1 ως δε οψια εγενετο εσπουδασαν οι δουλοι αυτου αναλυειν και βαγωας συνεκλεισεν την σκηνην εξωθεν και απεκλεισεν τους παρεστωτας εκ προσωπου του κυριου αυτου και απωχοντο εις τας κοιτας αυτων ησαν γαρ παντες κεκοπωμενοι δια το επι πλειον γεγονεναι τον ποτον | 1 It grew late and his staff hurried away. Bagoas closed the tent from the outside, having shown outthose who stil lingered in his lord's presence. They went to their beds wearied with too much drinking, |
2 υπελειφθη δε ιουδιθ μονη εν τη σκηνη και ολοφερνης προπεπτωκως επι την κλινην αυτου ην γαρ περικεχυμενος αυτω ο οινος | 2 and Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes who had col apsed wine-sodden on his bed. |
3 και ειπεν ιουδιθ τη δουλη αυτης στηναι εξω του κοιτωνος αυτης και επιτηρειν την εξοδον αυτης καθαπερ καθ' ημεραν εξελευσεσθαι γαρ εφη επι την προσευχην αυτης και τω βαγωα ελαλησεν κατα τα ρηματα ταυτα | 3 Judith then told her maid to stay just outside the bedroom and wait for her to come out, as she didevery morning. She had let it be understood she would be going out to her prayers and had also spoken of herintention to Bagoas. |
4 και απηλθοσαν παντες εκ προσωπου και ουδεις κατελειφθη εν τω κοιτωνι απο μικρου εως μεγαλου και στασα ιουδιθ παρα την κλινην αυτου ειπεν εν τη καρδια αυτης κυριε ο θεος πασης δυναμεως επιβλεψον εν τη ωρα ταυτη επι τα εργα των χειρων μου εις υψωμα ιερουσαλημ | 4 By now everyone had left Holofernes, and no one, either important or unimportant, was left in thebedroom. Standing beside the bed, Judith murmured to herself: Lord God, to whom al strength belongs, prosperwhat my hands are now to do for the greater glory of Jerusalem; |
5 οτι νυν καιρος αντιλαβεσθαι της κληρονομιας σου και ποιησαι το επιτηδευμα μου εις θραυσμα εχθρων οι επανεστησαν ημιν | 5 now is the time to recover your heritage and to further my plans to crush the enemies arrayed againstus. |
6 και προσελθουσα τω κανονι της κλινης ος ην προς κεφαλης ολοφερνου καθειλεν τον ακινακην αυτου απ' αυτου | 6 With that she went up to the bedpost by Holofernes' head and took down his scimitar; |
7 και εγγισασα της κλινης εδραξατο της κομης της κεφαλης αυτου και ειπεν κραταιωσον με κυριε ο θεος ισραηλ εν τη ημερα ταυτη | 7 coming closer to the bed she caught him by the hair and said, 'Make me strong today, Lord God ofIsrael!' |
8 και επαταξεν εις τον τραχηλον αυτου δις εν τη ισχυι αυτης και αφειλεν την κεφαλην αυτου απ' αυτου | 8 Twice she struck at his neck with all her might, and cut off his head. |
9 και απεκυλισε το σωμα αυτου απο της στρωμνης και αφειλε το κωνωπιον απο των στυλων και μετ' ολιγον εξηλθεν και παρεδωκεν τη αβρα αυτης την κεφαλην ολοφερνου | 9 She then rol ed his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the bedposts. After which, shewent out and gave the head of Holofernes to her maid |
10 και ενεβαλεν αυτην εις την πηραν των βρωματων αυτης και εξηλθον αι δυο αμα κατα τον εθισμον αυτων επι την προσευχην και διελθουσαι την παρεμβολην εκυκλωσαν την φαραγγα εκεινην και προσανεβησαν το ορος βαιτυλουα και ηλθοσαν προς τας πυλας αυτης | 10 who put it in her food bag. The two then left the camp together, as they always did when they went topray. Once they were out of the camp, they skirted the ravine, climbed the slope to Bethulia and made for thegates. |
11 και ειπεν ιουδιθ μακροθεν τοις φυλασσουσιν επι των πυλων ανοιξατε ανοιξατε δη την πυλην μεθ' ημων ο θεος ο θεος ημων ποιησαι ετι ισχυν εν ισραηλ και κρατος κατα των εχθρων καθα και σημερον εποιησεν | 11 From a distance, Judith shouted to the guards on the gates, 'Open the gate! Open! For the Lord ourGod is with us stil , displaying his strength in Israel and his might against our enemies, as he has done today!' |
12 και εγενετο ως ηκουσαν οι ανδρες της πολεως αυτης την φωνην αυτης εσπουδασαν του καταβηναι επι την πυλην της πολεως αυτων και συνεκαλεσαν τους πρεσβυτερους της πολεως | 12 Hearing her voice, the townsmen hurried down to the town gate and summoned the elders. |
13 και συνεδραμον παντες απο μικρου εως μεγαλου αυτων οτι παραδοξον ην αυτοις το ελθειν αυτην και ηνοιξαν την πυλην και υπεδεξαντο αυτας και αψαντες πυρ εις φαυσιν περιεκυκλωσαν αυτας | 13 Everyone, great and smal , came running down, since her arrival was unexpected. They threw thegate open, welcomed the women, lit a fire to see by and crowded round them. |
14 η δε ειπεν προς αυτους φωνη μεγαλη αινειτε τον θεον αινειτε αινειτε τον θεον ος ουκ απεστησεν το ελεος αυτου απο του οικου ισραηλ αλλ' εθραυσε τους εχθρους ημων δια χειρος μου εν τη νυκτι ταυτη | 14 Then Judith raised her voice and said, 'Praise God! Praise him! Praise the God who has notwithdrawn his mercy from the House of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand tonight!' |
15 και προελουσα την κεφαλην εκ της πηρας εδειξεν και ειπεν αυτοις ιδου η κεφαλη ολοφερνου αρχιστρατηγου δυναμεως ασσουρ και ιδου το κωνωπιον εν ω κατεκειτο εν ταις μεθαις αυτου και επαταξεν αυτον ο κυριος εν χειρι θηλειας | 15 She pul ed the head out of the bag and held it for them to see. 'This is the head of Holofernes,general-in-chief of the Assyrian army; here is the canopy under which he lay drunk! The Lord has struck himdown by the hand of a woman! |
16 και ζη κυριος ος διεφυλαξεν με εν τη οδω μου η επορευθην οτι ηπατησεν αυτον το προσωπον μου εις απωλειαν αυτου και ουκ εποιησεν αμαρτημα μετ' εμου εις μιασμα και αισχυνην | 16 Glory to the Lord who has protected me in the course I took! My face seduced him, only to his ownundoing; he committed no sin with me to shame me or disgrace me.' |
17 και εξεστη πας ο λαος σφοδρα και κυψαντες προσεκυνησαν τω θεω και ειπαν ομοθυμαδον ευλογητος ει ο θεος ημων ο εξουδενωσας εν τη ημερα τη σημερον τους εχθρους του λαου σου | 17 Overcome with emotion, the people al prostrated themselves and worshipped God, exclaiming withone voice, 'Blessings on you, our God, for confounding your people's enemies today!' |
18 και ειπεν αυτη οζιας ευλογητη συ θυγατερ τω θεω τω υψιστω παρα πασας τας γυναικας τας επι της γης και ευλογημενος κυριος ο θεος ος εκτισεν τους ουρανους και την γην ος κατευθυνεν σε εις τραυμα κεφαλης αρχοντος εχθρων ημων | 18 Uzziah then said to Judith: May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond al womenon earth; and blessed be the Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth, who guided you to cut off the head of theleader of our enemies! |
19 οτι ουκ αποστησεται η ελπις σου απο καρδιας ανθρωπων μνημονευοντων ισχυν θεου εως αιωνος | 19 The trust which you have shown wil not pass from human hearts, as they commemorate the power ofGod for evermore. |
20 και ποιησαι σοι αυτα ο θεος εις υψος αιωνιον του επισκεψασθαι σε εν αγαθοις ανθ' ων ουκ εφεισω της ψυχης σου δια την ταπεινωσιν του γενους ημων αλλ' επεξηλθες τω πτωματι ημων επ' ευθειαν πορευθεισα ενωπιον του θεου ημων και ειπαν πας ο λαος γενοιτο γενοιτο | 20 God grant you may be always held in honour and rewarded with blessings, since you did not consideryour own life when our nation was brought to its knees, but warded off our ruin, walking in the right path beforeour God. And the people al said, 'Amen! Amen!' |