Livro de Judite 4

SAGRADA BIBLIA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Ouvindo isso, os israelitas de Judá ficaram muito alarmados com a 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 medo e o terror apoderaram-se deles, temendo que ele fizesse a Jerusalém e ao templo do Senhor o mesmo que ele fizera 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 Mandaram mensageiros por toda a Samaria e seus arredores 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 de muros todas as suas cidades e armazenaram trigo para poderem sustentar o combate.	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 De seu lado, o sumo sacerdote Eliacim escreveu a todos os que habitavam defronte de Esdrelon, que está fronteira à grande planície vizinha de Dotain, e a todos os das terras pelas quais havia passagens,	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 pedindo-lhes que ocupassem as vertentes montanhosas que davam acesso a Jerusalém, e que pusessem guarnições nos desfiladeiros por onde se pudesse passar.	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 israelitas executaram todas as ordens de Eliacim, sacerdote 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 orou fervorosamente ao Senhor; 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, as crianças prostraram-se diante do templo do Senhor, e cobriu-se o altar do Senhor com um cilício.	9 All the men of Israel cried to God with great fervor and did penance--
10 Unidos de coração e de alma, clamaram ao Senhor que não entregasse seus filhos à rapina do vencedor, suas mulheres à devassidão, suas cidades ao extermínio, seu templo à profanação, e não permitisse que eles próprios se tornassem o opróbrio das nações pagãs.	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 Eliacim, sumo sacerdote do Senhor, percorreu então todo o país de 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: Estai certos de que o Senhor vos ouvirá, se perseverardes jejuando e orando em sua presença.	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: Amalec, que confiava em sua força, em seu poder, em seu exército, em seus escudos, em seus carros e cavaleiros, foi derrotado por ele, não com a força das armas, mas com o poder da santa oração.	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 Isso mesmo acontecerá a todos os inimigos de Israel, se perseverardes na 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 puseram-se a orar diante do 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 holocaustos ao Senhor, faziam-no revestidos de sacos e com a cabeça coberta de cinzas.
17 E todos rogavam a Deus, de todo o seu coração, que visitasse o seu povo de Israel.