Giuditta 4

NOVA VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Et audierunt filii Israel, qui habitabant in Iudaea, omnia, quaecumquefecerat gentibus Holofernes princeps militiae Nabuchodonosor regis Assyriorum,et quemadmodum spoliaverat omnia sancta eorum et dederat ea in exterminium.	1 When the Israelites who dwelt in Judea heard of all that Holofernes, commander-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had despoiled all their temples and destroyed them,
2 Ettimuerunt multum valde a facie eius et pro Ierusalem et pro templo Domini Deisui turbati sunt,	2 they were in extreme dread of him, and greatly alarmed for Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord, their God.
3 quoniam nuper ascenderant de captivitate, et nuper omnispopulus Iudaeae collectus erat, et vasa et altare et domus ex commaculationesanctificata erant.	3 Now, they had lately returned from exile, and only recently had all the people of Judea been gathered together, and the vessels, the altar, and the temple been purified from profanation.
4 Et miserunt in omnem finem Samariae et in vicos etBethoron et Abelmain et Iericho et Choba et Aisora et convallem Salem.	4 So they sent word to the whole region of Samaria, to Kona, Beth-horon, Belmain, and Jericho, to Choba and Aesora, and to the valley of Salem.
5 Etpraeoccupaverunt omnes vertices montium excelsorum et muris circumdederuntvicos, qui in eis sunt, et reposuerunt epimenia in praeparationem pugnae,quoniam nuper erant campi eorum demessi.	5 The people there posted guards on all the summits of the high mountains, fortified their villages, and since their fields had recently been harvested, stored up provisions in preparation for war.
6 Et scripsit Ioachim sacerdos magnus,qui erat in diebus illis in Ierusalem, inhabitantibus Betuliam et Betomesthaim,quae est supra descensum contra Esdrelon, contra faciem campi prope Dothain,	6 Joakim, who was high priest in Jerusalem in those days, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia (and Betomesthaim), which is on the way to Esdraelon, facing the plain near Dothan,
7 dicens ut obtinerent ascensus montanae, quoniam per eos erat introitus inIudaeam et erat facile prohibere ascendentes, eo quod angustus esset accessusviris plus quam duobus.	7 and instructed them to keep firm hold of the mountain passes, since these offered access to Judea. It would be easy to ward off the attacking forces, as the defile was only wide enough for two abreast.
8 Et fecerunt filii Israel, sicut constituerat illisIoachim sacerdos magnus et seniores totius plebis Israel, qui sedebant inIerusalem.	8 The Israelites carried out the orders given them by Joakim, the high priest, and the senate of the whole people of Israel, which met in Jerusalem.
9 Et exclamavit omnis vir Israel ad Deum in instantia magna, ethumiliaverunt animas suas in ieiunio magno;	9 All the men of Israel cried to God with great fervor and did penance--
10 ipsi et mulieres eorum etinfantes eorum et iumenta eorum et omnis advena et mercennarius et argentoemptus eorum posuerunt cilicia super lumbos suos.	10 they, along with their wives, and children, and domestic animals. All their resident aliens, hired laborers, and slaves also girded themselves with sackcloth.
11 Et omnis vir Israel etmulier et pueri, qui habitabant in Ierusalem, prociderunt ante faciem templi etcineraverunt capita sua et extenderunt cilicia sua contra faciem templi Domini.	11 And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord.
12 Et altare cilicio cooperuerunt et clamaverunt ad Deum Israel unanimesinstanter, ut non daret in rapinam infantes eorum et mulieres in praedam etcivitates hereditatis eorum in exterminium et sancta in maculationem et inimproperium, gaudium gentibus.	12 The altar, too, they draped in sackcloth; and with one accord they cried out fervently to the God of Israel not to allow their children to be seized, their wives to be taken captive, the cities of their inheritance to be ruined, or the sanctuary to be profaned and mocked for the nations to gloat over.
13 Et audivit Dominus vocem eorum et viditangustiam eorum; et erat populus ieiunans dies plures in tota Iudaea etIerusalem, et prociderunt contra faciem sanctorum Domini omnipotentis.	13 The Lord heard their cry and had regard for their distress. For the people observed a fast of many days' duration throughout Judea, and before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem.
14 EtIoachim sacerdos magnus et omnes adstantes ante conspectum Domini sacerdotes etdeservientes Domino praecincti ciliciis lumbos suos offerebant holocaustuminstantiae et vota et voluntaria munera populi.	14 The high priest Joakim, and all the priests in attendance on the Lord who served his altar, were also girded with sackcloth as they offered the daily holocaust, the votive offerings, and the freewill offerings of the people.
15 Et erat cinis super cidareseorum, et clamabant ad Dominum ex omni virtute, ut in bonum visitaret omnemdomum Israel.	15 With ashes upon their turbans, they cried to the Lord with all their strength to look with favor on the whole house of Israel.