ΙΟΥΔΙΘ - Giuditta - Judith 2

GREEK BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 και εστησεν κυριος τον λογον αυτου ον ελαλησεν εφ' ημας και επι τους δικαστας ημων τους δικασαντας τον ισραηλ και επι τους βασιλεις ημων και επι τους αρχοντας ημων και επι ανθρωπον ισραηλ και ιουδα	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 ουκ εποιηθη υποκατω παντος του ουρανου καθα εποιησεν εν ιερουσαλημ κατα τα γεγραμμενα εν τω νομω μωυση	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 του φαγειν ημας ανθρωπον σαρκας υιου αυτου και ανθρωπον σαρκας θυγατρος αυτου	3 It was then decreed that everyone should be put to death who had not answered the king's appeal.
4 και εδωκεν αυτους υποχειριους πασαις ταις βασιλειαις ταις κυκλω ημων εις ονειδισμον και εις αβατον εν πασι τοις λαοις τοις κυκλω ου διεσπειρεν αυτους κυριος εκει	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 και εγενηθησαν υποκατω και ουκ επανω οτι ημαρτομεν κυριω θεω ημων προς το μη ακουειν της φωνης αυτου	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 τω κυριω θεω ημων η δικαιοσυνη ημιν δε και τοις πατρασιν ημων η αισχυνη των προσωπων ως η ημερα αυτη	6 then advance against all the western lands, since these people have disregarded my cal .
7 α ελαλησεν κυριος εφ' ημας παντα τα κακα ταυτα ηλθεν εφ' ημας	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 και ουκ εδεηθημεν του προσωπου κυριου του αποστρεψαι εκαστον απο των νοηματων της καρδιας αυτων της πονηρας	8 Their wounded will fil the val eys and the torrents, and rivers, blocked with their dead, wil overflow.
9 και εγρηγορησεν κυριος επι τοις κακοις και επηγαγε κυριος εφ' ημας οτι δικαιος ο κυριος επι παντα τα εργα αυτου α ενετειλατο ημιν	9 I shall lead them captive to the ends of the earth.
10 και ουκ ηκουσαμεν της φωνης αυτου πορευεσθαι τοις προσταγμασιν κυριου οις εδωκεν κατα προσωπον ημων	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 και νυν κυριε ο θεος ισραηλ ος εξηγαγες τον λαον σου εκ γης αιγυπτου εν χειρι κραταια και εν σημειοις και εν τερασιν και εν δυναμει μεγαλη και εν βραχιονι υψηλω και εποιησας σεαυτω ονομα ως η ημερα αυτη	11 But if they resist, look on no one with clemency, hand them over to slaughter and plunder throughoutthe territory entrusted to you.
12 ημαρτομεν ησεβησαμεν ηδικησαμεν κυριε ο θεος ημων επι πασιν τοις δικαιωμασιν σου	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 αποστραφητω ο θυμος σου αφ' ημων οτι κατελειφθημεν ολιγοι εν τοις εθνεσιν ου διεσπειρας ημας εκει	13 And you, neglect none of your master's commands, act strictly according to my orders without furtherdelay." '
14 εισακουσον κυριε της προσευχης ημων και της δεησεως ημων και εξελου ημας ενεκεν σου και δος ημιν χαριν κατα προσωπον των αποικισαντων ημας	14 Leaving the presence of his sovereign, Holofernes immediately summoned al the marshals, generalsand officers of the Assyrian army
15 ινα γνω πασα η γη οτι συ κυριος ο θεος ημων οτι το ονομα σου επεκληθη επι ισραηλ και επι το γενος αυτου	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 κυριε κατιδε εκ του οικου του αγιου σου και εννοησον εις ημας κλινον κυριε το ους σου και ακουσον	16 He organised these in the normal battle formation.
17 ανοιξον κυριε τους οφθαλμους σου και ιδε οτι ουχ οι τεθνηκοτες εν τω αδη ων ελημφθη το πνευμα αυτων απο των σπλαγχνων αυτων δωσουσιν δοξαν και δικαιωμα τω κυριω	17 He then secured vast numbers of camels, donkeys and mules to carry the baggage, and innumerablesheep, oxen and goats for food supplies.
18 αλλα η ψυχη η λυπουμενη επι το μεγεθος ο βαδιζει κυπτον και ασθενουν και οι οφθαλμοι οι εκλειποντες και η ψυχη η πεινωσα δωσουσιν σοι δοξαν και δικαιοσυνην κυριε	18 Every man received ful rations and a generous sum of gold and silver from the king's purse.
19 οτι ουκ επι τα δικαιωματα των πατερων ημων και των βασιλεων ημων ημεις καταβαλλομεν τον ελεον ημων κατα προσωπον σου κυριε ο θεος ημων	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 οτι ενηκας τον θυμον σου και την οργην σου εις ημας καθαπερ ελαλησας εν χειρι των παιδων σου των προφητων λεγων	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 ουτως ειπεν κυριος κλινατε τον ωμον υμων και εργασασθε τω βασιλει βαβυλωνος και καθισατε επι την γην ην εδωκα τοις πατρασιν υμων	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 και εαν μη ακουσητε της φωνης κυριου εργασασθαι τω βασιλει βαβυλωνος	22 From there Holofernes advanced into the highlands with his whole army, infantry, horsemen, chariots.
23 εκλειψειν ποιησω εκ πολεων ιουδα και εξωθεν ιερουσαλημ φωνην ευφροσυνης και φωνην χαρμοσυνης φωνην νυμφιου και φωνην νυμφης και εσται πασα η γη εις αβατον απο ενοικουντων	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 και ουκ ηκουσαμεν της φωνης σου εργασασθαι τω βασιλει βαβυλωνος και εστησας τους λογους σου ους ελαλησας εν χερσιν των παιδων σου των προφητων του εξενεχθηναι τα οστα βασιλεων ημων και τα οστα των πατερων ημων εκ του τοπου αυτων	24 marched along the Euphrates, crossed Mesopotamia, rased al the fortified towns controlling the WadiAbron and reached the sea.
25 και ιδου εστιν εξερριμμενα τω καυματι της ημερας και τω παγετω της νυκτος και απεθανοσαν εν πονοις πονηροις εν λιμω και εν ρομφαια και εν αποστολη	25 Next he attacked the territories of Cilicia, butchering al who offered him resistance, advanced on thesouthern frontiers of Japheth, facing Arabia,
26 και εθηκας τον οικον ου επεκληθη το ονομα σου επ' αυτω ως η ημερα αυτη δια πονηριαν οικου ισραηλ και οικου ιουδα	26 completely encircled the Midianites, burned their tents and plundered their sheep-folds,
27 και εποιησας εις ημας κυριε ο θεος ημων κατα πασαν επιεικειαν σου και κατα παντα οικτιρμον σου τον μεγαν	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 καθα ελαλησας εν χειρι παιδος σου μωυση εν ημερα εντειλαμενου σου αυτω γραψαι τον νομον σου εναντιον υιων ισραηλ λεγων	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.
29 εαν μη ακουσητε της φωνης μου η μην η βομβησις η μεγαλη η πολλη αυτη αποστρεψει εις μικραν εν τοις εθνεσιν ου διασπερω αυτους εκει
30 οτι εγνων οτι ου μη ακουσωσιν μου οτι λαος σκληροτραχηλος εστιν και επιστρεψουσιν επι καρδιαν αυτων εν γη αποικισμου αυτων
31 και γνωσονται οτι εγω κυριος ο θεος αυτων και δωσω αυτοις καρδιαν και ωτα ακουοντα
32 και αινεσουσιν με εν γη αποικισμου αυτων και μνησθησονται του ονοματος μου
33 και αποστρεψουσιν απο του νωτου αυτων του σκληρου και απο πονηρων πραγματων αυτων οτι μνησθησονται της οδου πατερων αυτων των αμαρτοντων εναντι κυριου
34 και αποστρεψω αυτους εις την γην ην ωμοσα τοις πατρασιν αυτων τω αβρααμ και τω ισαακ και τω ιακωβ και κυριευσουσιν αυτης και πληθυνω αυτους και ου μη σμικρυνθωσιν
35 και στησω αυτοις διαθηκην αιωνιον του ειναι με αυτοις εις θεον και αυτοι εσονται μοι εις λαον και ου κινησω ετι τον λαον μου ισραηλ απο της γης ης εδωκα αυτοις