1 When the Israelites who dwelt in Judea heard of all that Holofernes, commander-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had despoiled all their temples and destroyed them,
2 they were in extreme dread of him, and greatly alarmed for Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord, their God.
3 Now, they had lately returned from exile, and only recently had all the people of Judea been gathered together, and the vessels, the altar, and the temple been purified from profanation.
4 So they sent word to the whole region of Samaria, to Kona, Beth-horon, Belmain, and Jericho, to Choba and Aesora, and to the valley of Salem.
5 The people there posted guards on all the summits of the high mountains, fortified their villages, and since their fields had recently been harvested, stored up provisions in preparation for war.
6 Joakim, who was high priest in Jerusalem in those days, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia (and Betomesthaim), which is on the way to Esdraelon, facing the plain near Dothan,
7 and instructed them to keep firm hold of the mountain passes, since these offered access to Judea. It would be easy to ward off the attacking forces, as the defile was only wide enough for two abreast.
8 The Israelites carried out the orders given them by Joakim, the high priest, and the senate of the whole people of Israel, which met in Jerusalem.
9 All the men of Israel cried to God with great fervor and did penance--
10 they, along with their wives, and children, and domestic animals. All their resident aliens, hired laborers, and slaves also girded themselves with sackcloth.
11 And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord.
12 The altar, too, they draped in sackcloth; and with one accord they cried out fervently to the God of Israel not to allow their children to be seized, their wives to be taken captive, the cities of their inheritance to be ruined, or the sanctuary to be profaned and mocked for the nations to gloat over.
13 The Lord heard their cry and had regard for their distress. For the people observed a fast of many days' duration throughout Judea, and before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem.
14 The high priest Joakim, and all the priests in attendance on the Lord who served his altar, were also girded with sackcloth as they offered the daily holocaust, the votive offerings, and the freewill offerings of the people.
15 With ashes upon their turbans, they cried to the Lord with all their strength to look with favor on the whole house of Israel.
Versículos relacionados com Judith, 4:
Judite 4 describes the preparation of Israelites for the war against the Assyrians. The chapter begins with Israeli leaders calling the people to fast and pray, asking for God's help in the battle to come. Then the author describes the mobilization of Israeli armies and the preparation for battle.
Numbers 10:9: "And when in your earth, you come out to the battle against the enemy that oppress you, you will touch the trumpets of counteracting, and before the Lord your God will be a memory of you, and you will be saved from your enemies." This verse describes the use of trumpets to draw God's attention and ask for help in battle, just as the Israelites do in Judite 4.
Deuteronomy 20:1: "When you go out to the battle against your enemies, and you will see horses, and cars, and people more numerous than you, you will not fear them; for the Lord your God, who took you out of the earth of Egypt, is with you . " This verse encourages Israelite soldiers not to be afraid of enemy armies, but trusting God's help, such as Israeli leaders ask Judith 4.
Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear, because I am with you, do not haunt yourself, because I am your God; I effort, and help you, and I support you with the right hand of my righteousness." This verse is another example of God encouraging their followers to trust him in times of difficulty and struggle, which is a central theme in Judite 4.
Psalm 144:1: "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who teaches my hands to the battle and my fingers to war." This Psalm talks about God's ability to prepare his followers for battle and teach them how to fight. This is something that Israeli leaders in Judite 4 are also looking for, as they ask for God's help.
2 Chronicles 20:15: "And said, Hence all Judah, and you residents of Jerusalem, and you, O Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord, do not fear, nor are you scary because of this great crowd; for the battle It is not yours but God. " This verse is another statement that God is the one who fights along with his followers and that there is therefore no reason to be afraid of enemies. This is something that Israeli leaders in Judite 4 are trying to convey to the people.
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