Livro de Judite 8

SAGRADA BIBLIA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Ora, tudo isso chegou aos ouvidos de Judite, viúva, filha de Merari, filho de Idox, filho de José, filho de Ozias, filho de Elai, filho de Jamnor, filho de Gedeão, filho de Rafaim, filho de Aquitob, filho de Melquias, filho de Enã, filho de Natanias, filho de Salatiel, filho de Simeão, filho de Rubem.	1 Now in those days Judith, daughter of Merari, son of Joseph, son of Oziel, son of Elkiah, son of Ananias, son of Gideon, son of Raphain, son of Ahitob, son of Elijah, son of Hilkiah, son of Eliab, son of Nathanael, son of Salamiel, son of Sarasadai, son of Simeon, son of Israel, heard of this.
2 Seu marido chamava-se Manassés, e morrera no tempo da colheita da cevada,	2 Her husband, Manasseh, of her own tribe and clan, had died at the time of the barley harvest.
3 ferido de insolação quando fiscalizava os ceifadores que ligavam os feixes no campo; ele morrera em Betúlia, sua cidade, e fora enterrado com seus pais.	3 While he was in the field supervising those who bound the sheaves, he suffered sunstroke; and he died of this illness in Bethulia, his native city. He was buried with his forefathers in the field between Dothan and Balamon.
4 Judite ficara viúva havia três anos e meio.	4 The widowed Judith remained three years and four months at home,
5 Ela tinha feito no andar superior de sua casa um quarto reservado para si, no qual se conservava retirada com suas criadas.	5 where she set up a tent for herself on the roof of her house. She put sackcloth about her loins and wore widow's weeds.
6 Trazia um cilício sobre os rins e jejuava todos os dias, exceto nos sábados, nas luas novas e nas festas do povo israelita.	6 She fasted all the days of her widowhood, except sabbath eves and sabbaths, new moon eves and new moons, feastdays and holidays of the house of Israel.
7 Era extremamente bela, e seu marido tinha-lhe deixado grandes riquezas, numerosos criados e domínios cheios de rebanhos de bois e de ovelhas.	7 She was beautifully formed and lovely to behold. Her husband, Manasseh, had left her gold and silver, servants and maids, livestock and fields, which she was maintaining.
8 Era muito estimada por todos porque tinha grande temor a Deus; não havia ninguém que falasse mal a seu respeito.	8 No one had a bad word to say about her, for she was a very God-fearing woman.
9 Sabendo, pois, que Ozias tinha prometido entregar a cidade dentro de cinco dias, mandou alguém chamar os anciãos Cabri e Carmi,	9 When Judith, therefore, heard of the harsh words which the people, discouraged by their lack of water, had spoken against their ruler, and of all that Uzziah had said to them in reply, swearing that he would hand over the city to the Assyrians at the end of five days,
10 e estes vieram ter com ela. Ela disse-lhes: Como é possível que Ozias tenha consentido em entregar a cidade aos assírios dentro de cinco dias, se não nos chegar socorro?	10 she sent the maid who was in charge of all her things to ask Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis, the elders of the city, to visit her.
11 Quem sois vós para provocar o Senhor?	11 When they came, she said to them: "Listen to me, you rulers of the people of Bethulia. What you said to the people today is not proper. When you promised to hand over the city to our enemies at the end of five days unless within that time the Lord comes to our aid, you interposed between God and yourselves this oath which you took.
12 Não é esse o meio de atrair a sua misericórdia, mas antes o de excitar a sua cólera e acender o seu furor 13. Vós impusestes ao Senhor um prazo para exercer a sua misericórdia e fixastes-lhe um dia ao vosso arbítrio!	12 Who are you, then, that you should have put God to the test this day, setting yourselves in the place of God in human affairs?
	13 It is the Lord Almighty for whom you are laying down conditions; will you never understand anything?
14 Mas o Senhor é paciente; façamos, pois, penitência por isso e peçamos-lhe perdão com lágrimas nos olhos,	14 You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or grasp the workings of the human mind; how then can you fathom God, who has made all these things, discern his mind, and understand his plan? "No, my brothers, do not anger the Lord our God.
15 pois Deus não ameaça como os homens e não se deixa arrastar como eles à violência da cólera.	15 For if he does not wish to come to our aid within the five days, he has it equally within his power to protect us at such time as he pleases, or to destroy us in the face of our enemies.
16 Humilhemo-nos diante dele e prestemos-lhe nosso culto com espírito de humildade.	16 It is not for you to make the Lord our God give surety for his plans. "God is not man that he should be moved by threats, nor human, that he may be given an ultimatum.
17 Roguemos ao Senhor com lágrimas que nos conceda a sua misericórdia como lhe aprouver, para que, assim como se perturbou o nosso coração com o orgulho de nossos inimigos, do mesmo modo encontremos glória em nossa humilhação.	17 "So while we wait for the salvation that comes from him, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our cry if it is his good pleasure.
18 Nós não imitamos os pecados de nossos pais, abandonando Deus para adorar divindades estranhas.	18 For there has not risen among us in recent generations, nor does there exist today, any tribe, or clan, or town, or city of ours that worships gods made by hands, as happened in former days.
19 Por esse crime foram entregues à espada, à pilhagem e ao desprezo de seus inimigos; nós, porém, não admitimos outro Deus fora dele.	19 It was for such conduct that our forefathers were handed over to the sword and to pillage, and fell with great destruction before our enemies.
20 Esperamos com humildade a sua consolação e ele vingará o nosso sangue dos males que nos causam nossos inimigos. Ele humilhará toda nação que se levantar contra nós; o Senhor nosso Deus cobri-las-á de vergonha.	20 But since we acknowledge no other god but the Lord, we hope that he will not disdain us or any of our people.
21 Agora, meus Irmãos, já que sois os anciãos do povo de Deus, e que sua vida depende de vós, reanimai os seus corações com vossas palavras, para que eles se lembrem de que nossos pais foram tentados a fim de que se verificasse se eles serviam verdadeiramente ao seu Deus.	21 If we are taken, all Judea will fall, our sanctuary will be plundered, and God will make us pay for its profanation with our life's blood.
22 Que eles se lembrem de como nosso pai Abraão foi provado e de como passou por múltiplas tribulações para se tornar o amigo de Deus.	22 For the slaughter of our kinsmen, for the taking of exiles from the land, and for the devastation of our inheritance, he will lay the guilt on our heads. Wherever we shall be enslaved among the nations, we shall be a mockery and a reproach in the eyes of our masters.
23 Assim Isaac, assim Jacó, assim Moisés, e todos os que agradaram a Deus permaneceram fiéis apesar das muitas tribulações.	23 Our enslavement will not be turned to our benefit, but the Lord our God, will maintain it to our disgrace.
24 Aqueles, porém, que não aceitaram essas provações no temor ao Senhor e se impacientaram, murmurando contra ele,	24 "Therefore, my brothers, let us set an example for our kinsmen. Their lives depend on us, and the defense of the sanctuary, the temple, and the altar rests with us.
25 foram feridos pelo Exterminador e pereceram pelas serpentes.	25 Besides all this, we should be grateful to the Lord our God, for putting us to the test, as he did our forefathers.
26 Por isso não nos irritemos por causa do que sofremos.	26 Recall how he dealt with Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and all that happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia while he was tending the flocks of Laban, his mother's brother.
27 Consideremos que esses tormentos são menos graves que nossos pecados, e que esses flagelos com que o Senhor nos castiga, como escravos, foram-nos mandados para a nossa emenda, e não para a nossa perdição.	27 Not for vengeance did the Lord put them in the crucible to try their hearts, nor has he done so with us. It is by way of admonition that he chastises those who are close to him."
28 Ozias e os anciãos responderam-lhe: Tudo o que disseste é verdade; nada há repreensível nas tuas palavras.	28 Then Uzziah said to her: "All that you have said was spoken with good sense, and no one can gainsay your words.
29 Roga, pois, a Deus por nós, porque és uma mulher santa e piedosa.	29 Not today only is your wisdom made evident, but from your earliest years all the people have recognized your prudence, which corresponds to the worthy dispositions of your heart.
30 Judite respondeu-lhes: Se reconheceis que o que eu vos disse vem de Deus,	30 The people, however, were so tortured with thirst that they forced us to speak to them as we did, and to bind ourselves by an oath that we cannot break.
31 examinai se vem igualmente dele o que eu resolvi fazer, e orai para que Deus me ajude a realizar o meu desígnio.	31 But now, God-fearing woman that you are, pray for us that the Lord may send rain to fill up our cisterns, lest we be weakened still further."
32 Ficai esta noite à porta, e eu sairei com minha criada. Orai então para que, como vós o dissestes, o Senhor olhe para o seu povo de Israel dentro de cinco dias.	32 Then Judith said to them: "Listen to me! I will do something that will go down from generation to generation among the descendants of our race.
33 Mas não quero que procureis saber o que eu vou fazer; enquanto eu mesma não voltar para vos avisar, não se faça outra coisa que rogar por mim ao Senhor nosso Deus.	33 Stand at the gate tonight to let me pass through with my maid; and within the days you have specified before you will surrender the city to our enemies, the Lord will rescue Israel by my hand.
34 Ozias, o príncipe de Judá, respondeu-lhe: Vai em paz, e que o Senhor te ajude a tomar a vingança de nossos inimigos. E retiraram-se.	34 You must not inquire into what I am doing, for I will not tell you until my plan has been accomplished."
	35 Uzziah and the rulers said to her, "Go in peace, and may the Lord God go before you to take vengeance upon our enemies!"
	36 Then they withdrew from the tent and returned to their posts.