Livre de Judith 5

BIBLES DES PEUPLES	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 On annonça à Holoferne, le général en chef de l’armée d’Assyrie, que les Israélites s’étaient préparés pour la guerre: ils avaient fermé les défilés de la montagne, fortifié les sommets des hautes montagnes et placé des obstacles dans les plaines.	1 And it was reported to Holofernes, the leader of the military of the Assyrians, that the sons of Israel were preparing themselves to resist, and also that they had closed the mountain passes.
2 Il entra alors dans une très grande colère. Il rassembla tous les princes de Moab, tous les généraux d’Ammon, tous les gouverneurs de la côte:	2 And he was enraged with extreme fury and great indignation, and he called together all the leaders of Moab and the leaders of Ammon.
3 “Hommes de Canaan, leur dit-il, renseignez-moi! Quel est ce peuple qui habite dans la montagne? Quelles sont les villes qu’il habite? Quelle est l’importance de leur armée et quels sont leurs points forts? Quel est le roi qui les gouverne et commande cette armée?	3 And he said to them: “Tell me who this people may be, who obstruct the mountains. And which are their cities, and of what kind, and how many? And then, what may be their power, and what may be their number, and who is king over their military?
4 Pourquoi a-t-il refusé de venir au-devant de moi comme l’ont fait tous les habitants de la côte?”	4 And why have these, more than all who dwell in the east, shown contempt for us, and have not gone out to meet us, so that they might receive us with peace?”
5 Akior, le chef des Ammonites, lui répondit: “Que mon seigneur daigne écouter les paroles que son serviteur va prononcer, je vais te dire la vérité sur ce peuple de la montagne qui habite tout près d’ici; aucun mensonge ne sortira de la bouche de ton serviteur.	5 Then Achior, commander of all the sons of Ammon, responding, said: “If you would deign to listen, my lord, I will tell the truth in your sight about this people, who dwell in the mountains, and not a false word will go forth from my mouth.
6 Ces gens descendent des Kaldéens.	6 This people is from the progeny of the Chaldeans.
7 Ils ont habité d’abord en Mésopotamie, car ils ne voulaient pas suivre les dieux de leurs pères qui habitaient en Kaldée.	7 These dwelt at first in Mesopotamia, because they were not willing to follow the gods of their fathers, who were in the land of the Chaldeans.
8 Ils se sont séparés de la voie de leurs ancêtres, et ils ont adoré le Dieu du Ciel, le Dieu qu’ils avaient reconnu. On les chassa donc d’auprès de leurs dieux et ils se sont réfugiés en Mésopotamie où ils ont séjourné longtemps.	8 And so, forsaking the ceremonies of their fathers, which were with a multitude of gods,
9 Puis leur Dieu leur a ordonné de sortir du pays où ils séjournaient et de s’en aller au pays de Canaan. Là, ils se sont installés et ils ont amassé de l’or, de l’argent et de nombreux troupeaux.	9 they worshipped one God of heaven, who also instructed them to go forth from that place and to dwell in Canaan. And when a famine covered the whole land, they went down into Egypt, and there, through four hundred years, they were so multiplied, that the army of them could not be numbered.
10 Comme la famine avait ravagé le pays de Canaan, ils sont descendus en Égypte pensant y rester le temps qu’ils devraient s’y nourrir. Mais là, ils sont devenus si nombreux	10 And when the king of Egypt oppressed them, and also subjugated them to labor with clay and brick in the building of his cities, they cried out to their Lord, and he struck the entire land of Egypt with various plagues.
11 que le roi d’Égypte s’en est pris à eux et les a obligés à fabriquer des briques; on les humiliait et on les traitait comme des esclaves.	11 And when the Egyptians had cast them away from them, and the plague had ceased from them, and they were willing to seize them again and recall them to their servitude:
12 Ils ont alors crié vers leur Dieu et il a frappé tout le pays d’Égypte de fléaux incurables; les Égyptiens les ont donc chassé loin d’eux.	12 the God of heaven opened the sea to these as they fled, so that the waters were made to stand firm like a wall on either side, and these walked across the bottom of the sea and passed through with dry feet.
13 C’est alors que Dieu a desséché la mer Rouge devant eux	13 In that place, when an innumerable army of the Egyptians pursued after them, they were so overwhelmed with the waters, that not even one remained to report to posterity what had happened.
14 et les a conduits par la route du Sinaï vers Qadesh-Barné. Ils ont chassé devant eux tous ceux qui habitaient dans le désert,	14 In truth, going forth from the Red Sea, they occupied the deserts of mount Sinai, in which man could never dwell, nor a son of man take rest.
15 puis ils se sont installés dans le pays des Amorites et ils ont été capables d’exterminer tous les habitants de Heshbon. Ensuite ils ont traversé le Jourdain et ont pris possession de toute la montagne.	15 In that place, bitter fountains became sweet for them to drink, and, through forty years, they continued to receive provisions from heaven.
16 Ils ont chassé devant eux les Cananéens, les Périsites, les Jébusites, les Sikémites et tous les Guirgachites, et ils se sont installés là pour longtemps.	16 And, although they had entered without bow and arrow, and without shield and sword, their God fought on their behalf and was victorious.
17 Tant qu’ils ne péchaient pas devant leur Dieu, tout allait bien pour eux, car leur Dieu déteste l’injustice.	17 And there was no one who could attack this people, except when they withdrew from the worship of the Lord their God.
18 Mais quand ils se sont écartés de la voie qu’il leur avait tracée, une moitié d’entre eux a été complètement détruite par des guerres, et l’autre a été emmenée en captivité sur une terre étrangère. Le Temple de leur Dieu a été rasé et leurs villes sont tombées entre les mains de leurs ennemis.	18 But as often as they worshipped any other, except their own God, they were delivered to plunder, and to the sword, and into reproach.
19 Alors, de nouveau, ils se sont tournés vers leur Dieu et ils sont revenus de la déportation. Ils sont rentrés des lieux où ils avaient été dispersés, de nouveau ils se sont installés à Jérusalem où se trouve leur Temple et ils ont repeuplé la montagne qui était restée déserte.	19 But as often as they were repentant for having withdrawn from the worship of their God, the God of heaven gave them the power to resist.
20 Dans ces conditions, maître et seigneur, si ce peuple est en faute, s’ils ont péché contre leur Dieu - il faudra nous assurer qu’il y a bien chez eux cette cause de chute, - alors montons et attaquons-les.	20 And, indeed, they overthrew the king of the Canaanites, and of the Jebusites, and of the Perizzites, and of the Hethites, and of the Hevites, and of the Amorrhites, and all the powerful ones in Hesebon, and these same possessed their lands and their cities.
21 Mais si cette nation n’est pas en faute, que mon seigneur renonce, car leur Seigneur et Dieu les protégera, et toute la terre verra notre échec ridicule.”	21 And, as long as they did not sin in the sight of their God, it was well with them. For their God hates iniquity.
22 Lorsque Akior eut fini de parler, tout le groupe qui était là rassemblé autour de la tente se mit à murmurer: les conseillers d’Holoferne, tous les habitants de la côte, ceux de Moab, voulaient même le frapper.	22 And even some years ago, when they had withdrawn from the way that their God had given them to walk, they were destroyed in battles by many nations and very many of them were led away captive into a land not their own.
23 Ils disaient: “Nous n’avons rien à craindre des Israélites! Regardez, c’est un peuple sans force, incapable de résister à une attaque sérieuse,	23 But, more recently, returning to the Lord their God, from the dispersion in which they had been scattered, they have united and have ascended into all these mountains, and they again possess Jerusalem, where their holy things are.
24 attaquons-les! Notre armée n’en fera qu’une bouchée, seigneur Holoferne!”	24 Therefore, now my lord, inquire if there may be any iniquity of theirs in the sight of their God. If so, let us ascend to them, because their God will surely deliver them to you, and they will be subjugated under the yoke of your power.
	25 But if, in truth, there may be no offense of this people before their God, we will not be able to resist them, because their God will defend them, and we will become a disgrace to the whole earth.”
	26 And it happened, when Achior had ceased to speak these words, all the great men of Holofernes were angry, and they intended to execute him, saying to each other:
	27 “Who is this, that says the sons of Israel are able to resist king Nebuchadnezzar and his armies: unarmed men, and without strength, and without skill in the art of fighting?
	28 Therefore, so that Achior may know that he has failed us, let us ascend to the mountains. And, when the most powerful among them have been taken, then, with them, he will be impaled with the sword.
	29 So may every people know that Nebuchadnezzar is god of the earth, and there is no other, except him.”