Liber Iudith, 14
1. Et dixit Iudith ad illos: “Audite me, fratres, et acci pientes caput hoc suspendite illud super propugnaculum muri nostri.
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. Et, cum aurora illuxerit, et exierit sol super terram, accipite unusquisque vasa bellica vestra et exietis omnis vir potens extra civitatem et dabitis initium adversus eos tamquam descendentes in campum ad primam custodiam filiorum Assyriae; et non descendetis.
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. Et accipientes illi arma sua ibunt in castra sua et suscitabunt duces virtutis Assyriae concurrentque ad tabernaculum Holofernis et non invenient illum, et incidet in illos timor, et fugient a facie vestra.
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. Et subsecuti vos et omnes, qui incolunt omnem finem Israel, prosternite illos in viis illorum.
4. and you and all who live within the borders of Israel shall pursue them and cut them down as they flee.
5. Ante autem quam faciatis ista, vocate mihi Achior Ammoniten, ut videns recognoscat eum, qui vituperavit domum Israel et ipsum quasi in mortem misit ad nos”.
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. Et vocaverunt Achior de domo Oziae, qui, ut venit et vidit caput Holofernis in manu viri unius in ecclesia populi, cecidit in faciem, et resolutus est spiritus ipsius.
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. Ut autem resuscitaverunt eum, procidit ad pedes Iudith et adoravit faciem ipsius et dixit: “Benedicta tu in omni tabernaculo Iudae et in omni gente, quicumque audientes nomen tuum turbabuntur.
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. Et nunc annuntia mihi, quaecumque fecisti in diebus istis”. Et rettulit illi Iudith in medio populi omnia, quaecumque fecerat, ex qua die exivit usque in diem, qua loquebatur illis.
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. Ut autem desiit loqui, exsultavit omnis populus voce magna et dedit vocem iucunditatis in civitate sua.
9. And when she had finished, the people raised a great shout and made a joyful noise in their city.
10. Videns autem Achior omnia, quaecumque fecit Deus Israel, credidit Deo valde et circumcidit carnem praeputii sui, et appositus est ad do mum Israel usque in diem hanc.
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. Postquam autem aurora orta est, suspenderunt caput Holofernis super murum; et accepit omnis vir arma sua, et exierunt secundum cohortes ad ascensiones montis.
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. Filii autem Assyriae, ut viderunt illos, miserunt ad praepositos suos, et illi venerunt ad duces et ad tribunos et ad omnes principes suos.
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. Et venerunt ad tabernaculum Holofernis et dixerunt Bagoae, qui erat super omnia eius: “Suscita dominum nostrum, quoniam ausi sunt Iudaei descendere ad nos in bellum, ut pereant usque ad finem”.
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. Introivitque Bagoas et pulsavit cortinam; suspicabatur enim illum cum Iudith dormire.
14. So Bagoas went in and knocked at the door of the tent, for he supposed that he was sleeping with Judith.
15. Cum autem nemo responderet, aperiens cortinam intravit in cubiculum et invenit illum in scabello proiectum, mortuum, nudum, et caput illius sublatum ab eo.
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. Et exclamavit voce magna cum fletu et gemitu et clamore magno et scidit vestimenta sua.
16. And he cried out with a loud voice and wept and groaned and shouted, and rent his garments.
17. Et intravit in tabernaculum, ubi Iudith fuerat hospitata, et non invenit eam. Et exsilivit ad populum et clamavit:
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. “Inique gesserunt servi! Fecit confusionem una mulier Hebraeorum in domum regis Nabuchodonosor, quoniam ecce Holofernes in terra, et caput ipsius non est in illo!”.
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. Ut autem audierunt verba haec, principes virtutis Assyriae sciderunt tunicas suas, et conturbata est anima eorum valde, et factus est clamor et ululatus magnus in medio castrorum.
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.
