Judith, 16

1. Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying:

1. καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδιθ ἐξάρχετε τῷ θεῷ μου ἐν τυμπάνοις ᾄσατε τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν κυμβάλοις ἐναρμόσασθε αὐτῷ ψαλμὸν καὶ αἶνον ὑψοῦτε καὶ ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ

2. Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto him a new psalm, extol and call upon his name.

2. ὅτι θεὸς συντρίβων πολέμους κύριος ὅτι εἰς παρεμβολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς καταδιωκόντων με

3. The Lord putteth an end to wars, the Lord is his name.

3. ἦλθεν Ασσουρ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀπὸ βορρᾶ ἦλθεν ἐν μυριάσι δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ ὧν τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν ἐνέφραξεν χειμάρρους καὶ ἡ ἵππος αὐτῶν ἐκάλυψεν βουνούς

4. He hath set his camp in the midst of his people, to deliver us from the hand of all our enemies.

4. εἶπεν ἐμπρήσειν τὰ ὅριά μου καὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους μου ἀνελεῖν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ τὰ θηλάζοντά μου θήσειν εἰς ἔδαφος καὶ τὰ νήπιά μου δώσειν εἰς προνομὴν καὶ τὰς παρθένους μου σκυλεῦσαι

5. The Assyrians came out of the mountains from the north in the multitude of his strength: his multitude stopped up the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.

5. κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἠθέτησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν χειρὶ θηλείας

6. He bragged that he would set my borders on fire, and kill my young men with the sword, to make my infants a prey, and my virgins captives.

6. οὐ γὰρ ὑπέπεσεν ὁ δυνατὸς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ νεανίσκων οὐδὲ υἱοὶ τιτάνων ἐπάταξαν αὐτόν οὐδὲ ὑψηλοὶ γίγαντες ἐπέθεντο αὐτῷ ἀλλὰ Ιουδιθ θυγάτηρ Μεραρι ἐν κάλλει προσώπου αὐτῆς παρέλυσεν αὐτόν

7. But the almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a woman, and hath slain him.

7. ἐξεδύσατο γὰρ στολὴν χηρεύσεως αὐτῆς εἰς ὕψος τῶν πονούντων ἐν Ισραηλ ἠλείψατο τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ἐν μυρισμῷ

8. For their mighty one did not fall by young men, neither did the sons of Titan strike him, nor tall giants oppose themselves to him, but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her face.

8. καὶ ἐδήσατο τὰς τρίχας αὐτῆς ἐν μίτρᾳ καὶ ἔλαβεν στολὴν λινῆν εἰς ἀπάτην αὐτοῦ

9. For she put off her the garments of widowhood, and put on her the garments of joy, to give joy to the children of Israel.

9. τὸ σανδάλιον αὐτῆς ἥρπασεν ὀφθαλμὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς ᾐχμαλώτισεν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ διῆλθεν ὁ ἀκινάκης τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ

10. She anointed her face with ointment, and bound up her locks with a crown, she took a new robe to deceive him.

10. ἔφριξαν Πέρσαι τὴν τόλμαν αὐτῆς καὶ Μῆδοι τὸ θράσος αὐτῆς ἐταράχθησαν

11. Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.

11. τότε ἠλάλαξαν οἱ ταπεινοί μου καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ἀσθενοῦντές μου καὶ ἐπτοήθησαν ὕψωσαν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνετράπησαν

12. The Persians quaked at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.

12. υἱοὶ κορασίων κατεκέντησαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς παῖδας αὐτομολούντων ἐτίτρωσκον αὐτούς ἀπώλοντο ἐκ παρατάξεως κυρίου μου

13. Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my lowly ones appeared, parched with thirst.

13. ὑμνήσω τῷ θεῷ μου ὕμνον καινόν κύριε μέγας εἶ καὶ ἔνδοξος θαυμαστὸς ἐν ἰσχύι ἀνυπέρβλητος

14. The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and they have killed them like children fleeing away: they perished in battle before the face of the Lord my God.

14. σοὶ δουλευσάτω πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις σου ὅτι εἶπας καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ἀπέστειλας τὸ πνεῦμά σου καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιστήσεται τῇ φωνῇ σου

15. Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God.

15. ὄρη γὰρ ἐκ θεμελίων σὺν ὕδασιν σαλευθήσεται πέτραι δ’ ἀπὸ προσώπου σου ὡς κηρὸς τακήσονται ἔτι δὲ τοῖς φοβουμένοις σε σὺ εὐιλατεύσεις αὐτοῖς

16. O Adonai, Lord, great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.

16. ὅτι μικρὸν πᾶσα θυσία εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας καὶ ἐλάχιστον πᾶν στέαρ εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμά σοι ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος τὸν κύριον μέγας διὰ παντός

17. Let all thy creatures serve thee: because thou hast spoken, and they were made: thou didst send forth thy spirit, and they were created, and there is no one that can resist thy voice.

17. οὐαὶ ἔθνεσιν ἐπανιστανομένοις τῷ γένει μου κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐκδικήσει αὐτοὺς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως δοῦναι πῦρ καὶ σκώληκας εἰς σάρκας αὐτῶν καὶ κλαύσονται ἐν αἰσθήσει ἕως αἰῶνος

18. The mountains shall be moved from the foundations with the waters: the rooks shall melt as wax before thy face.

18. ὡς δὲ ἤλθοσαν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἡνίκα ἐκαθαρίσθη ὁ λαός ἀνήνεγκαν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἑκούσια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ δόματα

19. But they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.

19. καὶ ἀνέθηκεν Ιουδιθ πάντα τὰ σκεύη Ολοφέρνου ὅσα ἔδωκεν ὁ λαὸς αὐτῇ καὶ τὸ κωνώπιον ὃ ἔλαβεν ἑαυτῇ ἐκ τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀνάθημα τῷ θεῷ ἔδωκεν

20. Woe be to the nation that riseth up against my people: for the Lord almighty will take revenge on them, in the day of judgment he will visit them.

20. καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς εὐφραινόμενος ἐν Ιερουσαλημ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν ἁγίων ἐπὶ μῆνας τρεῖς καὶ Ιουδιθ μετ’ αὐτῶν κατέμεινεν

21. For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever.

21. μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ἀνέζευξεν ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ Ιουδιθ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Βαιτυλουα καὶ κατέμεινεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπάρξεως αὐτῆς καὶ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῆς ἔνδοξος ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ

22. And it came to pass after these things, that all the people, after the victory, came to Jerusalem to adore the Lord: and as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.

22. καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπεθύμησαν αὐτήν καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ἀνὴρ αὐτὴν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς ἀφ’ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀπέθανεν Μανασσης ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ

23. And Judith offered for an anathema of oblivion all the arms of Holofernes, which the people gave her, and the canopy that she had taken away out of his chamber.

23. καὶ ἦν προβαίνουσα μεγάλη σφόδρα καὶ ἐγήρασεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἔτη ἑκατὸν πέντε καὶ ἀφῆκεν τὴν ἅβραν αὐτῆς ἐλευθέραν καὶ ἀπέθανεν εἰς Βαιτυλουα καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς Μανασση

24. And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.

24. καὶ ἐπένθησεν αὐτὴν οἶκος Ισραηλ ἡμέρας ἑπτά καὶ διεῖλεν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὴν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔγγιστα Μανασση τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ τοῖς ἔγγιστα τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς

25. And after those days every man returned to his house, and Judith was made great in Bethulia, and she was most renowned in all the land of Israel.

25. καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἔτι ὁ ἐκφοβῶν τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ιουδιθ καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὴν ἡμέρας πολλάς

26. And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses her husband.

26.

27. And on festival days she came forth with great glory.

27.

28. And she abode in her husband's house a hundred and five years, and made her handmaid free, and she died, and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.

28.

29. And all the people mourned for seven days.

29.

30. And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.

30.

31. But the day of the festivity of this victory is received by the Hebrews in the number of holy days, and is religiously observed by the Jews from that time until this day.

31.