Judit 8

1Now it came to pass, when Judith a widow had heard these words, who was the daughter of Merari, the son of Idox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozias, the son of Elai, the son of Jamnor, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Achitob, the son of Melehias, the son of Enan, the son of Nathanias, the son of Salathiel, the son of Simeon, the son of Ruben:

2And her husband was Manasses, who died in the time of the barley harvest:

3For he was standing over them that bound sheaves in the field; and the heat came upon his head, and he died in Bethulia his own city, and was buried there with his fathers.

4And Judith his relict was a widow now three years and six months.

5And she made herself a private chamber in the upper part of her house, in which she abode shut up with her maids.

6And she wore haircloth upon her loins, and fasted all the days of her life, except the sabbaths, and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.

7And she was exceedingly beautiful, and her husband left her great riches, and very many servants, and large possessions of herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep.

8And she was greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much, neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her.

9When therefore she had heard that Ozias had promised that he would deliver up the city after the fifth day, she sent to the ancients Chabri and Charmi.

10And they came to her, and she said to them: What is this word, by which Ozias hath consented to give up the city to the Assyrians, if within five days there come no aid to us?

11And who are you that tempt the Lord?

12This is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indignation.

13You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord, and you have appointed him a day, according to your pleasure.

14But forasmuch as the Lord is patient, let us be penitent for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg his pardon:

15For God will not threaten like man, nor be inflamed to anger like the son of man.

16And therefore let us humble our souls before him, and continuing in an humble spirit, in his service:

17Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to his will so he would shew his mercy to us: that as our heart is troubled by their pride, so also we may glorify in our humility.

18For we have not followed the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and worshipped strange gods.

19For which crime they were given up to their enemies, to the sword, and to pillage, and to confusion: but we know no other God but him.

20Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and the Lord our God will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the nations that shall rise up against us, and bring them to disgrace.

21And now, brethren, as you are the ancients among the people of God, and their very soul resteth upon you: comfort their hearts by your speech, that they may be mindful how our fathers were tempted that they might be proved, whether they worshipped their God truly.

22They must remember how our father Abraham was tempted, and being proved by many tribulations, was made the friend of God.

23So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that have pleased God, passed through many tribulations, remaining faithful.

24But they that did not receive the trials with the fear of the Lord, but uttered their impatience and the reproach of their murmuring against the Lord,

25Were destroyed by the destroyer, and perished by serpents.

26As for us therefore let us not revenge ourselves for these things which we suffer.

27But esteeming these very punishments to be less than our sins deserve, let us believe that these scourges of the Lord, with which like servants we are chastised, have happened for our amendment, and not for our destruction.

28And Ozias and the ancients said to her: All things which thou hast spoken are true, and there is nothing to be reprehended in thy words.

29Now therefore pray for us, for thou art a holy woman, and one fearing God.

30And Judith said to them: As you know that what I have been able to say is of God:

31So that which I intend to do prove ye if it be of God, and pray that God may strengthen my design.

32You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with my maidservant: and pray ye, that as you have said, in five days the Lord may look down upon his people Israel.

33But I desire that you search not into what I am doing, and till I bring you word let nothing else be done but to pray for me to the Lord our God.

34And Ozias the prince of Juda said to her: Go in peace, and the Lord be with thee to take revenge of our enemies. So returning they departed.

1Et factum est cum audisset hæc verba Judith vidua, quæ erat filia Merari filii Idox filii Joseph filii Oziæ filii Elai filii Jamnor filii Gedeon filii Raphaim filii Achitob filii Melchiæ filii Enan filii Nathaniæ filii Salathiel filii Simeon filii Ruben,

2et vir ejus fuit Manasses, qui mortuus est in diebus messis hordeaceæ:

3instabat enim super alligantes manipulos in campo, et venit æstus super caput ejus, et mortuus est in Bethulia civitate sua, et sepultus est illic cum patribus suis.

4Erat autem Judith relicta ejus vidua jam annis tribus et mensibus sex.

5Et in superioribus domus suæ fecit sibi secretum cubiculum, in quo cum puellis suis clausa morabatur,

6et habens super lumbos suos cilicium, jejunabat omnibus diebus vitæ suæ, præter sabbata et neomenias et festa domus Israël.

7Erat autem eleganti aspectu nimis, cui vir suus reliquerat divitias multas, et familiam copiosam, ac possessiones armentis boum, et gregibus ovium plenas.

8Et erat hæc in omnibus famosissima, quoniam timebat Dominum valde, nec erat qui loqueretur de illa verbum malum.

9Hæc itaque cum audisset quoniam Ozias promisisset quod transacto quinto die traderet civitatem, misit ad presbyteros Chabri et Charmi.

10Et venerunt ad illam, et dixit illis: Quod est hoc verbum, in quo consensit Ozias, ut tradat civitatem Assyriis si intra quinque dies non venerit vobis adjutorium?

11et qui estis vos, qui tentatis Dominum?

12non est iste sermo qui misericordiam provocet, sed potius qui iram excitet, et furorem accendat.

13Posuistis vos tempus miserationis Domini, et in arbitrium vestrum, diem constituistis ei.

14Sed quia patiens Dominus est, in hoc ipso pœniteamus, et indulgentiam ejus fusis lacrimis postulemus:

15non enim quasi homo sic Deus comminabitur, neque sicut filius hominis ad iracundiam inflammabitur.

16Et ideo humiliemus illi animas nostras, et in spiritu constituti humiliato, servientes illi

17dicamus flentes Domino, ut secundum voluntatem suam sic faciat nobiscum misericordiam suam: ut sicut conturbatum est cor nostrum in superbia eorum, ita etiam de nostra humilitate gloriemur:

18quoniam non sumus secuti peccata patrum nostrorum, qui dereliquerunt Deum suum, et adoraverunt deos alienos,

19pro quo scelere dati sunt in gladium, et in rapinam, et in confusionem inimicis suis: nos autem alterum deum nescimus præter ipsum.

20Expectemus humiles consolationem ejus, et exquiret sanguinem nostrum de afflictionibus inimicorum nostrorum, et humiliabit omnes gentes, quæcumque insurgunt contra nos, et faciet illas sine honore Dominus Deus noster.

21Et nunc fratres, quoniam vos estis presbyteri in populo Dei, et ex vobis pendet anima illorum, ad eloquium vestrum corda eorum erigite, ut memores sint quia tentati sunt patres nostri, ut probarentur si vere colerent Deum suum.

22Memores esse debent quomodo pater noster Abraham tentatus est, et per multas tribulationes probatus, Dei amicus effectus est.

23Sic Isaac, sic Jacob, sic Moyses, et omnes qui placuerunt Deo, per multas tribulationes transierunt fideles.

24Illi autem qui tentationes non susceperunt cum timore Domini, et impatientiam suam et improperium murmurationis suæ contra Dominum protulerunt,

25exterminati sunt ab exterminatore, et a serpentibus perierunt.

26Et nos ergo non ulciscamur nos pro his quæ patimur,

27sed reputantes peccatis nostris hæc ipsa supplicia minora esse flagella Domini, quibus quasi servi corripimur ad emendationem, et non ad perditionem nostram evenisse credamus.

28Et dixerunt illi Ozias et presbyteri: Omnia quæ locuta es, vera sunt, et non est in sermonibus tuis ulla reprehensio.

29Nunc ergo ora pro nobis, quoniam mulier sancta es, et timens Deum.

30Et dixit illis Judith: Sicut quod potui loqui, Dei esse cognoscitis,

31ita quod facere disposui, probate si ex Deo est, et orate ut firmum faciat Deus consilium meum.

32Stabitis vos ad portam nocte ista, et ego exeam cum abra mea: et orate, ut sicut dixistis, in diebus quinque respiciat Dominus populum suum Israël.

33Vos autem nolo ut scrutemini actum meum, et usque dum renuntiem vobis, nihil aliud fiat, nisi oratio pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

34Et dixit ad eam Ozias princeps Juda: Vade in pace, et Dominus sit tecum in ultionem inimicorum nostrorum. Et revertentes abierunt.

1And it happened that these words were heard by Judith, a widow who was the daughter of Merari, the son of Idox, the son of Joseph, the son of Oziel, the son of Elai, the son of Jamnor, the son of Gideon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Ahitub, the son of Melchiel, the son of Enan, the son of Nathaniel, the son of Salathiel, the son of Simeon, the son of Ruben.

2And her husband was Manasseh, who died in the days of the barley harvest.

3For he was standing over those who bound sheaves in the field, and the heat overcame his head, and he died in Bethulia, his own city, and he was buried there with his fathers.

4But Judith, his bereaved, was a widow now for three years and six months.

5And she made herself a private chamber in the upper part of her house, in which she stayed enclosed with her handmaids.

6And she had haircloth around her waist, and she fasted all the days of her life, except Sabbaths, and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.

7Moreover, she was exceedingly elegant in appearance, and her husband left her many riches, and an abundant household, as well as the ownership of plentiful herds of oxen and flocks of sheep.

8And she was greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much, nor was there anyone who spoke an ill word about her.

9And so, when she heard that Uzziah had promised that he would hand over the city with the passing of five days, she sent to the elders Chabris and Charmis.

10And they came to her, and she said to them: “What is this word, by which Uzziah has consented to hand over the city to the Assyrians, if within five days no help arrives for us?

11And who are you to test the Lord?

12This is not a word that will provoke mercy, but rather one that may excite wrath and enkindle fury.

13You have set a time limit for the mercy of the Lord, and you have established a day for him, according to your choice.

14But, since the Lord is patient, let us be repentant about this same matter, and let us beg his indulgence with many tears.

15For God will not threaten like man, nor will he be inflamed to anger like a son of man.

16And, for this reason, let us humble our souls before him, and, continuing to serve him in a spirit of humility,

17let us speak to the Lord with tears, so that he may act according to his will in his mercy toward us. So then, just as our heart is disturbed by their arrogance, so also may we glory in our humility.

18For we have not followed the sins of our fathers, who abandoned their God in order to worship strange gods.

19Because of this crime, they were given over to their enemies: to the sword, and to pillaging, and to confusion. But we know no other God except him.

20Let us wait with humility for his consolation, and the Lord our God will requite our blood by the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the nations that will rise up against us, and he will cause them to be without honor.

21And now, brothers, because you are the elders among the people of God, and their very soul hangs upon you, rescue their hearts by your eloquence, so that they may remember that our fathers were tested in order to prove whether or not they truly worshiped their God.

22They are obliged to remember how our father Abraham was tested, and being proved by many tribulations, he was made the friend of God.

23So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that have pleased God, passed through many tribulations, remaining faithful.

24But those who did not accept the trials with the fear of the Lord, and who brought forward their impatience and the disgrace of their murmuring against the Lord,

25were exterminated by the exterminator, and they perished by serpents.

26And as for us, therefore, let us not revenge ourselves for these things that we suffer.

27But, in considering these same sufferings to be less than our sins deserve, let us believe that the scourges of the Lord, by which we are corrected like servants, have occurred for our improvement and not for our destruction.”

28And Uzziah and the elders said to her: “All the things that you have spoken are true, and there is nothing reprehensible in your words.

29Now, therefore, pray for us, because you are a holy woman, and one fearing God.”

30And Judith said to them: “You know that what I have been able to say is of God.

31So, concerning that which I propose to do, examine whether or not it is from God, and pray that God may act to strengthen my plan.

32You will stand at the gate this night, and I will go forth with my handmaid. And pray that, just as you have said, within five days the Lord may look kindly on his people Israel.

33But I am not willing to have you examine my actions, and, until I report to you, let nothing else be done, except to pray for me to the Lord our God.”

34And Uzziah, the leader of Judah, said to her, “Go in peace, and may the Lord be with you to take revenge among our enemies.” So, turning back, they departed.