Iudith 8

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Et factum est cum audisset hæc verba Judith vidua, quæ erat filia Merari filii Idox filii Joseph filii Oziæ filii Elai filii Jamnor filii Gedeon filii Raphaim filii Achitob filii Melchiæ filii Enan filii Nathaniæ filii Salathiel filii Simeon filii Ruben,	1 Judith was informed at the time of what had happened. She was the daughter of Merari son of Ox, sonof Joseph, son of Oziel, son of Elkiah, son of Ananias, son of Gideon, son of Raphaim, son of Ahitub, son ofElijah, son of Hilkiah, son of Eliab, son of Nathanael, son of Salamiel, son of Sarasadai, son of Israel.
2 et vir ejus fuit Manasses, qui mortuus est in diebus messis hordeaceæ :	2 Her husband Manasseh, of her own tribe and family, had died at the time of the barley harvest.
3 instabat enim super alligantes manipulos in campo, et venit æstus super caput ejus, et mortuus est in Bethulia civitate sua, et sepultus est illic cum patribus suis.	3 He was supervising the men as they bound up the sheaves in the field when he caught sunstroke andhad to take to his bed. He died in Bethulia, his home town, and was buried with his ancestors in the field that liesbetween Dothan and Balamon.
4 Erat autem Judith relicta ejus vidua jam annis tribus et mensibus sex.	4 As a widow, Judith stayed inside her home for three years and four months.
5 Et in superioribus domus suæ fecit sibi secretum cubiculum, in quo cum puellis suis clausa morabatur,	5 She had had an upper room built for herself on the roof. She wore sackcloth next to the skin anddressed in widow's weeds.
6 et habens super lumbos suos cilicium, jejunabat omnibus diebus vitæ suæ, præter sabbata et neomenias et festa domus Israël.	6 She fasted every day of her widowhood except for the Sabbath eve, the Sabbath itself, the eve of NewMoon, the feast of New Moon and the joyful festivals of the House of Israel.
7 Erat autem eleganti aspectu nimis, cui vir suus reliquerat divitias multas, et familiam copiosam, ac possessiones armentis boum, et gregibus ovium plenas.	7 Now she was very beautiful, charming to see. Her husband Manasseh had left her gold and silver,menservants and maidservants, herds and land; and she lived among al her possessions
8 Et erat hæc in omnibus famosissima, quoniam timebat Dominum valde, nec erat qui loqueretur de illa verbum malum.	8 without anyone finding a word to say against her, so devoutly did she fear God.
9 Hæc itaque cum audisset quoniam Ozias promisisset quod transacto quinto die traderet civitatem, misit ad presbyteros Chabri et Charmi.	9 Hearing how the water shortage had demoralised the people and how they had complained bitterly tothe headman of the town, and being also told what Uzziah had said to them and how he had given them his oathto surrender the town to the Assyrians in five days' time,
10 Et venerunt ad illam, et dixit illis : Quod est hoc verbum, in quo consensit Ozias, ut tradat civitatem Assyriis si intra quinque dies non venerit vobis adjutorium ?	10 Judith immediately sent the serving-woman who ran her household to summon Chabris and Charmis,two elders of the town.
11 et qui estis vos, qui tentatis Dominum ?	11 When these came in she said: 'Listen to me, leaders of the people of Bethulia. You were wrong tospeak to the people as you did today and to bind yourself by oath, in defiance of God, to surrender the town toour enemies if the Lord did not come to your help within a set number of days.
12 non est iste sermo qui misericordiam provocet, sed potius qui iram excitet, et furorem accendat.	12 Who are you, to put God to the test today, you, of al people, to set yourselves above him?
13 Posuistis vos tempus miserationis Domini, et in arbitrium vestrum, diem constituistis ei.	13 You put the Lord Almighty to the test! You do not understand anything, and never wil .
14 Sed quia patiens Dominus est, in hoc ipso p?niteamus, et indulgentiam ejus fusis lacrimis postulemus :	14 If you cannot sound the depths of the human heart or unravel the arguments of the human mind, howcan you fathom the God who made all things, or sound his mind or unravel his purposes? No, brothers, do notprovoke the anger of the Lord our God.
15 non enim quasi homo sic Deus comminabitur, neque sicut filius hominis ad iracundiam inflammabitur.	15 Although it may not be his wil to help us within the next five days, he has the power to protect us for asmany days as he pleases, just as he has the power to destroy us before our enemies.
16 Et ideo humiliemus illi animas nostras, et in spiritu constituti humiliato, servientes illi	16 But you have no right to demand guarantees where the designs of the Lord our God are concerned.For God is not to be threatened as a human being is, nor is he, like a mere human, to be cajoled.
17 dicamus flentes Domino, ut secundum voluntatem suam sic faciat nobiscum misericordiam suam : ut sicut conturbatum est cor nostrum in superbia eorum, ita etiam de nostra humilitate gloriemur :	17 Rather, as we wait patiently for him to save, let us plead with him to help us. He wil hear our voice ifsuch is his good pleasure.
18 quoniam non sumus secuti peccata patrum nostrorum, qui dereliquerunt Deum suum, et adoraverunt deos alienos,	18 'And indeed of recent times and stil today there is not one tribe of ours, or family, or vil age, or townthat has worshipped gods made by human hand, as once was done,
19 pro quo scelere dati sunt in gladium, et in rapinam, et in confusionem inimicis suis : nos autem alterum deum nescimus præter ipsum.	19 which was the reason why our ancestors were delivered over to sword and sack, and perished inmisery at the hands of our enemies.
20 Expectemus humiles consolationem ejus, et exquiret sanguinem nostrum de afflictionibus inimicorum nostrorum, et humiliabit omnes gentes, quæcumque insurgunt contra nos, et faciet illas sine honore Dominus Deus noster.	20 We for our part acknowledge no other God but him; and so we may hope he wil not look on usdisdainfully or desert our nation.
21 Et nunc fratres, quoniam vos estis presbyteri in populo Dei, et ex vobis pendet anima illorum, ad eloquium vestrum corda eorum erigite, ut memores sint quia tentati sunt patres nostri, ut probarentur si vere colerent Deum suum.	21 'If indeed they capture us, as you expect, then al Judaea wil be captured too, and our holy placesplundered, and we shal answer with our blood for their profanation.
22 Memores esse debent quomodo pater noster Abraham tentatus est, et per multas tribulationes probatus, Dei amicus effectus est.	22 The slaughter of our brothers, the captivity of our country, the unpeopling of our heritage, will recoil onour own heads among the nations whose slaves we shal become, and our new masters wil look down on us asan outrage and a disgrace;
23 Sic Isaac, sic Jacob, sic Moyses, et omnes qui placuerunt Deo, per multas tribulationes transierunt fideles.	23 for our surrender wil not reinstate us in their favour; no, the Lord our God will make it a thing to beashamed of.
24 Illi autem qui tentationes non susceperunt cum timore Domini, et impatientiam suam et improperium murmurationis suæ contra Dominum protulerunt,	24 So now, brothers, let us set an example to our brothers, since their lives depend on us, and thesanctuary -- Temple and altar -- rests on us.
25 exterminati sunt ab exterminatore, et a serpentibus perierunt.	25 'Al this being so, let us rather give thanks to the Lord our God who, as he tested our ancestors, is nowtesting us.
26 Et nos ergo non ulciscamur nos pro his quæ patimur,	26 Remember how he treated Abraham, all the ordeals of Isaac, al that happened to Jacob in SyrianMesopotamia while he kept the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.
27 sed reputantes peccatis nostris hæc ipsa supplicia minora esse flagella Domini, quibus quasi servi corripimur ad emendationem, et non ad perditionem nostram evenisse credamus.	27 For as these ordeals were intended by him to search their hearts, so now this is not vengeance thatGod is exacting on us, but a warning inflicted by the Lord on those who are near his heart.'
28 Et dixerunt illi Ozias et presbyteri : Omnia quæ locuta es, vera sunt, et non est in sermonibus tuis ulla reprehensio.	28 Uzziah replied, 'Everything you have just said comes from an honest heart and no one will contradict aword of it.
29 Nunc ergo ora pro nobis, quoniam mulier sancta es, et timens Deum.	29 Not that today is the first time your wisdom has been displayed; from your earliest years all the peoplehave known how shrewd you are and of how sound a heart.
30 Et dixit illis Judith : Sicut quod potui loqui, Dei esse cognoscitis,	30 But, parched with thirst, the people forced us to act as we had promised them and to bind ourselves byan inviolable oath.
31 ita quod facere disposui, probate si ex Deo est, et orate ut firmum faciat Deus consilium meum.	31 You are a devout woman; pray to the Lord, then, to send us a downpour to fil our storage-wel s, so thatour faintness may pass.'
32 Stabitis vos ad portam nocte ista, et ego exeam cum abra mea : et orate, ut sicut dixistis, in diebus quinque respiciat Dominus populum suum Israël.	32 Judith replied, 'Listen to me, I intend to do something, the memory of which wil be handed down to thechildren of our race from age to age.
33 Vos autem nolo ut scrutemini actum meum, et usque dum renuntiem vobis, nihil aliud fiat, nisi oratio pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.	33 Tonight you must be at the gate of the town. I shal make my way out with my attendant. Before thetime fixed by you for surrendering the town to our enemies, the Lord wil make use of me to rescue Israel.
34 Et dixit ad eam Ozias princeps Juda : Vade in pace, et Dominus sit tecum in ultionem inimicorum nostrorum. Et revertentes abierunt.	34 You must not ask what I intend to do; I shall not tel you until I have done it.'
	35 Uzziah and the chief men said, 'Go in peace. May the Lord show you a way to take revenge on ourenemies.'
	36 And leaving the upper room they went back to their posts.