Giuditta 5

NOVA VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Et renuntiatum est Holoferni principi militiae virtutis Assyriae quoniamfilii Israel praeparaverant se ad pugnam et transitus montanae concluserant etmuris cinxerant omnem verticem montis excelsi et posuerant in campisoffendicula.	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 Et iratus est iracundia valde et convocavit omnes principes Moabet duces Ammon et omnes magistratus maritimae	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 et dixit eis: “ Renuntiatemihi, filii Chanaan: Quis est iste populus, qui sedet in montanis? Quae suntautem, quas inhabitant, civitates, et quae est multitudo virtutis eorum? Et inquo est potestas et fortitudo eorum, et quis praeest super eos rex, dux militiaeeorum?	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 Et quare terga verterunt, ne venirent in obviam mihi prae omnibus, quiinhabitant ad occasum? ”.	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 Et dixit ad eum Achior dux filiorum Ammon: “Audiat dominus meus verbum ex ore servi tui, et referam tibi veritatem de populoisto, qui inhabitat montana ista iuxta te, et non exibit mendacium ex ore servitui.	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 Populus hic est ex progenie Chaldaeorum	6 This people is from the progeny of the Chaldeans.
7 et inhabitaverunt primum inMesopotamia, quoniam noluerunt sequi deos patrum suorum, qui fuerunt in terraChaldaeorum praeclari.	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 Et declinaverunt de via parentum suorum et adoraveruntDeum caeli, Deum, quem cognoverunt; et eiecerunt eos a facie deorum suorum, etfugerunt in Mesopotamiam et inhabitaverunt ibi dies multos.	8 And so, forsaking the ceremonies of their fathers, which were with a multitude of gods,
9 Et dixit Deuseorum, ut exirent de peregrinatione ipsorum et irent in terram Chanaan. Etinhabitaverunt ibi et repleti sunt auro et argento et pecoribus multis valde.	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 Et descenderunt in Aegyptum — cooperuerat enim fames faciem terrae Chanaan —et commorati sunt ibi, usquedum enutriti sunt et facti sunt ibi in multitudinemmagnam, nec erat numerus generis eorum.	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 Et insurrexerunt super eos Aegyptiiet circumvenerunt eos in luto et latere, humiliaverunt eos et posuerunt eos inservos.	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 Et clamaverunt ad Deum suum, et percussit totam terram Aegyptiplagis, in quibus non erat medicina, et eiecerunt eos Aegyptii a facie sua.	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 Et exsiccavit Deus Rubrum mare ante eos	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 eduxit eos in viam Sinai etCadesbarne. Et eiecerunt omnes inhabitantes in eremo	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 et habitaverunt in terraAmorraeorum et omnes Hesebonitas exstirpaverunt in virtute sua. Et transeuntesIordanem possederunt totam montanam	15 In that place, bitter fountains became sweet for them to drink, and, through forty years, they continued to receive provisions from heaven.
16 et eiecerunt a facie sua Chananaeum etPherezaeum et Iebusaeum et Sichem et omnes Gergesaeos et habitaverunt in eadiebus multis.	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 Et, usquedum non peccarent in conspectu Dei sui, erant cumipsis bona, quia Deus odiens iniquitatem cum ipsis est.	17 And there was no one who could attack this people, except when they withdrew from the worship of the Lord their God.
18 Sed, cum recesserunta via, quam disposuerat illis, exterminati sunt in bellis multis multum valde etcaptivi ducti sunt in terram non suam, et templum Dei eorum devenit ad solum, etcivitates eorum comprehensae sunt ab adversariis.	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 Et nunc revertentes ad Deumsuum ascenderunt a dispersione, qua dispersi fuerant, et possederunt Ierusalem,ubi sanctuarium eorum est, et inhabitaverunt in montana, quia erat deserta.	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 Et nunc, dominator domine, siquidem est ignorantia in populo isto, et peccant inDeum suum, inspiciemus quoniam est in illis offendiculum hoc et ascendemus etexpugnabimus eos;	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 si autem non est iniquitas in ipsa gente, transeat dominusmeus, ne forte protegat eos Dominus eorum et Deus eorum, et erimus inimproperium coram omni terra ”.	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 Et factum est, ut desiit loqui Achior verbahaec, murmuravit omnis populus, qui erat in circuitu tabernaculi. Et dixeruntmagnates Holoferni et omnes, qui habitabant maritimam et Moab, ut configerenteum:	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 “ Non enim timebimus a filiis Israel; ecce enim populus, in quo nonest virtus neque potestas in pugnam validam.	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 Propter hoc ascendemus, et eruntin escam militiae tuae, dominator Holofernes ”.	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.”