Liber Iudith, 11

1. Dixitque ad eam Holofernes: “Aequo animo esto, mulier, et noli pavere corde tuo, quoniam ego non nocui viro cuicumque placuit servire Nabuchodonosor regi totius terrae.

1. Then Holofernes said to her, "Take courage, woman, and do not be afraid in your heart, for I have never hurt any one who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of all the earth.

2. Et nunc plebs tua, quae habitat montanam, nisi sprevissent me, non elevassem lanceam meam super ipsos, sed sibi ipsi fecerunt haec.

2. And even now, if your people who live in the hill country had not slighted me, I would never have lifted my spear against them; but they have brought all this on themselves.

3. Et nunc dic mihi: Qua ex causa recessisti ab eis et venisti ad nos? Venisti enim ad salutem. Aequo animo esto, in hac nocte vives et deinceps.

3. And now tell me why you have fled from them and have come over to us -- since you have come to safety.

4. Non enim est qui tibi noceat, sed bene tibi faciam, sicut fit servis domini mei”.

4. Have courage; you will live, tonight and from now on. No one will hurt you, but all will treat you well, as they do the servants of my lord King Nebuchadnezzar."

5. Et dixit ad eum Iudith: “Sume verba ancillae tuae, et loquatur ancilla tua ante faciem tuam et non nuntiabo mendacium domino meo in hac nocte.

5. Judith replied to him, "Accept the words of your servant, and let your maidservant speak in your presence, and I will tell nothing false to my lord this night.

6. Et, si secutus fueris verba ancillae tuae, consummabis omnia in manibus tuis, quae faciet Deus tecum, et non excidet dominus meus de adinventionibus suis quoadusque vivit.

6. And if you follow out the words of your maidservant, God will accomplish something through you, and my lord will not fail to achieve his purposes.

7. Vivit enim Nabuchodonosor rex totius terrae, et vivit virtus eius, qui misit te in correctionem omnium animarum, quoniam non solum homines per te servient ei, sed et bestiae agri et iumenta et volatilia caeli et per virtutem tuam vivent in Nabuchodonosor et omni domo eius.

7. Nebuchadnezzar the king of the whole earth lives, and as his power endures, who had sent you to direct every living soul, not only do men serve him because of you, but also the beasts of the field and the cattle and the birds of the air will live by your power under Nebuchadnezzar and all his house.

8. Audivimus enim sapientiam tuam et adinventiones animi tui, et nuntiatum est universae terrae quoniam tu solus bonus in universo regno et potens in prudentia et admirabilis in militia belli.

8. For we have heard of your wisdom and skill, and it is reported throughout the whole world that you are the one good man in the whole kingdom, thoroughly informed and marvelous in military strategy.

9. Et nunc, domine meus, verbum, quod locutus est Achior in consilio tuo, audivimus verba eius quoniam susceperunt viri in Betulia, et nuntiavit eis omnia, quae locutus est apud te.

9. "Now as for the things Achior said in your council, we have heard his words, for the men of Bethulia spared him and he told them all he had said to you.

10. Propter quod, dominator domine, non transeas verbum eius, sed conde illud in corde tuo, quia est verum. Non enim ultio cadit in genus nostrum, neque dominatur gladius super eos, nisi peccent in Deum suum.

10. Therefore, my lord and master, do not disregard what he said, but keep it in your mind, for it is true: our nation cannot be punished, nor can the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their God.

11. Et nunc, ne fiat dominus meus frustratus et sine actu, cadet mors super faciem eorum, et comprehendet eos peccatum magnum, in quo exacerbaverint Dominum suum; mox ut fecerint illud, erunt tibi in consummationem.

11. "And now, in order that my lord may not be defeated and his purpose frustrated, death will fall upon them, for a sin has overtaken them by which they are about to provoke their God to anger when they do what is wrong.

12. Postquam enim defecerunt eis escae, et vacuefactae sunt ab eis aquae, voluerunt inicere manus iumentis suis et omnia, quae praecepit eis Deus legibus suis, ne manducarent, cogitaverunt consummare.

12. Since their food supply is exhausted and their water has almost given out, they have planned to kill their cattle and have determined to use all that God by his laws has forbidden them to eat.

13. Et primitias frumenti et decimas vini et olei, quae conservaverunt sanctificantes sacerdotibus, qui praesunt in Ierusalem ante faciem Dei nostri, iudicaverunt consumere, quae nec manibus licet tangere neminem ex populo.

13. They have decided to consume the first fruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and oil, which they had consecrated and set aside for the priests who minister in the presence of our God at Jerusalem -- although it is not lawful for any of the people so much as to touch these things with their hands.

14. Et miserunt in Ierusalem — quia et, qui ibi inhabitant, fecerunt omnia haec — eos, qui transtulerint eis illationem a senioribus.

14. They have sent men to Jerusalem, because even the people living there have been doing this, to bring back to them permission from the senate.

15. Et erit ut, cum nuntiatum fuerit, et fecerint, dentur tibi in perditionem in illa die.

15. When the word reaches them and they proceed to do this, on that very day they will be handed over to you to be destroyed.

16. Unde ego ancilla tua, cum cognovissem haec omnia, refugi a facie eorum, et misit me Deus facere tecum rem, in qua mirabitur tota terra, quicumque audierint ea.

16. "Therefore, when I, your servant, learned all this, I fled from them; and God has sent me to accomplish with you things that will astonish the whole world, as many as shall hear about them.

17. Quoniam ancilla tua Deum colit et servit nocte ac die Deo caeli. Et nunc manebo penes te, domine meus, et exiet ancilla tua per noctem ad vallem et orabo ad Deum, et indicabit mihi quando fecerint peccata eorum.

17. For your servant is religious, and serves the God of heaven day and night; therefore, my lord, I will remain with you, and every night your servant will go out into the valley, and I will pray to God and he will tell me when they have committed their sins.

18. Et veniens indicabo illud tibi, et exies in omni virtute tua, et non erit, qui resistat tibi ex eis.

18. And I will come and tell you, and then you shall go out with your whole army, and not one of them will withstand you.

19. Et adducam te per mediam Iudaeam, usque veniam contra Ierusalem et ponam sedem tuam in medio eius, et adduces eos sicut oves, quibus non est pastor. Et non muttiet canis lingua sua contra te, quoniam haec dicta sunt mihi secundum praescientiam meam et renuntiata sunt mihi, et missa sum nuntiare tibi”.

19. Then I will lead you through the middle of Judea, till you come to Jerusalem; and I will set your throne in the midst of it; and you will lead them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not a dog will so much as open its mouth to growl at you. For this has been told me, by my foreknowledge; it was announced to me, and I was sent to tell you."

20. Et placuerunt verba eius coram Holoferne et coram omnibus famulis eius, et mirati sunt in specie et in sapientia eius et dixerunt:

20. Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and they marveled at her wisdom and said,

21. “Non est talis mulier a summo usque ad summum terrae in specie faciei et sensu verborum”.

21. "There is not such a woman from one end of the earth to the other, either for beauty of face or wisdom of speech!"

22. Et dixit Holofernes ad eam: “Bene fecit Deus, qui misit te ante filios plebis tuae, ut fiat in manibus nostris virtus, in eis autem, qui spreverunt dominum meum perditio.

22. And Holofernes said to her, "God has done well to send you before the people, to lend strength to our hands and to bring destruction upon those who have slighted my lord.

23. Et nunc tu es speciosa in aspectu et bona in verbis tuis. Quoniam, si feceris secundum quod locuta es, Deus tuus erit Deus meus, et tu in domo Nabuchodonosor regis sedebis et eris nominata per omnem terram”.

23. You are not only beautiful in appearance, but wise in speech; and if you do as you have said, your God shall be my God, and you shall live in the house of King Nebuchadnezzar and be renowned throughout the whole world."