Judite, 7

1. No dia seguinte, Holofernes ordenou às suas tropas que tomassem de assalto Betúlia.

1. The next day Holofernes ordered his whole army, and all the allies who had joined him, to break camp and move against Bethulia, and to seize the passes up into the hill country and make war on the Israelites.

2. Havia cento e setenta mil soldados de infantaria e doze mil cavaleiros, além dos homens de armas que tinha aprisionado e dos jovens que tinha levado das províncias e das cidades.

2. So all their warriors moved their camp that day; their force of men of war was one hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, together with the baggage and the foot soldiers handling it, a very great multitude.

3. Prepararam-se todos para combater contra os israelitas e partiram pela encosta da montanha até o cume que olha para Dotain, desde o lugar chamado Belbaima até Quiamon, que está fronteiro a Esdrelão.

3. They encamped in the valley near Bethulia, beside the spring, and they spread out in breadth over Dothan as far as Balbaim and in length from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.

4. Quando os israelitas viram aquela multidão, prostraram-se por terra e co­briram de cinzas as suas cabeças, orando em comum ao Deus de Israel para que fizesse misericórdia ao seu povo.

4. When the Israelites saw their vast numbers they were greatly terrified, and every one said to his neighbor, "These men will now lick up the face of the whole land; neither the high mountains nor the valleys nor the hills will bear their weight."

5. Tomando então as suas armas de guerra, postaram-se nos lugares em que caminhos estreitos conduziam às passagens entre os montes e ali montaram guarda noite e dia.

5. Then each man took up his weapons, and when they had kindled fires on their towers they remained on guard all that night.

6. Entretanto, ao fazer uma ronda pelos arredores, Holofernes descobriu ao sul da cidade a fonte que a abastecia por meio de um aqueduto e mandou cortá-lo.

6. On the second day Holofernes led out all his cavalry in full view of the Israelites in Bethulia,

7. Havia, entretanto, não longe dos muros, algumas fontes aonde iam furtivamente os sitiados buscar água, mais para aliviar um pouco a sede que para beber.

7. and examined the approaches to the city, and visited the springs that supplied their water, and seized them and set guards of soldiers over them, and then returned to his army.

8. Então, os amonitas e os moabitas foram dizer a Holofernes: “Os israelitas não confiam nem nas lanças nem nas flechas, mas são defendidos pelas montanhas e sua verdadeira força são as colinas escarpadas.

8. Then all the chieftains of the people of Esau and all the leaders of the Moabites and the commanders of the coastland came to him and said,

9. Para que possas vencê-los sem combate, põe guardas às fontes, para não buscarem água ali e os matareis sem golpes de espada. Ou, pelo menos, esgotados pela sede, entregarão a cidade, a qual, por estar situada nas montanhas, julgavam inexpugnável”.

9. "Let our lord hear a word, lest his army be defeated.

10. Essa sugestão agradou a Holofernes e aos seus oficiais e ele mandou que cada fonte fosse vigiada por um contingente de cem homens.

10. For these people, the Israelites, do not rely on their spears but on the height of the mountains where they live, for it is not easy to reach the tops of their mountains.

11. Passados vinte dias de guarda, secaram-se as fontes e os poços de Betúlia e os habitantes que recebiam cotidianamente a sua medida de água não a tiveram mais nem sequer para um dia.

11. Therefore, my lord, do not fight against them in battle array, and not a man of your army will fall.

12. Então, reuniram-se todos os homens, mulheres, jovens e crianças ao redor de Ozias e disseram-lhe a uma voz:

12. Remain in your camp, and keep all the men in your forces with you; only let your servants take possession of the spring of water that flows from the foot of the mountain --

13. “Deus seja juiz entre nós e ti, pois, recusando negociar a paz com os assírios, atraíste a desgraça sobre nós; e por isso entregou-nos Deus nas suas mãos.

13. for this is where all the people of Bethulia get their water. So thirst will destroy them, and they will give up their city. We and our people will go up to the tops of the nearby mountains and camp there to keep watch that not a man gets out of the city.

14. Também por isso não há quem nos socorra, estando nós aos seus olhos esgotados pela sede.

14. They and their wives and children will waste away with famine, and before the sword reaches them they will be strewn about in the streets where they live.

15. Agora, pois, reúne todos os que estão na cidade e entreguemo-nos espontaneamente aos homens de Holofer­nes.

15. So you will pay them back with evil, because they rebelled and did not receive you peaceably."

16. É melhor que bendigamos a Deus no cativeiro, vivos, do que morrer vergonhosamente diante de todos os homens, vendo morrer sob os nossos olhos nossas mulheres e nossos filhos.

16. These words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he gave orders to do as they had said.

17. O céu e a terra nos são testemunhas, assim como o Deus de nossos pais que toma vingança de nossos pecados: entrega sem demora a cidade ao exército de Holofer­nes, para que o fio de espada abrevie o nosso fim, retardado pelo ardor da sede!”.

17. So the army of the Ammonites moved forward, together with five thousand Assyrians, and they encamped in the valley and seized the water supply and the springs of the Israelites.

18. Tendo eles assim falado, levantou-se um grande pranto e gritos lanci­nantes na assembleia e a sua voz elevou-se para Deus durante várias horas:

18. And the sons of Esau and the sons of Ammon went up and encamped in the hill country opposite Dothan; and they sent some of their men toward the south and the east, toward Acraba, which is near Chusi beside the brook Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army encamped in the plain, and covered the whole face of the land, and their tents and supply trains spread out in great number, and they formed a vast multitude.

19. “Pecamos – diziam eles –, nós e nossos pais cometemos a injustiça e a iniquidade.

19. The people of Israel cried out to the Lord their God, for their courage failed, because all their enemies had surrounded them and there was no way of escape from them.

20. Vós, que sois bom, tende piedade de nós, ou então que vossos castigos tomem vingança de nossas iniquidades; mas não entregueis os que vos invocam a um povo que não vos conhece,

20. The whole Assyrian army, their infantry, chariots, and cavalry, surrounded them for thirty-four days, until all the vessels of water belonging to every inhabitant of Bethulia were empty;

21. para que se não diga entre os pagãos: Onde está o seu Deus?”.

21. their cisterns were going dry, and they did not have enough water to drink their fill for a single day, because it was measured out to them to drink.

22. Fatigados enfim de gritar e de chorar, eles se calaram.

22. Their children lost heart, and the women and young men fainted from thirst and fell down in the streets of the city and in the passages through the gates; there was no strength left in them any longer.

23. Ozias levantou-se então banhado em lágrimas: “Coragem, meus irmãos!” – disse ele. – “Esperemos ainda cinco dias a misericórdia do Senhor.

23. Then all the people, the young men, the women, and the children, gathered about Uzziah and the rulers of the city and cried out with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,

24. Talvez se aplaque a sua cólera e dê glória ao seu nome.

24. "God be judge between you and us! For you have done us a great injury in not making peace with the Assyrians.

25. Entretanto, se depois de cinco dias não nos chegar socorro algum, faremos o que propusestes.”

25. For now we have no one to help us; God has sold us into their hands, to strew us on the ground before them with thirst and utter destruction.

26.

26. Now call them in and surrender the whole city to the army of Holofernes and to all his forces, to be plundered.

27.

27. For it would be better for us to be captured by them; for we will be slaves, but our lives will be spared, and we shall not witness the death of our babes before our eyes, or see our wives and children draw their last breath.

28.

28. We call to witness against you heaven and earth and our God, the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers. Let him not do this day the things which we have described!"

29.

29. Then great and general lamentation arose throughout the assembly, and they cried out to the Lord God with a loud voice.

30.

30. And Uzziah said to them, "Have courage, my brothers! Let us hold out for five more days; by that time the Lord our God will restore to us his mercy, for he will not forsake us utterly.

31.

31. But if these days pass by, and no help comes for us, I will do what you say."

32.

32. Then he dismissed the people to their various posts, and they went up on the walls and towers of their city. The women and children he sent home. And they were greatly depressed in the city.