Judith, 8

1. Now at that time Judith heard thereof, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozel, the son of Elcia, the son of Ananias, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Acitho, the son of Eliu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Samael, the son of Salasadal, the son of Israel.

1. The news of what had happened came in those days to Judith, daughter of Merari, son of Joseph, of Oziel, of Elkiah, of Ananias, of Gideon, of Raphain, of Ahitub, of Elijah, of Hilkiah, of Eliab, of Nathanael, of Salamiel, of Sarasadai, of Israel.

2. And Manasses was her husband, of her tribe and kindred, who died in the barley harvest.

2. Her husband was Manasseh, of the same tribe and family. He had died during the harvesting of the barley

3. For as he stood overseeing them that bound sheaves in the field, the heat came upon his head, and he fell on his bed, and died in the city of Bethulia: and they buried him with his fathers in the field between Dothaim and Balamo.

3. as he was supervising the reapers who were binding the sheaves on the plain; he suffered sunstroke, took to his bed and died in Bethulia, his town. He was buried with his ancestors in the field which lies between Dothan and Balamon.

4. So Judith was a widow in her house three years and four months.

4. As a widow, Judith remained in her house for three years and four months.

5. And she made her a tent upon the top of her house, and put on sackcloth upon her loins and ware her widow's apparel.

5. She had built a room on the rooftop of the house where she lived.

6. And she fasted all the days of her widowhood, save the eves of the sabbaths, and the sabbaths, and the eves of the new moons, and the new moons and the feasts and solemn days of the house of Israel.

6. She covered herself in sackcloth, put on widow's garments and fasted all the days of her widowhood with the exception of the eves of the Sabbath, the Sabbath day, the eves of the new moons, the days of the new moons, and all the celebrations of the people of Israel.

7. She was also of a goodly countenance, and very beautiful to behold: and her husband Manasses had left her gold, and silver, and menservants and maidservants, and cattle, and lands; and she remained upon them.

7. She was exceedingly beautiful and very pleasing to look at. Manasseh, her husband, had left her gold, silver, servants, cattle and fields and she remained the owner of all this estate.

8. And there was none that gave her an ill word; ar she feared God greatly.

8. No one could say anything evil of her because she greatly feared God.

9. Now when she heard the evil words of the people against the governor, that they fainted for lack of water; for Judith had heard all the words that Ozias had spoken unto them, and that he had sworn to deliver the city unto the Assyrians after five days;

9. She heard of the threatening words which the people had addressed to their leaders because they were downcast, suffering from lack of water. Judith also heard all that Uzziah had promised in reply, how he had sworn to hand over their city to the Assyrians at the end of five days.

10. Then she sent her waitingwoman, that had the government of all things that she had, to call Ozias and Chabris and Charmis, the ancients of the city.

10. So she sent the maidservant who looked after her affairs, to call Chabris and Charmis, two elders of the town, to come and see her.

11. And they came unto her, and she said unto them, Hear me now, O ye governors of the inhabitants of Bethulia: for your words that ye have spoken before the people this day are not right, touching this oath which ye made and pronounced between God and you, and have promised to deliver the city to our enemies, unless within these days the Lord turn to help you.

11. They came to her house and she said to them, "Listen to me, you elders of Bethulia, for the words which you have spoken in front of the people today are not right. You did wrong to take an oath between God and yourselves, and to say that you would hand over the town to our enemies if, within a certain number of days, the Lord does not come to your help.

12. And now who are ye that have tempted God this day, and stand instead of God among the children of men?

12. Who are you to put God to the test and take God's place when you answered the people?

13. And now try the Lord Almighty, but ye shall never know any thing.

13. That is not the way to call for his mercy, but rather, one that leads to his wrath.

14. For ye cannot find the depth of the heart of man, neither can ye perceive the things that he thinketh: then how can ye search out God, that hath made all these things, and know his mind, or comprehend his purpose? Nay, my brethren, provoke not the Lord our God to anger.

14. For if you cannot probe the depths of the human heart nor know what a man is thinking, how can you understand the God who has made all things? Do you know his mind or understand his thoughts? No, my brothers, do not annoy the Lord our God.

15. For if he will not help us within these five days, he hath power to defend us when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies.

15. For if he does not wish to come to our help within these five days, he has the power to protect us for as many days as he wishes or else to annihilate us in front of our enemies.

16. Do not bind the counsels of the Lord our God: for God is not as man, that he may be threatened; neither is he as the son of man, that he should be wavering.

16. As for yourselves, do not challenge the designs of the Lord our God, for God cannot give in to threats as a man does, nor can any decision be imposed upon him as it can on the sons of men.

17. Therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it please him.

17. That is why, while waiting patiently for him to save us, let us beg him to come to our help. He will listen to our plea, if it pleases him.

18. For there arose none in our age, neither is there any now in these days neither tribe, nor family, nor people, nor city among us, which worship gods made with hands, as hath been aforetime.

18. For it has not happened in our generation nor is there among us today any tribe or family or people or city that worships gods made by human hands, as happened in days past.

19. For the which cause our fathers were given to the sword, and for a spoil, and had a great fall before our enemies.

19. It was for that reason that our fathers were handed over to be slain by the sword and pillaged, and that they suffered great disaster at the hands of their enemies.

20. But we know none other god, therefore we trust that he will not dispise us, nor any of our nation.

20. But we do not recognize any other god than the One God, therefore let us hope that he will not look with contempt on us or on any of our race.

21. For if we be taken so, all Judea shall lie waste, and our sanctuary shall be spoiled; and he will require the profanation thereof at our mouth.

21. If the enemies capture us, so in the same way, the whole of Judea will be taken; our Sanctuary will be pillaged and we will answer for its profanation with our blood.

22. And the slaughter of our brethren, and the captivity of the country, and the desolation of our inheritance, will he turn upon our heads among the Gentiles, wheresoever we shall be in bondage; and we shall be an offence and a reproach to all them that possess us.

22. God will bring upon our heads the murder of our brothers, the bondage of our country and the devastation of our heritage. Wherever among the nations we shall be slaves, we shall be maltreated by those to whom we belong.

23. For our servitude shall not be directed to favour: but the Lord our God shall turn it to dishonour.

23. Our enslavement will not be changed in our favor, but the Lord our God will turn it into dishonor.

24. Now therefore, O brethren, let us shew an example to our brethren, because their hearts depend upon us, and the sanctuary, and the house, and the altar, rest upon us.

24. Now, my brothers, let us show our fellow countrymen that their lives depend on ours; that the safety of the Sanctuary, the Temple and the Altar rests with us.

25. Moreover let us give thanks to the Lord our God, which trieth us, even as he did our fathers.

25. Much more, let us thank the Lord our God who is putting us to the test as he did our fathers.

26. Remember what things he did to Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, when he kept the sheep of Laban his mother's brother.

26. Remember what he did with Abraham, all the trials to which he subjected Isaac and all those that happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria where he looked after the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.

27. For he hath not tried us in the fire, as he did them, for the examination of their hearts, neither hath he taken vengeance on us: but the Lord doth scourge them that come near unto him, to admonish them.

27. Is not God making us pass through fire as he did the others to prove their hearts? The Lord is not punishing us, but he scourges those who draw near to him in order to admonish them."

28. Then said Ozias to her, All that thou hast spoken hast thou spoken with a good heart, and there is none that may gainsay thy words.

28. Uzziah said to her, "All that you have said has been said with wisdom and no one can contradict your words.

29. For this is not the first day wherein thy wisdom is manifested; but from the beginning of thy days all the people have known thy understanding, because the disposition of thine heart is good.

29. In fact it is not just today that your wisdom is evident, but ever since your early days all the people have recognized your intelligence and the natural goodness of your heart.

30. But the people were very thirsty, and compelled us to do unto them as we have spoken, and to bring an oath upon ourselves, which we will not break.

30. But the people were suffering great thirst so they forced us to carry out what we have said, and they have charged us with an oath which we cannot break.

31. Therefore now pray thou for us, because thou art a godly woman, and the Lord will send us rain to fill our cisterns, and we shall faint no more.

31. Since you are a devout woman, pray for us that the Lord will send rain to fill our reservoirs and we shall no longer be exhausted."

32. Then said Judith unto them, Hear me, and I will do a thing, which shall go throughout all generations to the children of our nation.

32. Judith said to them, "Listen to me, I will do something which will be handed down from generation to generation of the children of our race.

33. Ye shall stand this night in the gate, and I will go forth with my waitingwoman: and within the days that ye have promised to deliver the city to our enemies the Lord will visit Israel by mine hand.

33. Tonight you will stand at the gate of the town and I will go out with my maidservant and, by the end of the time which has been fixed for you to hand over the town to our enemies, the Lord will visit Israel through my hand.

34. But enquire not ye of mine act: for I will not declare it unto you, till the things be finished that I do.

34. But do not try to find out what I shall do for I will not tell you, until I have fulfilled what I will do."

35. Then said Ozias and the princes unto her, Go in peace, and the Lord God be before thee, to take vengeance on our enemies.

35. Then Uzziah and the leaders said to her, "Go in peace and may the Lord our God go before you so that you may take vengeance upon our enemies."

36. So they returned from the tent, and went to their wards.

36. Then, leaving Judith's room, they went back to their posts.