Livro de Judite 11

SAGRADA BIBLIA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Então Holofernes disse-lhe: Tranqüiliza-te! Não temas em teu coração, pois nunca fiz mal algum a quem estivesse pronto a servir o rei Nabucodonosor.	1 Then Holofernes said to her: "Take courage, lady; have no fear in your heart! Never have I harmed anyone who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth.
2 Se teu povo não me tivesse desprezado, eu não teria levantado a minha lança contra ele.	2 Nor would I have raised my spear against your people who dwell in the mountain region, had they not despised me and brought this upon themselves.
3 Mas dize-me, agora, por que os deixaste e vieste para o meio de nós?	3 But now tell me why you fled from them and came to us. In any case, you have come to safety. Take courage! Your life is spared tonight and for the future.
4 Judite respondeu-lhe: Ouve as palavras de tua serva, porque se seguires as palavras que te vou dizer, o Senhor chegará aos seus fins por ti.	4 No one at all will harm you. Rather, you will be well treated, as are all the servants of my lord, King Nebuchadnezzar."
5 Juro-o por Nabucodonosor, rei da terra, e por seu poder que está nas tuas mãos para castigo daqueles que se desviam, porque não somente contribuis para que os homens o sirvam, mas até os animais do campo lhe obedecem.	5 Judith answered him: "Listen to the words of your servant, and let your handmaid speak in your presence! I will tell no lie to my lord this night,
6 A sabedoria de teu espírito é, com efeito, célebre em todas as nações, todo o mundo sabe que és o único bom e poderoso em seu reino, e tua administração é louvada em todas as províncias.	6 and if you follow out the words of your handmaid, God will give you complete success, and my lord will not fail in any of his undertakings.
7 O que disse Aquior não é um segredo e ninguém ignora o que ordenaste que lhe fosse feito.	7 By the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth, and by the power of him who has sent you to set all creatures aright! not only do men serve him through you; but even the wild beasts and the cattle and the birds of the air, because of your strength, will live for Nebuchadnezzar and his whole house.
8 Porque é manifesto que nosso Deus está de tal forma ofendido pelos pecados do povo, que lhe mandou dizer por meio de seus profetas, que o entregaria por causa de seus pecados.	8 Indeed, we have heard of your wisdom and sagacity, and all the world is aware that throughout the kingdom you alone are competent, rich in experience, and distinguished in military strategy.
9 E como os israelitas sabem que ofenderam o seu Deus, tu te tornaste um objeto de terror.	9 "As for Achior's speech in your council, we have heard of it. When the men of Bethulia spared him, he told them all he had said to you.
10 Além disso, a fome aperta-os e pela falta de água estão já como mortos.	10 So then, my lord and master, do not disregard his word, but bear it in mind, for it is true. For our people are not punished, nor does the sword prevail against them, except when they sin against their God.
11 Chegam até a matar os seus animais para beberem o seu sangue.	11 But now their guilt has caught up with them, by which they bring the wrath of their God upon them whenever they do wrong; so that my lord will not be repulsed and fail, but death will overtake them.
12 E mesmo as primícias consagradas ao Senhor, seu Deus, que o Senhor lhes proibiu tocar - trigo, vinho e azeite - eles pensam empregá-las, e querem assim comer aquilo que não lhes é permitido nem tocar com as mãos. Procedendo assim, é certo que serão entregues à ruína.	12 Since their food gave out and all their water ran low, they decided to kill their animals, and determined to consume all the things which God in his laws forbade them to eat.
13 E eu, tua serva, que sei de tudo isto, fugi do meio deles, e o Senhor mandou-me a ti para dizer-te estas coisas.	13 They decreed that they would use up the first fruits of grain and the tithes of wine and oil which they had sanctified and reserved for the priests who minister in the presence of our God in Jerusalem: things which no layman should even touch with his hands.
14 Porque tua serva teme a Deus, mesmo junto de ti, e ela sairá do acampamento para orar a Deus.	14 They have sent messengers to Jerusalem to bring back to them authorization from the council of the elders; for the inhabitants there have also done these things.
15 Ele me dirá quando vai puni-los pelos seus pecados, e eu to virei dizer. Levar-te-ei então até o coração de Jerusalém, e encontrarás todo o povo de Israel como um rebanho de ovelhas sem pastor, e não haverá sequer um cão para ladrar contra ti.	15 On the very day when the response reaches them and they act upon it, they will be handed over to you for destruction.
16 Isto me foi dito pela providência divina;	16 "As soon as I, your handmaid, learned all this, I fled from them. God has sent me to perform with you such deeds that people throughout the world will be astonished on hearing of them.
17 e como Deus está irritado contra eles, fui enviada para to anunciar.	17 Your handmaid is, indeed, a God-fearing woman, serving the God of heaven night and day. Now I will remain with you, my lord; but each night your handmaid will go out to the ravine and pray to God. He will tell me when the Israelites have committed their crimes.
18 Holofernes e seus servos alegraram-se com este discurso, e admiraram a sabedoria de Judite, dizendo uns aos outros:	18 Then I will come and let you know, so that you may go out with your whole force, and not one of them will be able to withstand you.
19 Não há sobre a terra mulher semelhante a esta no valor, na beleza e na sabedoria de suas palavras.	19 I will lead you through Judea, till you come to Jerusalem, and there I will set up your judgment seat. You will drive them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will growl at you. This was told me, and announced to me in advance, and I in turn have been sent to tell you."
20 Holofernes disse-lhe: Deus fez muito bem em te mandar antes do povo, a fim de que possas entregá-lo nas nossas mãos.	20 Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; they marveled at her wisdom and exclaimed,
21 Teu plano é bom: se teu Deus fizer isto por mim, ele será também o meu Deus, e tu serás grande na casa de Nabucodonosor, e o teu nome será célebre em toda a terra.	21 "No other woman from one end of the world to the other looks so beautiful and speaks so wisely!"
	22 Then Holofernes said to her: "God has done well in sending you ahead of your people, to bring victory to our arms, and destruction to those who have despised my lord.
	23 You are fair to behold, and your words are well spoken. If you do as you have said, your God will be my God; you shall dwell in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, and shall be renowned throughout the earth."