Liber Iudith, 12
1. Et iussit introduci eam, ubi reponebatur argentum ipsius. Et praecepit sterni ei et dare ei ex obsoniis suis et ex vino suo bibere.
1. Then he commanded them to bring her in where his silver dishes were kept, and ordered them to set a table for her with some of his own food and to serve her with his own wine.
2. Et dixit Iudith: “Non manducabo ex eis, ne fiat mihi offensio, sed ex eis, quae allata sunt, praebebitur mihi”.
2. But Judith said, "I cannot eat it, lest it be an offense; but I will be provided from the things I have brought with me."
3. Et dixit ad eam Holofernes: “Si autem defecerint, quae tecum sunt, unde afferemus et dabimus tibi similia eis? Non enim est homo nobiscum ex genere tuo, qui habeat similia”.
3. Holofernes said to her, "If your supply runs out, where can we get more like it for you? For none of your people is here with us."
4. Dixitque ad eum Iudith: “Vivit anima tua, domine mi, quoniam non impendet ancilla tua, quae sunt mecum, quousque faciat Dominus in manu mea, quae voluit”.
4. Judith replied, "As your soul lives, my lord, your servant will not use up the things I have with me before the Lord carries out by my hand what he has determined to do."
5. Et induxerunt eam servi Holofernis in tabernaculum, et dormivit usque in mediam noctem. Surrexitque ante vigiliam matutinam
5. Then the servants of Holofernes brought her into the tent, and she slept until midnight. Along toward the morning watch she arose
6. et misit ad Holofernen dicens: “Praecipiat nunc dominus meus permitti ancillam suam exire ad orationem”.
6. and sent to Holofernes and said, "Let my lord now command that your servant be permitted to go out and pray."
7. Et praecepit Holofernes custodibus suis, ne prohiberent eam. Et permansit in castris triduum. Et exiebat per noctem in vallem Betuliae et baptizabat se in fontem aquae.
7. So Holofernes commanded his guards not to hinder her. And she remained in the camp for three days, and went out each night to the valley of Bethulia, and bathed at the spring in the camp.
8. Et, ut ascendebat, orabat Dominum, Deum Israel, ut dirigeret viam eius in exaltationem po puli sui.
8. When she came up from the spring she prayed the Lord God of Israel to direct her way for the raising up of her people.
9. Et introiens munda manebat in tabernaculo, usque dum afferretur esca eius in vesperum.
9. So she returned clean and stayed in the tent until she ate her food toward evening.
10. Et factum est, in quarta die fecit Holofernes cenam famulis suis solis et neminem eorum, qui erant super officia, vocavit ad convivium.
10. On the fourth day Holofernes held a banquet for his slave only, and did not invite any of his officers.
11. Et dixit Bagoae spadoni, qui erat praepositus super omnia ipsius: “Vadens suade mulieri Hebraeae, quae est apud te, ut veniat ad nos et manducet et bibat nobiscum.
11. And he said to Bagoas, the eunuch who had charge of his personal affairs, "Go now and persuade the Hebrew woman who is in your care to join us and eat and drink with us.
12. Ecce enim turpe est in conspectu nostro, ut mulierem talem dimittamus non fabulantes ei, quoniam, si non eam attraxerimus, deridebit nos”.
12. For it will be a disgrace if we let such a woman go without enjoying her company, for if we do not embrace her she will laugh at us."
13. Et exiit Bagoas a facie Holofernis et introivit ad eam et dixit ei: “Non pigeat puellam bonam hanc introeuntem ad dominum meum glorificari ante faciem eius et bibere nobiscum vinum in iucunditatem et fieri in hodierno die honorificam sicut unam filiarum magnatorum Assyriae, quae assistunt in domo Nabuchodonosor”.
13. So Bagoas went out from the presence of Holofernes, and approached her and said, "This beautiful maidservant will please come to my lord and be honored in his presence, and drink wine and be merry with us, and become today like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who serve in the house of Nebuchadnezzar."
14. Dixitque ad eum Iudith: “Et quae sum ego, ut contradicam domino meo? Quoniam omne, quod erit optimum in oculis eius, festinans faciam, et erit hoc mihi gaudium usque ad diem mortis meae”.
14. And Judith said, "Who am I, to refuse my lord? Surely whatever pleases him I will do at once, and it will be a joy to me until the day of my death!"
15. Et surgens exornavit se vestimento suo et omni muliebri ornatu, et praecessit ancilla eius et stravit ei contra Holofernen in terra stragula, quae acceperat a Bagoa in cotidianum usum, ut manducaret discumbens super ea.
15. So she got up and arrayed herself in all her woman's finery, and her maid went and spread on the ground for her before Holofernes the soft fleeces which she had received from Bagoas for her daily use, so that she might recline on them when she ate.
16. Et introiens Iudith discubuit. Et obstupuit cor Holofernis in eam, et commota est anima eius, et erat concupiscens valde, ut concumberet cum ea; quaerebatque tempus seducendi eam ex die, quo viderat illam.
16. Then Judith came in and lay down, and Holofernes' heart was ravished with her and he was moved with great desire to possess her; for he had been waiting for an opportunity to deceive her, ever since the day he first saw her.
17. Et dixit ad eam Holofernes: “Bibe et esto nobiscum in iucunditatem”.
17. So Holofernes said to her. "Drink now, and be merry with us!"
18. Et dixit Iudith: “Bibam, domine, quia magnificata est vita mea in me hodie prae omnibus diebus nativitatis meae”.
18. Judith said, "I will drink now, my lord, because my life means more to me today than in all the days since I was born."
19. Et accipiens manducavit et bibit coram illo ea, quae praeparaverat ipsi ancilla sua.
19. Then she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared.
20. Et iucundatus est Holofernes de ea et bibit multum vinum, quantum numquam bibit in uno die, ex quo natus est.
20. And Holofernes was greatly pleased with her, and drank a great quantity of wine, much more than he had ever drunk in any one day since he was born.
