Livro de Judite 7

SAGRADA BIBLIA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 No dia seguinte, Holofernes ordenou às suas tropas que tomassem de assalto Betúlia.	1 The fol owing day Holofernes issued orders to his whole army and to the whole host of auxiliaries whohad joined him, to break camp and march on Bethulia, to occupy the mountain passes and so open thecampaign against the Israelites.
2 Havia cento e vinte mil soldados de infantaria e vinte e dois mil cavaleiros, além dos homens de armas que tinha aprisionado e dos jovens que havia levado das províncias e das cidades.	2 The troops broke camp that same day. The actual fighting force numbered one hundred and twentythousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, not to mention the baggage train with the vast number of men onfoot concerned with that.
3 Prepararam-se todos para combater contra os israelitas e partiram pela encosta da montanha até o cume que olha para Dotain, desde o lugar chamado Belma até Quelmon, que está fronteiro a Esdrelon.	3 They penetrated the val ey in the neighbourhood of Bethulia, near the spring, and deployed on a widefront from Dothan to Balbaim and, in depth, from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.
4 Quando os israelitas viram aquela multidão, prostraram-se por terra e cobriram de cinzas as suas cabeças, orando em comum ao Deus de Israel para que fizesse misericórdia ao seu povo.	4 When the Israelites saw this horde, they were al appal ed and said to each other, 'Now they wil lick thewhole country clean. Not even the loftiest peaks, the gorges or the hil s wil be able to stand the weight of them.'
5 Tomando então as suas armas de guerra, postaram-se nos lugares em que caminhos estreitos conduziam às passagens entre os montes, e ali montaram guarda noite e dia.	5 Each man snatched up his arms; they lit beacons on their towers and spent the whole night on watch.
6 Entretanto, ao fazer uma ronda pelos arredores, Holofernes descobriu ao sul da cidade a fonte que a abastecia por meio de um aqueduto, e mandou cortá-lo.	6 On the second day Holofernes deployed his entire cavalry in sight of the Israelites in Bethulia.
7 Havia, entretanto, não longe dos muros, algumas fontes aonde iam furtivamente os sitiados buscar água, mais para aliviar um pouco a sede que para beber.	7 He reconnoitred the slopes leading up to the town, located the water-points, seized them and postedpickets over them and returned to the main body.
8 Então os amonitas e os moabitas foram dizer a Holofernes: Os israelitas não confiam nem nas lanças nem nas flechas, mas são defendidos pelas montanhas e sua verdadeira força são as colinas escarpadas.	8 The chieftains of the sons of Esau, al the leaders of the Moabites and the generals of the coastal districtthen came to him and said,
9 Para que possas vencê-los sem combate, põe guardas às fontes, para não buscarem água ali, e os matareis sem golpes de espada. Ou, pelo menos, esgotados pela sede, entregarão a cidade, a qual, por estar situada nas montanhas, julgavam inexpugnável.	9 'If our master wil be pleased to listen to us, his forces wil not sustain a single wound.
10 Esta sugestão agradou a Holofernes e aos seus oficiais, e ele mandou que cada fonte fosse vigiada por um contingente de cem homens.	10 These Israelites do not rely so much on their spears as on the height of the mountains where they live.And admittedly it is not at all easy to scale these heights of theirs.
11 Passados vinte dias de guarda, secaram-se as fontes e os poços de Betúlia, e os habitantes que recebiam quotidianamente a sua medida de água não a tiveram mais nem sequer para um dia.	11 'This being the case, master, avoid engaging them in a pitched battle and then you wil not lose a singleman.
12 Então, reuniram-se todos os homens, mulheres, jovens e crianças ao redor de Ozias, e disseram-lhe a uma voz:	12 Stay in camp, keep al your troops there too, while your servants seize the spring which rises at the footof the mountain,
13 Deus seja juiz entre nós e ti, pois, recusando negociar a paz com os assírios, atraíste a desgraça sobre nós; e por isso entregou-nos Deus nas suas mãos.	13 since that is what provides the population of Bethulia with their water supply. Thirst wil then force themto surrender their town. Meanwhile, we and our men wil climb the nearest mountain tops and form advanceposts there to prevent anyone from leaving the town.
14 Também por isso não há quem nos socorra, estando nós aos seus olhos esgotados pela sede.	14 Hunger wil waste them, with their wives and children, and before the sword can reach them they wilalready be lying in the streets outside their houses.
15 Agora, pois, reúne todos os que estão na cidade e entreguemo-nos espontaneamente aos homens de Holofernes.	15 And you will make them pay dearly for their defiance and their refusal to meet you peaceably.'
16 É melhor que bendigamos a Deus no cativeiro, vivos, do que morrer vergonhosamente diante de todos os homens, vendo morrer sob os nossos olhos nossas mulheres e nossos filhos.	16 Their words pleased Holofernes as wel as al his officers, and he decided to do as they suggested.
17 O céu e a terra nos são testemunhas, assim como o Deus de nossos pais que toma vingança de nossos pecados: entrega sem demora a cidade ao exército de Holofernes, para que o fio da espada abrevie o nosso fim, retardado pelo ardor da sede!	17 Accordingly, a troop of Moabites moved forward with a further five thousand Assyrians. Theypenetrated the val ey and seized the Israelites' waterpoints and springs.
18 Tendo eles assim falado, levantou-se um grande pranto e gritos lancinantes na assembléia, e a sua voz elevou-se para Deus durante várias horas:	18 Meanwhile the Edomites and Ammonites went and took up positions in the highlands opposite Dothan,sending some of their men to the south-east opposite Egrebel near Chous on the Wadi Mochmur. The rest of theAssyrian army took up positions in the plain, covering every inch of the ground; their tents and equipment madean immense encampment, so vast were their numbers.
19 Pecamos, diziam eles, nós e nossos pais, cometemos a injustiça e a iniqüidade.	19 The Israelites cal ed on the Lord their God, dispirited because the enemy had surrounded them and cutal line of retreat.
20 Vós, que sois bom, tende piedade de nós, ou então que vossos castigos tomem vingança de nossas iniqüidades; mas não entregueis os que vos invocam a um povo que vos não conhece,	20 For thirty-four days the Assyrian army, infantry, chariots, cavalrymen, had them surrounded. Everywater-jar the inhabitants of Bethulia had was empty,
21 para que se não diga entre os pagãos: Onde está o seu Deus?	21 their storage-wel s were drying up; on no day could a man drink his fil , since their water was rationed.
22 Fatigados enfim de gritar e de chorar, eles se calaram.	22 Their little children pined away, the women and young men grew weak with thirst; they col apsed in the streets and gateways of the town; they had no strength left.
23 Ozias levantou-se então banhado em lágrimas: Coragem, meus irmãos! - disse ele.- Esperemos (ainda) cinco dias a misericórdia do Senhor.	23 Young men, women, children, the whole people thronged clamouring round Uzziah and the chief menof the town, shouting in the presence of the assembled elders,
24 Talvez se aplaque a sua cólera e dê glória ao seu nome.	24 'May God be judge between you and us! For you have done us great harm, by not suing for peace withthe Assyrians.
25 Entretanto, se depois de cinco dias não nos chegar socorro algum, faremos o que propusestes.	25 And now there is no one to help us. God has delivered us into their hands to be prostrated before themin thirst and utter helplessness.
	26 Cal them in at once; hand the whole town over to be sacked by Holofernes' men and al his army.
	27 After al , we should be much better off as their booty than we are now; no doubt we shall be enslaved,but at least we shal be alive and not see our little ones dying before our eyes or our wives and childrenperishing.
	28 By heaven and earth and by our God, the Lord of our fathers, who is punishing us for our sins and thesins of our ancestors, we implore you to take this course now, today.'
	29 Bitter lamentations rose from the whole assembly, and they all cried loudly to the Lord God.
	30 Then Uzziah spoke to them, 'Take heart, brothers! Let us hold out five days more. By then the Lord ourGod will take pity on us, for he wil not desert us altogether.
	31 At the end of this time, if no help is forthcoming, I shall do as you have said.'
	32 With that he dismissed the people to their various quarters. The men went to man the wal s and towersof the town, sending the women and children home. The town was ful of despondency.