Judite, 11

1. Então, Holofernes disse-lhe: “Tranquiliza-te! Não temas em teu coração, pois nunca fiz mal algum a quem estivesse pronto a servir o rei Nabuco­donosor.

1. Then Holofernes said to her, "Take courage, woman, and do not be afraid in your heart, for I have never hurt any one who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of all the earth.

2. Se teu povo não me tivesse desprezado, eu não teria levantado a minha lança contra ele.

2. And even now, if your people who live in the hill country had not slighted me, I would never have lifted my spear against them; but they have brought all this on themselves.

3. Mas dize-me, agora, por que os deixaste e vieste para o meio de nós?”.

3. And now tell me why you have fled from them and have come over to us -- since you have come to safety.

4. Judite respondeu-lhe: “Ouve as palavras de tua serva, porque se seguires as palavras que te vou dizer, o Senhor chegará aos seus fins por ti.

4. Have courage; you will live, tonight and from now on. No one will hurt you, but all will treat you well, as they do the servants of my lord King Nebuchadnezzar."

5. Juro-o por Nabucodonosor, rei da terra, e por seu poder que está nas tuas mãos para castigo daqueles que se desviam, porque não somente contribuis para que os homens o sirvam, mas até os animais do campo lhe obedecem.

5. Judith replied to him, "Accept the words of your servant, and let your maidservant speak in your presence, and I will tell nothing false to my lord this night.

6. A sabedoria de teu espírito é, com efeito, célebre em todas as nações, todo o mundo sabe que és o único bom e poderoso em seu reino e tua administração é louvada em todas as províncias.

6. And if you follow out the words of your maidservant, God will accomplish something through you, and my lord will not fail to achieve his purposes.

7. O que disse Aquior não é um segredo e ninguém ignora o que ordenaste que lhe fosse feito.

7. Nebuchadnezzar the king of the whole earth lives, and as his power endures, who had sent you to direct every living soul, not only do men serve him because of you, but also the beasts of the field and the cattle and the birds of the air will live by your power under Nebuchadnezzar and all his house.

8. Porque é manifesto que nosso Deus está de tal forma ofendido pelos pecados do povo, que lhe mandou dizer por meio de seus profetas, que o entregaria por causa de seus pecados.

8. For we have heard of your wisdom and skill, and it is reported throughout the whole world that you are the one good man in the whole kingdom, thoroughly informed and marvelous in military strategy.

9. E como os israelitas sabem que ofenderam o seu Deus, tu te tornaste um objeto de terror.

9. "Now as for the things Achior said in your council, we have heard his words, for the men of Bethulia spared him and he told them all he had said to you.

10. Além disso, a fome aperta-os e pela falta de água estão já como mortos.

10. Therefore, my lord and master, do not disregard what he said, but keep it in your mind, for it is true: our nation cannot be punished, nor can the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their God.

11. Chegam até a matar os seus animais para beberem o seu sangue.

11. "And now, in order that my lord may not be defeated and his purpose frustrated, death will fall upon them, for a sin has overtaken them by which they are about to provoke their God to anger when they do what is wrong.

12. E mesmo as primícias consagradas ao Senhor, seu Deus, que o Senhor lhes proibiu tocar – trigo, vinho e azeite – eles pensam empregá-las e querem assim comer aquilo que não lhes é permitido nem tocar com as mãos. Procedendo assim, é certo que serão entregues à ruína.

12. Since their food supply is exhausted and their water has almost given out, they have planned to kill their cattle and have determined to use all that God by his laws has forbidden them to eat.

13. E eu, tua serva, que sei de tudo isso, fugi do meio deles e o Senhor mandou-me a ti para dizer-te essas coisas.

13. They have decided to consume the first fruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and oil, which they had consecrated and set aside for the priests who minister in the presence of our God at Jerusalem -- although it is not lawful for any of the people so much as to touch these things with their hands.

14. Porque tua serva teme a Deus, mesmo junto de ti e ela sairá do acampamento para orar a Deus.

14. They have sent men to Jerusalem, because even the people living there have been doing this, to bring back to them permission from the senate.

15. Ele me dirá quando vai puni-los pelos seus pecados e eu virei dizer-te. Então, vou te levar até o coração de Jerusalém e encontrarás todo o povo de Israel como um rebanho de ovelhas sem pastor e não haverá sequer um cão para ladrar contra ti.

15. When the word reaches them and they proceed to do this, on that very day they will be handed over to you to be destroyed.

16. Isto me foi dito pela providência divina;

16. "Therefore, when I, your servant, learned all this, I fled from them; and God has sent me to accomplish with you things that will astonish the whole world, as many as shall hear about them.

17. e como Deus está irritado contra eles, fui enviada para te anunciar”.

17. For your servant is religious, and serves the God of heaven day and night; therefore, my lord, I will remain with you, and every night your servant will go out into the valley, and I will pray to God and he will tell me when they have committed their sins.

18. Holofernes e seus servos alegraram-se com esse discurso e admiraram a sabedoria de Judite, dizendo uns aos outros:

18. And I will come and tell you, and then you shall go out with your whole army, and not one of them will withstand you.

19. “Não há sobre a terra mulher semelhante a esta no valor, na beleza e na sabedoria de suas palavras”.

19. Then I will lead you through the middle of Judea, till you come to Jerusalem; and I will set your throne in the midst of it; and you will lead them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not a dog will so much as open its mouth to growl at you. For this has been told me, by my foreknowledge; it was announced to me, and I was sent to tell you."

20. Holofernes disse-lhe: “Deus fez muito bem em te mandar antes do povo, a fim de que possas entregá-lo nas nossas mãos.

20. Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and they marveled at her wisdom and said,

21. Teu plano é bom: se teu Deus fizer isso por mim, ele será também o meu Deus e tu serás grande na casa de Nabucodonosor e o teu nome será célebre em toda a terra”.

21. "There is not such a woman from one end of the earth to the other, either for beauty of face or wisdom of speech!"

22.

22. And Holofernes said to her, "God has done well to send you before the people, to lend strength to our hands and to bring destruction upon those who have slighted my lord.

23.

23. You are not only beautiful in appearance, but wise in speech; and if you do as you have said, your God shall be my God, and you shall live in the house of King Nebuchadnezzar and be renowned throughout the whole world."