Giuditta 10

BIBBIA MARTINI	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Or finito che ebbe d'alzar le sue voci al Signore, si levò dal luogo, dove si stava prostesa dinanzi al Signore:	1 As soon as Judith had thus concluded, and ceased her invocation to the God of Israel,
2 E chiamò la sua serva, e scese in sua casa, e si levò il cilicio, e si spogliò delle vesti sue 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 E lavò il suo corpo, e si unse di unguento prezioso, e scompartì i capelli de suo capo e si pose in testa la mitra; e si vestì delle sue vesti di comparsa, e si mise a piedi i sandali, e prese i braccialetti co' gigli, e gli orecchini, e gli anelli, e non lasciò indietro veruno de 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 E il Signore eziandio le accrebbe splendore; perchè tutto questo abbigliamento non proveniva da brutta passione, ma da fin virtuoso: e perciò il Signore diede nuovo risalto alla sua bellezza, affinchè negli occhi di tutti ornata apparisse di grazia incomparabile,	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 Or ella fece portare dalla sua serva un vaso di vino, e uno di olio, e della farina, e de fichi secchi, e dei pani, e del cacio, e si partì.	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 E quando giunsero alla porta della città, trovarono Ozìa, e i seniori 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 I quali in veggendola rimasero stupefatti di 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 interrogarla per niente, la lasciaron passare, dicendo: il Dio de padri nostri ti dia la sua grazia, e confermi colla sua virtù le intenzioni del cuor tuo, onde di te abbia a gloriarsi Gerusalemme, e abbia luogo il tuo nome trai Santi, e 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 E tutti quelli, che erano in quel luogo, dissero ad 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 fuor 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 E verso lo spuntare del giorno mentre ella calava dal monte, si imbatterono in lei gli esploratori. Assiri, e la fermaron dicendo: Donde vieni, dove vai?	11 As Judith and her maid walked directly across the valley, they encountered the Assyrian outpost.
12 Ed ella rispose: Io son figliuola di Ebrei, e son fuggita da loro, perchè io so, ch'e' saranno vostra preda, perchè non facendo conto di voi, non hanno voluto arrendersi spontaneamente per essere trattati con misericordia da 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 Io pertanto ho pensato, e ho detto dentro di me: Io mi presenterò al principe Oloferme, e manifesterò a lui i loro segreti, egl'insegnerò per qual via possa sorprenderli, senza che un sol uomo perisca 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 Or quegli avendo udite le sue parole contemplavano la sua faccia, e negli occhi lor leggevasi lo stupore perocchè erano incantati di sua bellezza.	14 When the men heard her words and gazed upon her face, which appeared wondrously beautiful to them, they said to her,
15 E le dissero: Hai salvata la tua vita in trovando questo ripiego di venire al signor nostro.	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 Or sappi, che quando gli comparirai davanti, egli ti farà del bene,e acquisterai la sua grazia. E la condussero al padiglione di Oloferne, facendogli annunziare l'arrivo di essa.	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 Or appena ella comparve dinanzi a lui fu preso Oloferne alla prima occhiata.	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 E i suoi uffiziali gli dissero: Chi disprezzerà il popolo Ebreo,il quale ha donne di tanta avvenenza? E non farem noi ad essi a ragione la guerra per acquistarle?	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 per tanto veduto che ebbe Oloferne, che sedeva sotto un conopeo fatto di porpora, e ornato di 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 aver gettato uno sguardo sopra di lui 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.