Iudith 11

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Tunc Holofernes dixit ei : Æquo animo esto, et noli pavere in corde tuo : quoniam ego numquam nocui viro qui voluit servire Nabuchodonosor regi :	1 'Courage, woman,' Holofernes said, 'do not be afraid. I have never hurt anyone who chose to serveNebuchadnezzar, king of the whole world.
2 populus autem tuus, si non contempsisset me, non levassem lanceam meam super eum.	2 Even now, if your nation of mountain dwellers had not insulted me, I would not have raised a spearagainst them. This was their fault, not mine.
3 Nunc autem dic mihi, qua ex causa recessisti ab illis, et placuit tibi ut venires ad nos ?	3 But tell me, why have you fled from them and come to us? . . . Anyhow, this wil prove the saving of you. Courage! You wil live through this night, and many after.
4 Et dixit illi Judith : Sume verba ancillæ tuæ, quoniam si secutus fueris verba ancillæ tuæ, perfectam rem faciet Dominus tecum.	4 No one wil hurt you. On the contrary, you wil be treated as wel as any who serve my lord KingNebuchadnezzar.'
5 Vivit enim Nabuchodonosor rex terræ, et vivit virtus ejus, quæ est in te ad correptionem omnium animarum errantium : quoniam non solum homines serviunt illi per te, sed et bestiæ agri obtemperant illi.	5 Judith said, 'Please listen favourably to what your slave has to say. Permit your servant to speak inyour presence, I shal speak no word of a lie to my lord tonight.
6 Nuntiatur enim animi tui industria universis gentibus, et indicatum est omni sæculo quoniam tu solus bonus et potens es in omni regno ejus : et disciplina tua omnibus provinciis prædicatur.	6 You have only to fol ow your servant's advice and God will bring your work to a successful conclusion;in what my lord undertakes he wil not fail.
7 Nec hoc latet, quod locutus est Achior, nec illud ignoratur, quod ei jusseris evenire.	7 Long life to Nebuchadnezzar, king of the whole world, who has sent you to set every living soul torights; may his power endure! Since, thanks to you, he is served not only by human beings, but because of yourmight the wild animals themselves, the cattle, and the birds of the air are to live in the service ofNebuchadnezzar and his whole House.
8 Constat enim Deum nostrum sic peccatis offensum, ut mandaverit per prophetas suos ad populum quod tradat eum pro peccatis suis.	8 'We have indeed heard of your genius and adroitness of mind. It is known everywhere in the world thatthroughout the empire you have no rival for ability, wealth of experience and brilliance in waging war.
9 Et quoniam sciunt se offendisse Deum suum filii Israël, tremor tuus super ipsos est.	9 We have also heard what Achior said in his speech to your council. The men of Bethulia having sparedhim, he has told them everything that he said to you.
10 Insuper etiam fames invasit eos, et ab ariditate aquæ jam inter mortuos computantur.	10 Now, master and lord, do not disregard what he said; keep it in your mind, since it is true; our nationwil not be punished, the sword wil indeed have no power over them, unless they sin against their God.
11 Denique hoc ordinant, ut interficient pecora sua, et bibant sanguinem eorum :	11 But as it is, my lord need expect no repulse or setback, since death is about to fal on their heads, forsin has gained a hold over them, provoking the anger of their God each time that they commit it.
12 et sancta Domini Dei sui, quæ præcepit Deus non contingi, in frumento, vino, et oleo, hæc cogitaverunt impendere, et volunt consumere quæ nec manibus deberent contingere : ergo quoniam hæc faciunt, certum est quod in perditionem dabuntur.	12 As they are short of food and their water is giving out, they have resolved to fall back on their cattleand decided to make use of al the things that God has, by his laws, forbidden them to eat.
13 Quod ego ancilla tua cognoscens, fugi ab illis, et misit me Dominus hæc ipsa nuntiare tibi.	13 Not only have they made up their minds to eat the first-fruits of corn and the tithes of wine and oil,though these have been consecrated by them and set apart for the priests who serve in Jerusalem in thepresence of our God, and may not lawfully even be handled by ordinary people,
14 Ego enim ancilla tua Deum colo, etiam nunc apud te : et exiet ancilla tua, et orabo Deum,	14 but they have sent men to Jerusalem -- where the inhabitants are doing much the same -- to bringthem back authorisation from the Council of Elders.
15 et dicet mihi quando eis reddat peccatum suum, et veniens nuntiabo tibi, ita ut ego adducam te per mediam Jerusalem, et habebis omnem populum Israël, sicut oves quibus non est pastor, et non latrabit vel unus canis contra te :	15 Now this wil be the outcome: when the permission arrives and they act on it, that very day they wil bedelivered over to you for destruction.
16 quoniam hæc mihi dicta sunt per providentiam Dei,	16 'When I, your servant, came to know al this, I fled from them. God has sent me to do things with youat which the world wil be astonished when it hears.
17 et quoniam iratus est illis Deus, hæc ipsa missa sum nuntiare tibi.	17 Your servant is a devout woman; she honours the God of heaven day and night. I therefore propose,my lord, to stay with you. I, your servant, shal go out every night into the val ey and pray to God to let me knowwhen they have committed their sin.
18 Placuerunt autem omnia verba hæc coram Holoferne, et coram pueris ejus, et mirabantur sapientiam ejus, et dicebant alter ad alterum :	18 I shal then come and tel you, so that you can march out with your whole army; and none of them wilbe able to resist you.
19 Non est talis mulier super terram in aspectu, in pulchritudine, et in sensu verborum.	19 I shal be your guide right across Judaea until you reach Jerusalem; there I shall enthrone you in thevery middle of the city. And then you can round them up like shepherd-less sheep, with never a dog daring tobark at you. Foreknowledge tel s me this; this has been foretold to me and I have been sent to reveal it to you.'
20 Et dixit ad illam Holofernes : Benefecit Deus, qui misit te ante populum, ut des illum tu in manibus nostris :	20 Her words pleased Holofernes, and all his adjutants. Ful of admiration at her wisdom they exclaimed,
21 et quoniam bona est promissio tua, si fecerit mihi hoc Deus tuus, erit et Deus meus, et tu in domo Nabuchodonosor magna eris, et nomen tuum nominabitur in universa terra.	21 'There is no woman like her from one end of the earth to the other, so lovely of face and so wise ofspeech!'
	22 Holofernes said, 'God has done wel to send you ahead of the others. Strength will be ours, and ruintheirs who have insulted my lord.
	23 As for you, you are as beautiful as you are eloquent; if you do as you have promised, your God shallbe my God, and you yourself shal make your home in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar and be famousthroughout the world.'