Iudith 7

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Holofernes autem altera die præcepit exercitibus suis ut ascenderent contra Bethuliam.	1 The fol owing day Holofernes issued orders to his whole army and to the whole host of auxiliaries whohad joined him, to break camp and march on Bethulia, to occupy the mountain passes and so open thecampaign against the Israelites.
2 Erant autem pedites bellatorum centum viginti millia, et equites viginti duo millia, præter præparationes virorum illorum quos occupaverat captivitas, et abducti fuerant de provinciis et urbibus universæ juventutis.	2 The troops broke camp that same day. The actual fighting force numbered one hundred and twentythousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, not to mention the baggage train with the vast number of men onfoot concerned with that.
3 Omnes paraverunt se pariter ad pugnam contra filios Israël, et venerunt per crepidinem montis usque ad apicem, qui respicit super Dothain, a loco qui dicitur Belma usque ad Chelmon, qui est contra Esdrelon.	3 They penetrated the val ey in the neighbourhood of Bethulia, near the spring, and deployed on a widefront from Dothan to Balbaim and, in depth, from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.
4 Filii autem Israël, ut viderunt multitudinem illorum, prostraverunt se super terram, mittentes cinerem super capita sua, unanimes orantes ut Deus Israël misericordiam suam ostenderet super populum suum.	4 When the Israelites saw this horde, they were al appal ed and said to each other, 'Now they wil lick thewhole country clean. Not even the loftiest peaks, the gorges or the hil s wil be able to stand the weight of them.'
5 Et assumentes arma sua bellica, sederunt per loca quæ ad angusti itineris tramitem dirigunt inter montosa, et erant custodientes ea tota die et nocte.	5 Each man snatched up his arms; they lit beacons on their towers and spent the whole night on watch.
6 Porro Holofernes, dum circuit per gyrum, reperit quod fons qui influebat, aquæductum illorum a parte australi extra civitatem dirigeret : et incidi præcepit aquæductum illorum.	6 On the second day Holofernes deployed his entire cavalry in sight of the Israelites in Bethulia.
7 Erant tamen non longe a muris fontes, ex quibus furtim videbantur haurire aquam ad refocillandum potius quam ad potandum.	7 He reconnoitred the slopes leading up to the town, located the water-points, seized them and postedpickets over them and returned to the main body.
8 Sed filii Ammon et Moab accesserunt ad Holofernem, dicentes : Filii Israël non in lancea nec in sagitta confidunt, sed montes defendunt illos, et muniunt illos colles in præcipitio constituti.	8 The chieftains of the sons of Esau, al the leaders of the Moabites and the generals of the coastal districtthen came to him and said,
9 Ut ergo sine congressione pugnæ possis superare eos, pone custodes fontium, ut non hauriant aquam ex eis, et sine gladio interficies eos, vel certe fatigati tradent civitatem suam, quam putant in montibus positam superari non posse.	9 'If our master wil be pleased to listen to us, his forces wil not sustain a single wound.
10 Et placuerunt verba hæc coram Holoferne et coram satellitibus ejus, et constituit per gyrum centenarios per singulos fontes.	10 These Israelites do not rely so much on their spears as on the height of the mountains where they live.And admittedly it is not at all easy to scale these heights of theirs.
11 Cumque ista custodia per dies viginti fuisset expleta, defecerunt cisternæ et collectiones aquarum omnibus habitantibus Bethuliam, ita ut non esset intra civitatem unde satiarentur vel una die, quoniam ad mensuram dabatur populis aqua quotidie.	11 'This being the case, master, avoid engaging them in a pitched battle and then you wil not lose a singleman.
12 Tunc ad Oziam congregati omnes viri feminæque, juvenes et parvuli, omnes simul una voce	12 Stay in camp, keep al your troops there too, while your servants seize the spring which rises at the footof the mountain,
13 dixerunt : Judicet Deus inter nos et te, quoniam fecisti in nos mala, nolens loqui pacifice cum Assyriis, et propter hoc vendidit nos Deus in manibus eorum.	13 since that is what provides the population of Bethulia with their water supply. Thirst wil then force themto surrender their town. Meanwhile, we and our men wil climb the nearest mountain tops and form advanceposts there to prevent anyone from leaving the town.
14 Et ideo non est qui adjuvet, cum prosternamur ante oculos eorum in siti, et perditione magna.	14 Hunger wil waste them, with their wives and children, and before the sword can reach them they wilalready be lying in the streets outside their houses.
15 Et nunc congregate universos qui in civitate sunt, ut sponte tradamus nos omnes populo Holofernis.	15 And you will make them pay dearly for their defiance and their refusal to meet you peaceably.'
16 Melius est enim ut captivi benedicamus Dominum viventes, quam moriamur, et simus opprobrium omni carni, cum viderimus uxores nostras et infantes nostros mori ante oculos nostros.	16 Their words pleased Holofernes as wel as al his officers, and he decided to do as they suggested.
17 Contestamur hodie cælum et terram, et Deum patrum nostrorum, qui ulciscitur nos secundum peccata nostra, ut jam tradatis civitatem in manu militiæ Holofernis, et sit finis noster brevis in ore gladii, qui longior efficitur in ariditate sitis.	17 Accordingly, a troop of Moabites moved forward with a further five thousand Assyrians. Theypenetrated the val ey and seized the Israelites' waterpoints and springs.
18 Et cum hæc dixissent, factus est fletus et ululatus magnus in ecclesia ab omnibus, et per multas horas una voce clamaverunt ad Deum, dicentes :	18 Meanwhile the Edomites and Ammonites went and took up positions in the highlands opposite Dothan,sending some of their men to the south-east opposite Egrebel near Chous on the Wadi Mochmur. The rest of theAssyrian army took up positions in the plain, covering every inch of the ground; their tents and equipment madean immense encampment, so vast were their numbers.
19 Peccavimus cum patribus nostris : injuste egimus, iniquitatem fecimus.	19 The Israelites cal ed on the Lord their God, dispirited because the enemy had surrounded them and cutal line of retreat.
20 Tu, quia pius es, miserere nostri, aut in tuo flagello vindica iniquitates nostras, et noli tradere confitentes te populo qui ignorat te,	20 For thirty-four days the Assyrian army, infantry, chariots, cavalrymen, had them surrounded. Everywater-jar the inhabitants of Bethulia had was empty,
21 ut non dicant inter gentes : Ubi est Deus eorum ?	21 their storage-wel s were drying up; on no day could a man drink his fil , since their water was rationed.
22 Et cum fatigati ex his clamoribus et his fletibus lassati siluissent,	22 Their little children pined away, the women and young men grew weak with thirst; they col apsed in the streets and gateways of the town; they had no strength left.
23 exsurgens Ozias infusus lacrimis, dixit : Æquo animo estote, fratres, et hos quinque dies expectemus a Domino misericordiam.	23 Young men, women, children, the whole people thronged clamouring round Uzziah and the chief menof the town, shouting in the presence of the assembled elders,
24 Forsitan enim indignationem suam abscindet, et dabit gloriam nomini suo.	24 'May God be judge between you and us! For you have done us great harm, by not suing for peace withthe Assyrians.
25 Si autem transactis quinque diebus non venerit adjutorium, faciemus hæc verba quæ locuti estis.	25 And now there is no one to help us. God has delivered us into their hands to be prostrated before themin thirst and utter helplessness.
	26 Cal them in at once; hand the whole town over to be sacked by Holofernes' men and al his army.
	27 After al , we should be much better off as their booty than we are now; no doubt we shall be enslaved,but at least we shal be alive and not see our little ones dying before our eyes or our wives and childrenperishing.
	28 By heaven and earth and by our God, the Lord of our fathers, who is punishing us for our sins and thesins of our ancestors, we implore you to take this course now, today.'
	29 Bitter lamentations rose from the whole assembly, and they all cried loudly to the Lord God.
	30 Then Uzziah spoke to them, 'Take heart, brothers! Let us hold out five days more. By then the Lord ourGod will take pity on us, for he wil not desert us altogether.
	31 At the end of this time, if no help is forthcoming, I shall do as you have said.'
	32 With that he dismissed the people to their various quarters. The men went to man the wal s and towersof the town, sending the women and children home. The town was ful of despondency.