Giuditta 14

BIBBIA TINTORI	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Allora Giuditta disse a tutto il popolo: « Ascoltatemi, o fratelli: prima sospendete questa testa sulle nostre mura, poi,	1 Then Judith said to them: "Listen to me, my brothers. Take this head and hang it on the parapet of your wall.
2 appena spuntato il sole, prese ciascuno le sue armi, uscite con impeto, non per discender nella valle, ma come per muover all'attacco.	2 At daybreak, when the sun rises on the earth, let each of you seize his weapons, and let all the able-bodied men rush out of the city under command of a captain, as if about to go down into the plain against the advance guard of the Assyrians, but without going down.
3 Allora gli esploratori dovran correre a svegliare il loro comandante, per la battaglia.	3 They will seize their armor and hurry to their camp to awaken the generals of the Assyrian army. When they run to the tent of Holofernes and do not find him, panic will seize them, and they will flee before you.
4 Quando i loro capi saranno accorsi alla tenda di Oloferne e lo avranno trovato decapitato e ravvolto nel suo sangue, saran presi dallo spavento:	4 Then you and all the other inhabitants of the whole territory of Israel will pursue them and strike them down in their tracks.
5 quando li vedrete darsi alla fuga, inseguiteli senza timore, perchè il Signore li schiaccerà sotto i vostri piedi ».	5 But before doing this, summon for me Achior the Ammonite, that he may see and recognize the one who despised the house of Israel and sent him here to meet his death."
6 Allora Achior, vedendo il prodigio operato da Dio, abbandonati i riti dei Gentili, credette in Dio, si circoncise e fu incorporato al popolo d'Israele, egli e tutta la sua discendenza fino ad oggi.	6 So they called Achior from the house of Uzziah. When he came and saw the head of Holofernes in the hand of one of the men in the assembly of the people, he fell forward in a faint.
7 Appena fatto giorno, sospesero sulle mura la testa d'Oloferne, e, prese ciascuno le sue armi, uscirono fuori con gran fracasso ed alte grida.	7 Then, after they lifted him up, he threw himself at the feet of Judith in homage, saying: "Blessed are you in every tent of Judah; and in every foreign nation, all who hear of you will be struck with terror.
8 Veduto ciò, gli esploratori corsero alla tenda di Oloferne.	8 But now, tell me all that you did during these days." So Judith told him, in the presence of the people, all that she had been doing from the day she left till the time she began speaking to them.
9 Quelli che erano nella tenda, accostatisi, facevan rumore all'ingresso della camera per destarlo e facevano ad arte il rumore, perchè Oloferne si destasse, senza bisogno d'essere scosso, per il frastuono.	9 When she finished her account, the people cheered loudly, and their city resounded with shouts of joy.
10 Nessuno poi osava aprire e nemmeno battere alla porta del comandante degli Assiri.	10 Now Achior, seeing all that the God of Israel had done, believed firmly in him. He had the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, and he has been united with the house of Israel to the present day.
11 Finalmente i capi, i tribuni e tutti i grandi dell'esercito del re d'Assiria, là radunati, dissero ai servi:	11 At daybreak they hung the head of Holofernes on the wall. Then all the Israelite men took up their arms and went to the slopes of the mountain.
12 « Entrate e svegliatelo, perchè quei topi usciti dai loro buchi hanno osato provocarci a battaglia ».	12 When the Assyrians saw them, they notified their captains; these, in turn, went to the generals and division leaders and all their other commanders.
13 Allora Vagao entrò nella camera, e, fermatosi dinanzi alla cortina, battè insieme le mani, supponendo che dormisse con Giuditta.	13 They came to the tent of Holofernes and said to the one in charge of all his things, "Waken our master, for the slaves have dared come down to give us battle, to their utter destruction."
14 Ma siccome, anche tendendo l'orecchio, non sentiva alcun movimento d'uno che dormisse, si accostò alla cortina, e, alzatala, vide il cadavere d'Oloferne, senza testa, steso per terra, immerso nel proprio sangue. Allora pianse ad alte grida e stracciò le sue vesti.	14 Bagoas went in, and knocked at the entry of the tent, presuming that he was sleeping with Judith.
15 Poi entrò nella tenda di Giuditta, e non avendocela trovata, corse fuori verso il popolo,	15 As no one answered, he parted the curtains, entered the bedroom, and found him lying on the floor, a headless corpse.
16 a dire: « Una sola donna ebrea ha messa la confusione nella casa del re Nabucodonosor; ecco, Oloferne è là steso per terra, e la sua testa non è più col suo corpo! » Sentito questo,	16 He broke into a loud clamor of weeping, groaning, and howling, and rent his garments.
17 i principi dell'armata degli Assiri stracciarono le loro vesti; un timore intollerabile e lo spavento l'invasero e i loro animi furono oltremodo turbati:	17 Then he entered the tent where Judith had her quarters; and, not finding her, he rushed out to the troops and cried:
18 indicibile grido si alzò in mezzo ai loro accampamenti.	18 "The slaves have duped us! A single Hebrew woman has brought disgrace on the house of King Nebuchadnezzar. Here is Holofernes headless on the ground!"
	19 When the commanders of the Assyrian army heard these words, they rent their tunics and were seized with consternation. Loud screaming and howling arose in the camp.