Judith, 13

1. And when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings, and Vagao shut the chamber doors, and went his way.

1. ὡς δὲ ὀψία ἐγένετο ἐσπούδασαν οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ ἀναλύειν καὶ Βαγώας συνέκλεισεν τὴν σκηνὴν ἔξωθεν καὶ ἀπέκλεισεν τοὺς παρεστῶτας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπῴχοντο εἰς τὰς κοίτας αὐτῶν ἦσαν γὰρ πάντες κεκοπωμένοι διὰ τὸ ἐπὶ πλεῖον γεγονέναι τὸν πότον

2. And they were all overcharged with wine.

2. ὑπελείφθη δὲ Ιουδιθ μόνη ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ καὶ Ολοφέρνης προπεπτωκὼς ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην αὐτοῦ ἦν γὰρ περικεχυμένος αὐτῷ ὁ οἶνος

3. And Judith was alone in the chamber.

3. καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδιθ τῇ δούλῃ αὐτῆς στῆναι ἔξω τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπιτηρεῖν τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτῆς καθάπερ καθ’ ἡμέραν ἐξελεύσεσθαι γὰρ ἔφη ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν αὐτῆς καὶ τῷ Βαγώᾳ ἐλάλησεν κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα

4. But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.

4. καὶ ἀπήλθοσαν πάντες ἐκ προσώπου καὶ οὐδεὶς κατελείφθη ἐν τῷ κοιτῶνι ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου καὶ στᾶσα Ιουδιθ παρὰ τὴν κλίνην αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς κύριε ὁ θεὸς πάσης δυνάμεως ἐπίβλεψον ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ταύτῃ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν μου εἰς ὕψωμα Ιερουσαλημ

5. And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before the chamber, and to watch:

5. ὅτι νῦν καιρὸς ἀντιλαβέσθαι τῆς κληρονομίας σου καὶ ποιῆσαι τὸ ἐπιτήδευμά μου εἰς θραῦσμα ἐχθρῶν οἳ ἐπανέστησαν ἡμῖν

6. And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears, and the motion of her lips in silence,

6. καὶ προσελθοῦσα τῷ κανόνι τῆς κλίνης ὃς ἦν πρὸς κεφαλῆς Ολοφέρνου καθεῖλεν τὸν ἀκινάκην αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ

7. Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.

7. καὶ ἐγγίσασα τῆς κλίνης ἐδράξατο τῆς κόμης τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν κραταίωσόν με κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ

8. And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.

8. καὶ ἐπάταξεν εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ δὶς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι αὐτῆς καὶ ἀφεῖλεν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ

9. And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour.

9. καὶ ἀπεκύλισε τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς στρωμνῆς καὶ ἀφεῖλε τὸ κωνώπιον ἀπὸ τῶν στύλων καὶ μετ’ ὀλίγον ἐξῆλθεν καὶ παρέδωκεν τῇ ἅβρᾳ αὐτῆς τὴν κεφαλὴν Ολοφέρνου

10. And she struck twice upon his neck, and out off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body.

10. καὶ ἐνέβαλεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν πήραν τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξῆλθον αἱ δύο ἅμα κατὰ τὸν ἐθισμὸν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχήν καὶ διελθοῦσαι τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἐκύκλωσαν τὴν φάραγγα ἐκείνην καὶ προσανέβησαν τὸ ὄρος Βαιτυλουα καὶ ἤλθοσαν πρὸς τὰς πύλας αὐτῆς

11. And after a while she went out, and delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.

11. καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδιθ μακρόθεν τοῖς φυλάσσουσιν ἐπὶ τῶν πυλῶν ἀνοίξατε ἀνοίξατε δὴ τὴν πύλην μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ποιῆσαι ἔτι ἰσχὺν ἐν Ισραηλ καὶ κράτος κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καθὰ καὶ σήμερον ἐποίησεν

12. And they two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer, and they passed the camp, and having compassed the valley, they came to the gate of the city.

12. καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως αὐτῆς τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῆς ἐσπούδασαν τοῦ καταβῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν καὶ συνεκάλεσαν τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς πόλεως

13. And Judith from afar off cried to the watchmen upon the walls: Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shewn his power in Israel.

13. καὶ συνέδραμον πάντες ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν ὅτι παράδοξον ἦν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐλθεῖν αὐτήν καὶ ἤνοιξαν τὴν πύλην καὶ ὑπεδέξαντο αὐτὰς καὶ ἅψαντες πῦρ εἰς φαῦσιν περιεκύκλωσαν αὐτάς

14. And it came to pass, when the men had heard her voice, that they called the ancients of the city.

14. ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ αἰνεῖτε τὸν θεόν αἰνεῖτε αἰνεῖτε τὸν θεόν ὃς οὐκ ἀπέστησεν τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Ισραηλ ἀλλ’ ἔθραυσε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν διὰ χειρός μου ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ

15. And all ran to meet her from the least to the greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come.

15. καὶ προελοῦσα τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐκ τῆς πήρας ἔδειξεν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἰδοὺ ἡ κεφαλὴ Ολοφέρνου ἀρχιστρατήγου δυνάμεως Ασσουρ καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ κωνώπιον ἐν ᾧ κατέκειτο ἐν ταῖς μέθαις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος ἐν χειρὶ θηλείας

16. And lighting up lights they all gathered round about her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace,

16. καὶ ζῇ κύριος ὃς διεφύλαξέν με ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μου ᾗ ἐπορεύθην ὅτι ἠπάτησεν αὐτὸν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου εἰς ἀπώλειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἁμάρτημα μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἰς μίασμα καὶ αἰσχύνην

17. Judith said: Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him.

17. καὶ ἐξέστη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς σφόδρα καὶ κύψαντες προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ εἶπαν ὁμοθυμαδόν εὐλογητὸς εἶ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ ἐξουδενώσας ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ σήμερον τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ λαοῦ σου

18. And by me his handmaid he hath fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel: and he hath killed the enemy of his people by my hand this night.

18. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Οζιας εὐλογητὴ σύ θύγατερ τῷ θεῷ τῷ ὑψίστῳ παρὰ πάσας τὰς γυναῖκας τὰς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ εὐλογημένος κύριος ὁ θεός ὃς ἔκτισεν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν ὃς κατεύθυνέν σε εἰς τραῦμα κεφαλῆς ἄρχοντος ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν

19. Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman.

19. ὅτι οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ἡ ἐλπίς σου ἀπὸ καρδίας ἀνθρώπων μνημονευόντων ἰσχὺν θεοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος

20. But as the same Lord liveth, his angel hath been my keeper both going hence, and abiding there, and returning from thence hither: and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory, for my escape, and for your deliverance.

20. καὶ ποιήσαι σοι αὐτὰ ὁ θεὸς εἰς ὕψος αἰώνιον τοῦ ἐπισκέψασθαί σε ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνθ’ ὧν οὐκ ἐφείσω τῆς ψυχῆς σου διὰ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν ἀλλ’ ἐπεξῆλθες τῷ πτώματι ἡμῶν ἐπ’ εὐθεῖαν πορευθεῖσα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ εἶπαν πᾶς ὁ λαός γένοιτο γένοιτο

21. Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.

21.

22. And they all adored the Lord, and said to her: The Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath brought our enemies to nought.

22.

23. And Ozias the prince of the people of Israel, said to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth.

23.

24. Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies.

24.

25. Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.

25.

26. And all the people said: So be it, so be it.

26.

27. And Achior being called for came, and Judith said to him: The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that he revengeth himself of his enemies, he hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this night by my hand.

27.

28. And that thou mayst find that it is so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel: and threatened thee with death, saying: When the people of Israel shall be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.

28.

29. Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.

29.

30. But after he had recovered his spirits he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her and said:

30.

31. Blessed art thou by thy God in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee.

31.