Judite, 14

1. Então, Judite disse a todo o povo: “Ouvi-me, irmãos, pendurai esta cabeça no alto de nossas muralhas.

1. Then Judith said to them, "Listen to me, my brethren, and take this head and hang it upon the parapet of your wall.

2. Quando o sol se levantar, tome cada um as suas armas e saí com ímpeto, não para descerdes simplesmente até o vale, mas como para atacá-los.

2. And as soon as morning comes and the sun rises, let every valiant man take his weapons and go out of the city, and set a captain over them, as if you were going down to the plain against the Assyrian outpost; only do not go down.

3. Será necessário que as sentinelas corram a acordar o seu general para o combate.

3. Then they will seize their arms and go into the camp and rouse the officers of the Assyrian army; and they will rush into the tent of Holofernes, and will not find him. Then fear will come over them, and they will flee before you,

4. Quando os seus chefes tiverem corrido à tenda de Holo­fernes e o encontrarem decapitado, jazendo no seu próprio sangue, serão tomados de pavor.

4. and you and all who live within the borders of Israel shall pursue them and cut them down as they flee.

5. E quando os virdes fugir, persegui-os destemidamente, porque o Senhor os esmagará sob os vossos pés”.

5. But before you do all this, bring Achior the Ammonite to me, and let him see and recognize the man who despised the house of Israel and sent him to us as if to his death."

6. Então, Aquior, vendo o poder que manifestara o Deus de Israel, abandonou o culto pagão, creu em Deus, circuncidou-se e foi incorporado ao povo de Israel, assim como toda a sua descendência até o dia de hoje.

6. So they summoned Achior from the house of Uzziah. And when he came and saw the head of Holofernes in the hand of one of the men at the gathering of the people, he fell down on his face and his spirit failed him.

7. Logo que raiou o dia, penduraram nas muralhas a cabeça de Holofernes, cada um tomou as suas armas e saíram fazendo um grande alarido e soltando gritos agudos.

7. And when they raised him up he fell at Judith's feet, and knelt before her, and said, "Blessed are you in every tent of Judah! In every nation those who hear your name will be alarmed.

8. Vendo isso, correram as sentinelas à tenda de Holofernes.

8. Now tell me what you have done during these days." Then Judith described to him in the presence of the people all that she had done, from the day she left until the moment of her speaking to them.

9. Os que estavam na tenda vieram ver e fizeram grande barulho à porta do quarto para despertá-lo e aumentavam cada vez mais o tumulto para que Holofernes acordasse com o ruído, sem que houvesse necessidade de entrar para acordá-lo.

9. And when she had finished, the people raised a great shout and made a joyful noise in their city.

10. Porque ninguém ousava bater na porta nem entrar no quarto do marechal dos assírios.

10. And when Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done, he believed firmly in God, and was circumcised, and joined the house of Israel, remaining so to this day.

11. Mas chegando os generais com os tribunos e com todos os oficiais do exército do rei dos assírios, ordenaram aos camareiros:

11. As soon as it was dawn they hung the head of Holofernes on the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went out in companies to the passes in the mountains.

12. “Entrai e despertai-o, porque os ratos saíram de seus buracos e se atrevem a nos provocar ao combate”.

12. And when the Assyrians saw them they sent word to their commanders, and they went to the generals and the captains and to all their officers.

13. Então, Vagao, entrando no quarto, parou diante da cortina e bateu com as mãos, porque supunha que ele dormia com Judite.

13. So they came to Holofernes' tent and said to the steward in charge of all his personal affairs, "Wake up our lord, for the slaves have been so bold as to come down against us to give battle, in order to be destroyed completely."

14. Aplicando, porém, os ouvidos e não percebendo movimento algum de um homem que dorme, aproximou-se da cortina e a levantou. À vista do cadáver de Holofernes decapitado, que jazia por terra num charco de sangue, soltou um forte grito, rompeu em lágrimas e rasgou as suas vestes.

14. So Bagoas went in and knocked at the door of the tent, for he supposed that he was sleeping with Judith.

15. Entrou então na tenda de Judite e não a encontrou. Correu para fora e disse ao povo:

15. But when no one answered, he opened it and went into the bedchamber and found him thrown down on the platform dead, with his head cut off and missing.

16. “Uma judia pôs a confusão na casa do rei Nabucodonosor: Holofernes jaz ali caído por terra e a sua cabeça não está com o corpo!”.

16. And he cried out with a loud voice and wept and groaned and shouted, and rent his garments.

17. Ouvindo essas palavras, todos os oficiais do exército assírio rasgaram suas vestes. Um terror e um espanto extremos os invadiram e os seus espíritos ficaram completamente desorientados. Um clamor indescritível levantou-se do acampamento.

17. Then he went to the tent where Judith had stayed, and when he did not find her he rushed out to the people and shouted,

18.

18. "The slaves have tricked us! One Hebrew woman has brought disgrace upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar! For look, here is Holofernes lying on the ground, and his head is not on him!"

19.

19. When the leaders of the Assyrian army heard this, they rent their tunics and were greatly dismayed, and their loud cries and shouts arose in the midst of the camp.