| 1 Então, ouvindo estas coisas os filhos de Israel, que habitavam na terra de Judá, tiveram muito medo da aproximação (de Holofernes). | 1 When the Israelites who dwelt in Judea heard of all that Holofernes, commander-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had despoiled all their temples and destroyed them, |
| 2 O susto e o pavor apoderou-se dos seus corações, temendo que ele fizesse a Jerusalém e ao templo do Senhor o que tinha feito às outras cidades e aos seus templos. | 2 they were in extreme dread of him, and greatly alarmed for Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord, their God. |
| 3 Enviaram (gente) a toda a fronteira da Samaria, até Jericó, e ocuparam todos os cumes dos montes; | 3 Now, they had lately returned from exile, and only recently had all the people of Judea been gathered together, and the vessels, the altar, and the temple been purified from profanation. |
| 4 cercaram as suas aldeias de muros e fizeram provisão de trigos, preparando-se para a guerra. | 4 So they sent word to the whole region of Samaria, to Kona, Beth-horon, Belmain, and Jericho, to Choba and Aesora, and to the valley of Salem. |
| 5 O pontífice Eliaquim também escreveu a todos os que habitavam em frente de Esdrelon, que está fronteira à grande planície junto ao Dotain, e a todos os dos lugares por onde (Holofernes) podia passar, | 5 The people there posted guards on all the summits of the high mountains, fortified their villages, and since their fields had recently been harvested, stored up provisions in preparation for war. |
| 6 que ocupassem as vertentes dos montes, por onde se podia ir a Jerusalém, e que pusessem guarnições nos desfiladeiros que podiam proporcionar um caminho entre as montanhas. | 6 Joakim, who was high priest in Jerusalem in those days, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia (and Betomesthaim), which is on the way to Esdraelon, facing the plain near Dothan, |
| 7 Os filhos de Israel fizeram como lhes tinha mandado Eliaquim, pontífice do Senhor. | 7 and instructed them to keep firm hold of the mountain passes, since these offered access to Judea. It would be easy to ward off the attacking forces, as the defile was only wide enough for two abreast. |
| 8 Todo o povo clamou ao Senhor com grande instância. Humilharam suas almas com jejuns e orações, eles e suas mulheres. | 8 The Israelites carried out the orders given them by Joakim, the high priest, and the senate of the whole people of Israel, which met in Jerusalem. |
| 9 Os sacerdotes vestiram-se de cilício, os meninos prostaram-se diante do templo do Senhor, e cobriu-se de cilício o altar do Senhor. | 9 All the men of Israel cried to God with great fervor and did penance-- |
| 10 Clamaram unânimemente ao Senhor Deus de Israel, que não fossem dados em presa seus filhos, nem roubadas suas mulheres, nem destruídas as suas cidades, nem profanado o seu santuário, nem eles se tornassem o opróbrio das nações. | 10 they, along with their wives, and children, and domestic animals. All their resident aliens, hired laborers, and slaves also girded themselves with sackcloth. |
| 11 Então Eliaquim, sumo sacerdote do Senhor, percorreu todo o Israel e falou ao povo, | 11 And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord. |
| 12 nestes termos: Sabei que o Senhor ouvirá as vossas súplicas, se permanecerdes constantes nos jejuns e nas orações diante do Senhor. | 12 The altar, too, they draped in sackcloth; and with one accord they cried out fervently to the God of Israel not to allow their children to be seized, their wives to be taken captive, the cities of their inheritance to be ruined, or the sanctuary to be profaned and mocked for the nations to gloat over. |
| 13 Lembrai-vos de Moisés, servo do Senhor, o qual, não combatendo com ferro, mas suplicando com santas orações, destroçou Amalec, que confiava na sua força, no seu poder, no seu exército, nos seus escudos, nos seus carros e cavaleiros. | 13 The Lord heard their cry and had regard for their distress. For the people observed a fast of many days' duration throughout Judea, and before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem. |
| 14 Assim sucederá a todos os inimigos de Israel, se vós perseverardes nesta obra que começastes. | 14 The high priest Joakim, and all the priests in attendance on the Lord who served his altar, were also girded with sackcloth as they offered the daily holocaust, the votive offerings, and the freewill offerings of the people. |
| 15 Com tais exortações, os Israelitas permaneciam na presença do Senhor, orando ao Senhor; | 15 With ashes upon their turbans, they cried to the Lord with all their strength to look with favor on the whole house of Israel. |
| 16 mesmo aqueles que ofereciam os holocaustos ao Senhor, ofereciam-nos, vestidos de cilícios e com as suas cabeças cobertas de cinza. | |
| 17 Todos rogavam a Deus, de todo o seu coração, que visitasse o seu povo de Israel. | |
