Giuditta 7

BIBBIA TINTORI	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Il giorno dopo, Oloferne comandò alle sue truppe di salire contro Betulia.	1 The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel.
2 Egli aveva centoventi mila combattenti a piedi e ventidue mila uomini a cavallo, oltre gli uomini atti alla guerra da lui fatti prigionieri, e la gioventù menata via dalle provinole e dalle città.	2 Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude.
3 Tutti ugualmente si prepararono per combattere contro i figli d'Israele, e si avanzarono per la parte inferiore della montagna fino alla cima che guarda su Dotain, e dal luogo detto Belma sino a Chelmon, che è dirimpetto a Esdrelon.	3 And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia unto Cynamon, which is over against Esdraelon.
4 I figli d'Israele, veduta quella moltitudine, si prostrarono per terra, e copertasi la testa di cenere, pregarono tutti insieme il Dio d'Israele a mostrare la sua misericordia sopra il suo popolo;	4 Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour, Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight.
5 poi, prese le loro armi di guerra, si posero tra le gole dei monti, nei luoghi ove passavano i sentieri, e vi facevan la guardia giorno e notte.	5 Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night.
6 Andando attorno, Oloferne trovò la fonte che alimentava il loro acquedotto dal lato del mezzogiorno, fuori della città, e fece tagliare quell'acquedotto.	6 But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia,
7 Restarono però non lungi dalle mura delle sorgenti alle quali sembrava che andassero furtivamente ad attingere acqua più per ristorarsi che per bere.	7 And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward his people.
8 Ma i figli d'Ammon e di Moab andarono a dire a Oloferne: « I figli d'Israele non confidano nelle lance nè nelle frecce; ma son difesi dalle montagne e resi sicuri dai colli sospesi sui precipizi.	8 Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau, and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said,
9 Per poterli vincere senza combattere, metti adunque delle guardie alle sorgenti a impedire che attingano acqua, e così li ucciderai senza spada, o almeno, scoraggiati, ti daran nelle mani la loro città, che credono inespugnabile perchè posta sui monti ».	9 Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army.
10 Essendo piaciute ad Oloferne e ai suoi ufficiali queste parole, egli pose di guardia intorno a ciascuna sorgente cento uomini.	10 For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains.
11 Dopo venti giorni di tal guardia restarono a secco le cisterne e i serbatoi d'acqua per tutti gli abitanti di Betulia, in modo da non esserci in città tanto da dissetarsi per un solo giorno, e l'acqua si dava al popolo con misura ogni giorno.	11 Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of thy people perish.
12 Allora tutti gli uomini, le donne, i giovani, i ragazzi s'affollarono presso Ozia, e tutti insieme ad una voce dissero:	12 Remain in thy camp, and keep all the men of thine army, and let thy servants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issueth forth of the foot of the mountain:
13 « Dio sia giudice fra noi e te: perchè ci hai fatti questi mali e non hai voluto trattar di pace cogli Assiri, per questo Dio ci ha abbandonati nelle loro mani;	13 For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of the city.
14 per questo non v'è chi ci aiuti, mentre sotto i loro occhi cadiam postrati dalla sete e dalla gran miseria.	14 So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with fire, and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.
15 Or dunque radunate tutti quelli che si trovano nella città, chè ci arrendiamo volontariamente all'esercito d'Oloferne;	15 Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably.
16 perché è meglio vivere e benedire Dio prigionieri, che morire ed esser l'obbrobrio di tutti gli uomini, dopo aver vedute le nostre mogli, e i nostri bambini morire sotto i nostri occhi.	16 And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken.
17 Noi oggi, prendendo a testimoni il cielo, la terra e il Dio dei padri nostri, che ci punisce secondo i nostri peccati: vi scongiuriamo a consegnare ormai la città all'esercito d'Oloferne, per abbreviare la nostra fine che divien troppo lunga per l'arsura della sete ».	17 So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the children of Israel.
18 Finite queste parole, nell'adunanza tutti diedero in pianti e alti grida, e per molte ore ad una voce gridarono al Signore, dicendo:	18 Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great multitude.
19 « Abbiamo peccato noi e i nostri padri, siamo stati ingiusti, e abbiamo commessa l'iniquità.	19 Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them.
20 Tu, che sei pietoso, abbi pietà di noi; punisci pure coi tuoi flagelli le nostre iniquità, ma non voler abbandonare ad un popolo che non ti conosce chi ti onora,	20 Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhibitants of Bethulia.
21 chè non si dica tra le nazioni: Dov'è il loro Dio? »	21 And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure.
22 Quando, stanchi dal gridare e sfiniti dai pianti, si chetarono,	22 Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.
23 Ozia, alzatosi, tutto molle di lacrime, disse: « Fratelli, fatevi coraggio, aspettiamo ancora cinque giorni la misericordia del Signore:	23 Then all the people assembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,
24 può essere che egli, cessata la sua collera, dia gloria al suo nome.	24 God be judge between us and you: for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the children of Assur.
25 Se poi, passati i cinque giorni, non verrà alcun soccorso, faremo secondo le role che avete detto ».	25 For now we have no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction.
	26 Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army.
	27 For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst: for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.
	28 We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God and Lord of our fathers, which punisheth us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that he do not according as we have said this day.
	29 Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice.
	30 Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly.
	31 And if these days pass, and there come no help unto us, I will do according to your word.
	32 And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children into their houses: and they were very low brought in the city.