Liber Iudith, 16

1. tunc cantavit canticum hoc Domino Judith dicens

1. Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying:

2. incipite Domino in tympanis cantate Deo in cymbalis modulamini illi psalmum novum exaltate et invocate nomen ejus

2. Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto him a new psalm, extol and call upon his name.

3. Dominus conterens bella Dominus nomen est illi

3. The Lord putteth an end to wars, the Lord is his name.

4. qui posuit castra sua in medio populi sui ut eriperet nos de manu omnium inimicorum nostrorum

4. He hath set his camp in the midst of his people, to deliver us from the hand of all our enemies.

5. venit Assur ex montibus ab aquilone in multitudine fortitudinis suæ cujus multitudo obturavit torrentes et equi eorum cooperuerunt valles

5. The Assyrians came out of the mountains from the north in the multitude of his strength: his multitude stopped up the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.

6. dixit se incensurum fines meos et juvenes meos occisurum gladio infantes meos dare in prædam et virgines in captivitatem

6. He bragged that he would set my borders on fire, and kill my young men with the sword, to make my infants a prey, and my virgins captives.

7. Dominus autem omnipotens nocuit eum et tradidit eum in manus feminæ et confudit eum

7. But the almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a woman, and hath slain him.

8. non enim cecidit potens eorum a juvenibus nec filii Titan percusserunt eum nec excelsi gigantes inposuerunt se illi sed Judith filia Merari in specie faciei suæ dissolvit eum

8. For their mighty one did not fall by young men, neither did the sons of Titan strike him, nor tall giants oppose themselves to him, but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her face.

9. exuit enim se vestimenta viduitatis et induit se vestimenta lætitiæ in exultatione filiorum Israël

9. For she put off her the garments of widowhood, and put on her the garments of joy, to give joy to the children of Israel.

10. unxit faciem suam unguento conligavit cincinnos suos mitra ad decipiendum illum

10. She anointed her face with ointment, and bound up her locks with a crown, she took a new robe to deceive him.

11. sandalia ejus rapuerunt oculos ejus pulchritudo ejus captivam fecit animam ejus amputavit pugione cervicem ejus

11. Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.

12. horruerunt Persæ constantiam ejus et Medi audaciam ejus

12. The Persians quaked at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.

13. tunc ululaverunt castra Assyriorum quando apparuerunt humiles mei arescentes in siti

13. Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my lowly ones appeared, parched with thirst.

14. filii puellarum conpunxerunt eos et sicut pueros fugientes occiderunt eos perierunt in prœlio a facie Domini mei

14. The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and they have killed them like children fleeing away: they perished in battle before the face of the Lord my God.

15. hymnum cantemus Domino hymnum novum cantemus Deo nostro

15. Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God.

16. Adonai Domine magnus es tu et præclarus in virtute et quem superare nemo potest

16. O Adonai, Lord, great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.

17. tibi serviat omnis creatura tua quia dixisti et facta sunt misisti spiritum tuum et creata sunt et non est qui resistat voci tuæ

17. Let all thy creatures serve thee: because thou hast spoken, and they were made: thou didst send forth thy spirit, and they were created, and there is no one that can resist thy voice.

18. montes a fundamentis movebuntur cum aquis petræ sicut cera liquescent ante faciem tuam

18. The mountains shall be moved from the foundations with the waters: the rooks shall melt as wax before thy face.

19. qui autem timent te magni erunt apud te præ omnia

19. But they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.

20. væ genti insurgenti super genus meum Dominus enim omnipotens vindicabit in eis in die judicii visitabit illos

20. Woe be to the nation that riseth up against my people: for the Lord almighty will take revenge on them, in the day of judgment he will visit them.

21. dabit enim ignem et vermes in carnes eorum ut urantur et sentiant usque in sempiternum

21. For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever.

22. et factum est post hæc omnis populus post victoriam venit ad Hierusalem adorare Dominum et mox ut purificati sunt obtulerunt omnes holocausta et vota et repromissiones suas

22. And it came to pass after these things, that all the people, after the victory, came to Jerusalem to adore the Lord: and as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.

23. porro Judith universa vasa bellica Holofernis quæ dedit illi populus et conopeum quod ipsa sustulerat in anathema oblivionis

23. And Judith offered for an anathema of oblivion all the arms of Holofernes, which the people gave her, and the canopy that she had taken away out of his chamber.

24. erat autem populus jucundus secundum faciem sanctorum et per tres menses gaudium hujus victoriæ celebratum est cum Judith

24. And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.

25. post dies autem illos unusquisque rediit in sua et Judith magna facta est in Bethulia et præclarior erat universæ terræ Israël

25. And after those days every man returned to his house, and Judith was made great in Bethulia, and she was most renowned in all the land of Israel.

26. erat etiam virtuti castitatis adiuncta ita ut non cognosceret virum omnibus diebus vitæ suæ ex quo defunctus est Manasses vir ejus

26. And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses her husband.

27. erat autem diebus festis procedens cum gloria magna

27. And on festival days she came forth with great glory.

28. mansit autem in domo viri sui annos centum quinque et dimisit abram suam liberam et defuncta est ac sepulta cum viro suo in Bethuliam

28. And she abode in her husband's house a hundred and five years, and made her handmaid free, and she died, and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.

29. luxitque illam omnis populus diebus septem

29. And all the people mourned for seven days.

30. in omni autem spatio vitæ ejus non fuit qui perturbaret Israël et post mortem ejus annis multis

30. And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.

31. dies autem victoriæ hujus festivitatem ab Hebræis in numero dierum sanctorum accepit et colitur a Judæis ex illo tempore usque in præsentem diem

31. But the day of the festivity of this victory is received by the Hebrews in the number of holy days, and is religiously observed by the Jews from that time until this day.