Giuditta 4

NOVA VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then, upon hearing these things, the sons of Israel, who dwelt in the land of Judah, were very afraid before his face.
2 Ettimuerunt multum valde a facie eius et pro Ierusalem et pro templo Domini Deisui turbati sunt,	2 Trembling and horror invaded their senses, lest he should do the same thing to Jerusalem and to the temple of the Lord that he had done to other cities and their temples.
3 quoniam nuper ascenderant de captivitate, et nuper omnispopulus Iudaeae collectus erat, et vasa et altare et domus ex commaculationesanctificata erant.	3 And they sent into all of Samaria, and by an indirect route even to Jericho, and they seized in advance all the tops of the mountains.
4 Et miserunt in omnem finem Samariae et in vicos etBethoron et Abelmain et Iericho et Choba et Aisora et convallem Salem.	4 And they surrounded their villages with walls, and they gathered together grain in preparation for the fight.
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 And then Eliachim the priest wrote to all who were opposite Esdrelon, which is opposite the face of the great plain near Dothain, and to all whom he would be able to reach through a passable way:
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 that they should hold the ascents of the mountains, through which there might be any passage able to reach Jerusalem, and that they should keep watch where the passage was narrow, wherever possible, between the mountains.
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 the sons of Israel did just as Eliachim, the priest of the Lord, had appointed them.
8 Et fecerunt filii Israel, sicut constituerat illisIoachim sacerdos magnus et seniores totius plebis Israel, qui sedebant inIerusalem.	8 And all the people cried out to the Lord with great urgency, and they humbled their souls with fastings, and prayers, both they and their wives.
9 Et exclamavit omnis vir Israel ad Deum in instantia magna, ethumiliaverunt animas suas in ieiunio magno;	9 And the priests clothed themselves with haircloths, and they prostrated the little children opposite the face of the temple of the Lord, and they covered the altar of the Lord with haircloth.
10 ipsi et mulieres eorum etinfantes eorum et iumenta eorum et omnis advena et mercennarius et argentoemptus eorum posuerunt cilicia super lumbos suos.	10 And they cried out to the Lord God of Israel with one accord, lest their children should be given over as prey, and their wives into distribution, and their cities into extermination, and their holy things into defilement, and so that they might not become the disgrace of the Gentiles.
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 Then Eliachim, the high priest of the Lord, traveled all around Israel, and he was talking to them,
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 saying: “Know that the Lord will heed your prayers, if you continue to persevere in fastings and prayers in the sight of the Lord.
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 Recall that Moses, the servant of the Lord, overcame Amalek, who trusted in his own strength, and in his power, and in his army, and in his bronze shields, and in his swift chariots, and in his horsemen. He overcame him, not by fighting with iron, but by pleading with holy prayers.
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 So will it be with all the enemies of Israel, if you persevere in this work that you have begun.”
15 Et erat cinis super cidareseorum, et clamabant ad Dominum ex omni virtute, ut in bonum visitaret omnemdomum Israel.	15 Therefore, by this exhortation and his prayer to the Lord, they continued in the sight of the Lord,
	16 so that even those who offered holocausts to the Lord, offered the sacrifices to the Lord girded with haircloths, and there were ashes upon their heads.
	17 And they all begged God with their whole heart, that he would visit his people Israel.