ΙΟΥΔΙΘ - Giuditta - Judith 5

LXX	NEW JERUSALEM
1 και ανηγγελη ολοφερνη αρχιστρατηγω δυναμεως ασσουρ διοτι οι υιοι ισραηλ παρεσκευασαντο εις πολεμον και τας διοδους της ορεινης συνεκλεισαν και ετειχισαν πασαν κορυφην ορους υψηλου και εθηκαν εν τοις πεδιοις σκανδαλα	1 Holofernes, general-in-chief of the Assyrian army, received the intel igence that the Israelites werepreparing for war, that they had closed the mountain passes, fortified al the high peaks and laid obstructions inthe plains.
2 και ωργισθη θυμω σφοδρα και εκαλεσεν παντας τους αρχοντας μωαβ και τους στρατηγους αμμων και παντας σατραπας της παραλιας	2 Holofernes was furious. He summoned al the princes of Moab, al the generals of Ammon and al thesatraps of the coastal regions.
3 και ειπεν αυτοις αναγγειλατε δη μοι υιοι χανααν τις ο λαος ουτος ο καθημενος εν τη ορεινη και τινες ας κατοικουσιν πολεις και το πληθος της δυναμεως αυτων και εν τινι το κρατος αυτων και η ισχυς αυτων και τις ανεστηκεν επ' αυτων βασιλευς ηγουμενος στρατιας αυτων	3 'Men of Canaan,' he said, 'tel me: what people is this that occupies the hill-country? What towns does itinhabit? How large is its army? What are the sources of its power and strength? Who is the king who rules it andcommands its army?
4 και δια τι κατενωτισαντο του μη ελθειν εις απαντησιν μοι παρα παντας τους κατοικουντας εν δυσμαις	4 Why have they disdained to wait on me, as all the western peoples have?'
5 και ειπεν προς αυτον αχιωρ ο ηγουμενος παντων υιων αμμων ακουσατω δη λογον ο κυριος μου εκ στοματος του δουλου σου και αναγγελω σοι την αληθειαν περι του λαου τουτου ος κατοικει την ορεινην ταυτην πλησιον σου οικουντος και ουκ εξελευσεται ψευδος εκ του στοματος του δουλου σου	5 Achior, leader of al the Ammonites, replied, 'May my lord be pleased to listen to what your servant isgoing to say. I shall give you the facts about these mountain folk whose home lies close to you. You wil hear nolie from the mouth of your servant.
6 ο λαος ουτος εισιν απογονοι χαλδαιων	6 These people are descended from the Chaldaeans.
7 και παρωκησαν το προτερον εν τη μεσοποταμια οτι ουκ εβουληθησαν ακολουθησαι τοις θεοις των πατερων αυτων οι εγενοντο εν γη χαλδαιων	7 They once came to live in Mesopotamia, because they did not want to fol ow the gods of their ancestorswho lived in Chaldaea.
8 και εξεβησαν εξ οδου των γονεων αυτων και προσεκυνησαν τω θεω του ουρανου θεω ω επεγνωσαν και εξεβαλον αυτους απο προσωπου των θεων αυτων και εφυγον εις μεσοποταμιαν και παρωκησαν εκει ημερας πολλας	8 They abandoned the way of their ancestors to worship the God of heaven, the God they learnt toacknowledge. Banished from the presence of their own gods, they fled to Mesopotamia where they lived for along time.
9 και ειπεν ο θεος αυτων εξελθειν εκ της παροικιας αυτων και πορευθηναι εις γην χανααν και κατωκησαν εκει και επληθυνθησαν χρυσιω και αργυριω και εν κτηνεσιν πολλοις σφοδρα	9 When God told them to leave their home and set out for Canaan, they settled there and accumulatedgold and silver and great herds of cattle.
10 και κατεβησαν εις αιγυπτον εκαλυψεν γαρ το προσωπον της γης χανααν λιμος και παρωκησαν εκει μεχρις ου διετραφησαν και εγενοντο εκει εις πληθος πολυ και ουκ ην αριθμος του γενους αυτων	10 Next, famine having overwhelmed the land of Canaan, they went down to Egypt where they stayed tilthey were well nourished. There they became a great multitude, a race beyond counting.
11 και επανεστη αυτοις ο βασιλευς αιγυπτου και κατεσοφισατο αυτους εν πονω και πλινθω εταπεινωσαν αυτους και εθεντο αυτους εις δουλους	11 But the king of Egypt turned against them and exploited them by forcing them to make bricks; hedegraded them, reducing them to slavery.
12 και ανεβοησαν προς τον θεον αυτων και επαταξεν πασαν την γην αιγυπτου πληγαις εν αις ουκ ην ιασις και εξεβαλον αυτους οι αιγυπτιοι απο προσωπου αυτων	12 They cried to their God, who struck the entire land of Egypt with incurable plagues, and the Egyptiansexpel ed them.
13 και κατεξηρανεν ο θεος την ερυθραν θαλασσαν εμπροσθεν αυτων	13 God dried up the Red Sea before them
14 και ηγαγεν αυτους εις οδον του σινα και καδης βαρνη και εξεβαλον παντας τους κατοικουντας εν τη ερημω	14 and led them forward by way of Sinai and Kadesh-Barnea. Having driven off all the inhabitants of thedesert,
15 και ωκησαν εν γη αμορραιων και παντας τους εσεβωνιτας εξωλεθρευσαν εν τη ισχυι αυτων και διαβαντες τον ιορδανην εκληρονομησαν πασαν την ορεινην	15 they settled in the land of the Amorites and in their strength exterminated the entire population ofHeshbon. Then, having crossed the Jordan, they took possession of al the hil -country,
16 και εξεβαλον εκ προσωπου αυτων τον χαναναιον και τον φερεζαιον και τον ιεβουσαιον και τον συχεμ και παντας τους γεργεσαιους και κατωκησαν εν αυτη ημερας πολλας	16 driving out the Canaanites before them and the Perizzites, Jebusites, Shechemites and all theGirgashites, and lived there for many years.
17 και εως ουχ ημαρτον ενωπιον του θεου αυτων ην μετ' αυτων τα αγαθα οτι θεος μισων αδικιαν μετ' αυτων εστιν	17 Al the while they did not sin before their God, prosperity was theirs, for they have a God who hateswickedness.
18 οτε δε απεστησαν απο της οδου ης διεθετο αυτοις εξωλεθρευθησαν εν πολλοις πολεμοις επι πολυ σφοδρα και ηχμαλωτευθησαν εις γην ουκ ιδιαν και ο ναος του θεου αυτων εγενηθη εις εδαφος και αι πολεις αυτων εκρατηθησαν υπο των υπεναντιων	18 But when they turned from the path he had marked out for them some were exterminated in a series ofbattles, others were taken captive to a foreign land. The Temple of their God was rased to the ground and theirtowns were seized by their enemies.
19 και νυν επιστρεψαντες επι τον θεον αυτων ανεβησαν εκ της διασπορας ου διεσπαρησαν εκει και κατεσχον την ιερουσαλημ ου το αγιασμα αυτων και κατωκισθησαν εν τη ορεινη οτι ην ερημος	19 Then having turned once again to their God, they came back from the places to which they had beendispersed and scattered, regained possession of Jerusalem, where they have their Temple, and reoccupied thehil -country which had been left deserted.
20 και νυν δεσποτα κυριε ει μεν εστιν αγνοημα εν τω λαω τουτω και αμαρτανουσιν εις τον θεον αυτων και επισκεψομεθα οτι εστιν εν αυτοις σκανδαλον τουτο και αναβησομεθα και εκπολεμησομεν αυτους	20 So, now, master and lord, if this people has committed any fault, if they have sinned against their God,let us first be sure that they real y have this reason to fail, then advance and attack them.
21 ει δ' ουκ εστιν ανομια εν τω εθνει αυτων παρελθετω δη ο κυριος μου μηποτε υπερασπιση ο κυριος αυτων και ο θεος αυτων υπερ αυτων και εσομεθα εις ονειδισμον εναντιον πασης της γης	21 But if their nation is guiltless, my lord would do better to abstain, for fear that their Lord and God shouldprotect them. We should then become the laughing-stock of the whole world.'
22 και εγενετο ως επαυσατο αχιωρ λαλων τους λογους τουτους και εγογγυσεν πας ο λαος ο κυκλων την σκηνην και περιεστως και ειπαν οι μεγιστανες ολοφερνου και παντες οι κατοικουντες την παραλιαν και την μωαβ συγκοψαι αυτον	22 When Achior had ended this speech, all the people crowding round the tent began protesting.Holofernes' own senior officers, as wel as al the coastal peoples and the Moabites, threatened to tear him limbfrom limb.
23 ου γαρ φοβηθησομεθα απο υιων ισραηλ ιδου γαρ λαος εν ω ουκ εστιν δυναμις ουδε κρατος εις παραταξιν ισχυραν	23 'Why should we be afraid of the Israelites? They are a weak and powerless people, quite unable tostand a stiff attack.
24 διο δη αναβησομεθα και εσονται εις καταβρωσιν πασης της στρατιας σου δεσποτα ολοφερνη	24 Forward! Advance! Your army, Holofernes our master, wil swal ow them in one mouthful!'