友弟德传 14

1And Judith said to all the people: Hear me, my brethren, hang ye up this head upon our walls.

2And as soon as the sun shall rise, let every man take his arms, and rush ye out, not as going down beneath, but as making an assault.

3Then the watchmen must needs run to awake their prince for the battle.

4And when the captains of them shall run to the tent of Holofernes, and shall find him without his head wallowing in his blood, fear shall fall upon them.

5And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under your feet.

6Then Achior seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, leaving the religion of the gentiles, he believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the succession of his kindred until this present day.

7And immediately at break of day, they hung up the head of Holofernes upon the walls, and every man took his arms, and they sent out with a great noise and shouting.

8And the watchmen seeing this, ran to the tent of Holofernes.

9And they that were in the tent came, and made a noise before the door of the chamber to awake him, endeavouring by art to break his rest, that Holofernes might awake, not by their calling him, but by their noise.

10For no man durst knock, or open and go into the chamber of the general of the Assyrians.

11But when his captains and tribunes were come, and all the chiefs of the army of the king of the Assyrians, they said to the chamberlains:

12Go in, and awake him, for the mice coming out of their holes, have presumed to challenge us to fight.

13Then Vagao going into his chamber, stood before the curtain, and made a clapping with his hands: for he thought that he was sleeping with Judith.

14But when with hearkening, he perceived no motion of one lying, he came near to the curtain, and lifting it up, and seeing the body of Holofernes, lying upon the ground, without the head, sweltering in his blood, he cried out with a loud voice, with weeping, and rent his garments.

15And he went into the tent of Judith, and not finding her, he ran out to the people,

16And said: One Hebrew woman hath made confusion in the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for behold Holofernes lieth upon the ground, and his head is not upon him.

17Now when the chiefs of the army of the Assyrians had heard this, they all rent their garments, and an intolerable fear and dread fell upon them, and their minds were troubled exceedingly.

18And there was a very great cry in the midst of their camp.

1Dixit autem Judith ad omnem populum: Audite me, fratres: suspendite caput hoc super muros nostros:

2et erit, cum exierit sol, accipiat unusquisque arma sua, et exite cum impetu, non ut descendatis deorsum, sed quasi impetum facientes.

3Tunc exploratores necesse erit ut fugiant ad principem suum excitandum ad pugnam.

4Cumque duces eorum cucurrerint ad tabernaculum Holofernis, et invenerint eum truncum in suo sanguine volutatum, decidet super eos timor.

5Cumque cognoveritis fugere eos, ite post illos securi, quoniam Dominus conteret eos sub pedibus vestris.

6Tunc Achior, videns virtutem quam fecit Deus Israël, relicto gentilitatis ritu, credidit Deo, et circumcidit carnem præputii sui, et appositus est ad populum Israël, et omnis successio generis ejus usque in hodiernum diem.

7Mox autem ut ortus est dies, suspenderunt super muros caput Holofernis, accepitque unusquisque vir arma sua, et egressi sunt cum grandi strepitu et ululatu.

8Quod videntes exploratores, ad tabernaculum Holofernis cucurrerunt.

9Porro hi qui in tabernaculo erant, venientes, et ante ingressum cubiculi perstrepentes, excitandi gratia, inquietudinem arte moliebantur, ut non ab excitantibus, sed a sonantibus Holofernes evigilaret.

10Nullus enim audebat cubiculum virtutis Assyriorum pulsando aut intrando aperire.

11Sed cum venissent ejus duces ac tribuni, et universi majores exercitus regis Assyriorum, dixerunt cubiculariis:

12Intrate, et excitate illum, quoniam egressi mures de cavernis suis, ausi sunt provocare nos ad prælium.

13Tunc ingressus Vagao cubiculum ejus, stetit ante cortinam, et plausum fecit manibus suis: suspicabatur enim illum cum Judith dormire.

14Sed cum nullum motum jacentis sensu aurium caperet, accessit proximans ad cortinam, et elevans eam, vidensque cadaver absque capite Holofernis in suo sanguine tabefactum jacere super terram, exclamavit voce magna cum fletu, et scidit vestimenta sua.

15Et ingressus tabernaculum Judith, non invenit eam, et exiliit foras ad populum,

16et dixit: Una mulier hebræa fecit confusionem in domo regis Nabuchodonosor: ecce enim Holofernes jacet in terra, et caput ejus non est in illo.

17Quod cum audissent principes virtutis Assyriorum, sciderunt omnes vestimenta sua, et intolerabilis timor et tremor cecidit super eos, et turbati sunt animi eorum valde.

18Et factus est clamor incomparabilis in medio castrorum eorum.

1Then Judith said to all the people: “Hear me, brothers. Suspend this head over our walls.

2And, as soon as the sun rises, let everyone take up his weapons and go out to attack, not going down all the way, but only to seem as if making an assault.

3Then the scouts will have to hurry to awaken their leader for the fight.

4And when their commanders rush into the tabernacle of Holofernes, and they find his headless body wallowing in his blood, fear will fall over them.

5And when you realize that they are fleeing, go after them in security, for the Lord will crush them under your feet.”

6Then Achior, seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, left behind the rituals of the Gentiles. He believed in God, and he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and he was placed among the people of Israel, and so were all the succession of his kindred, even until this present day.

7And soon, at the rising of day, they suspended the head of Holofernes above the walls, and every man took up his weapons, and they went out with a great uproar and howling.

8When the scouts saw this, they rushed to the tent of Holofernes.

9Moreover, those who were in the tent came and made a loud noise before the entrance to the bedchamber, hoping to awaken him by an attempt at skillful noise-making, not by intruding on him, so that Holofernes might be roused from sleep.

10For no one dared to knock, or to open and enter, the bedchamber of the powerful leader of the Assyrians.

11But when his commanders and tribunes had arrived, with all the chiefs of the army of the king of the Assyrians, they said to the chamberlains:

12“Enter and awaken him, for the mice have come out of their holes, intending to challenge us to fight.”

13Then Vagao, entering his bedchamber, stood before the curtain, and he made a clapping noise with his hands. For he suspected that he was sleeping with Judith.

14But when, with attentiveness, he perceived no motion of anyone reclining, he approached the curtain. And lifting it up, he saw the dead body of Holofernes, without a head, lying on the ground, soaked in his own blood. He cried out with a loud voice and weeping, and he tore his garments.

15And he entered the tent of Judith and did not find her. And he ran out to the people,

16and he said: “One Hebrew woman has caused confusion in the house of Nebuchadnezzar the king. For behold, Holofernes lies on the ground, and his head is not with him.”

17Now when the leaders of the army of the Assyrians had heard this, they all tore their garments, and an intolerable fear and trembling fell over them, and their minds were greatly disturbed.

18And there was an unprecedented outcry in the midst of their camp.