Giuditta 4

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
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 living in Judaea heard how Holofernes, general-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar king ofthe Assyrians, had treated the various nations, plundering their temples and destroying them,
2 Ettimuerunt multum valde a facie eius et pro Ierusalem et pro templo Domini Deisui turbati sunt,	2 they were thoroughly alarmed at his approach and trembled for Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lordtheir God.
3 quoniam nuper ascenderant de captivitate, et nuper omnispopulus Iudaeae collectus erat, et vasa et altare et domus ex commaculationesanctificata erant.	3 They had returned from captivity only a short time before, and the resettlement of the people in Judaeaand the reconsecration of the sacred furnishings, of the altar, and of the Temple, which had been profaned, wereof recent date.
4 Et miserunt in omnem finem Samariae et in vicos etBethoron et Abelmain et Iericho et Choba et Aisora et convallem Salem.	4 They therefore alerted the whole of Samaria, Kona, Beth-Horon, Belmain, Jericho, Choba, Aesora andthe Salem val ey.
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 They occupied the summits of the highest mountains and fortified the vil ages on them; they laid insupplies for the coming war, as the fields had just been harvested.
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 the high priest, resident in Jerusalem at the time, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia and ofBetomesthaim, two towns facing Esdraelon, towards the plain of 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 He ordered them to occupy the mountain passes, the only means of access to Judaea, for there it wouldbe easy for them to halt an attacking force, the narrowness of the approach not al owing men to advance morethan 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 of Joakim the high priest and of the people's Council of Elders insession at 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 most fervently to God and humbled themselves before him.
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, their wives, their children, their cattle, al their resident aliens, hired or slave, wrapped sackclothround their loins.
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 Al the Israelites in Jerusalem, including women and children, lay prostrate in front of the Temple, andwith ashes on their heads stretched out their hands 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 They draped the altar itself in sackcloth and fervently joined together in begging the God of Israel not tolet their children be carried off, their wives distributed as booty, the towns of their heritage destroyed, the Templeprofaned and desecrated for the heathen 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 them and looked kindly on their distress. The people fasted for many days throughoutJudaea as wel as in Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.
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 Joakim the high priest and al who stood before the Lord, the Lord's priests and ministers, woresackcloth round their loins as they offered the perpetual burnt offering and the votive and voluntary offerings ofthe people.
15 Et erat cinis super cidareseorum, et clamabant ad Dominum ex omni virtute, ut in bonum visitaret omnemdomum Israel.	15 With ashes on their turbans they earnestly cal ed on the Lord to look kindly on the House of Israel.