendo la risoluzione di scendere al nostro signore:	15 "By coming down thus promptly to see our master, you have saved your life. Now go to his tent; some of our men will accompany you to present you to him.
16 e sappi che, quando sarai alla sua presenza, egli ti farà del bene, e sarai graditissima al suo cuore ». La condussero alla tenda di Oloferne, annunziandola.	16 When you stand before him, have no fear in your heart; give him the report you speak of, and he will treat you well."
17 Appena gli fu dinanzi, Oloferne fu subito preso dai suoi sguardi.	17 So they detailed a hundred of their men as an escort for her and her maid, and these conducted them to the tent of Holofernes.
18 Gli dissero i suoi ufficiali: « Chi potrà disprezzare il popolo degli ebrei, che ha donne così belle? Non abbiamo ragione di far loro guerra per conquistarle? »	18 When the news of her arrival spread among the tents, a crowd gathered in the camp. They came and stood around her as she waited outside the tent of Holofernes, while he was being informed about her.
19 Giuditta, veduto Oloferne a seder sotto un conopeo fatto di porpora, d'oro, di smeraldi e di pietre preziose,	19 They marveled at her beauty, regarding the Israelites with wonder because of her, and they said to one another, "Who can despise this people that has such women among them? It is not wise to leave one man of them alive, for if any were to be spared they could beguile the whole world."
20 dopo averlo fissato in viso, lo adorò prostrata per terra; ma i servi di Oloferne la rialzarono per ordine del loro signore.	20 The guard of Holofernes and all his servants came out and ushered her into the tent.
	21 Now Holofernes was reclining on his bed under a canopy with a netting of crimson and gold, emeralds and other precious stones.
	22 When they announced her to him, he came out to the antechamber, preceded by silver lamps;
	23 and when Holofernes and his servants beheld Judith, they all marveled at the beauty of her face. She threw herself down prostrate before him, but his servants raised her up.