Judith 13 Clementine Vulgate
1 Ut autem sero factum est, festinaverunt servi illius ad hospitia sua, et conclusit Vagao ostia cubiculi, et abiit.
1 But when the evening had come, his servants hurried to depart. Bagoas shut the tent outside, and dismissed those who waited from the presence of his lord. They went away to their beds; for they were all weary, because the feast had been long.
2 Erant autem omnes fatigati a vino,
2 But Judith was left alone in the tent, with Holofernes lying along upon his bed; for he was drunk with wine.
3 eratque Judith sola in cubiculo.
3 Judith had said to her servant that she should stand outside her bedchamber, and wait for her to come out, as she did daily; for she said she would go out to her prayer. She spoke to Bagoas according to the same words.
4 Porro Holofernes jacebat in lecto, nimia ebrietate sopitus.
4 All went away from her presence, and none was left in the bedchamber, small or great. Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of all power, look in this hour upon the works of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.
5 Dixitque Judith puellæ suæ ut staret foris ante cubiculum, et observaret.
5 For now is the time to help your inheritance, and to do the thing that I have purposed to the destruction of the enemies which have risen up against us.
6 Stetitque Judith ante lectum, orans cum lacrimis, et labiorum motu in silentio,
6 She came to the bedpost which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his sword from there.
7 dicens: Confirma me, Domine Deus Israël, et respice in hac hora ad opera manuum mearum, ut, sicut promisisti, Jerusalem civitatem tuam erigas: et hoc quod credens per te posse fieri cogitavi, perficiam.
7 She drew near to the bed, took hold of the hair of his head, and said, “Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.”
8 Et cum hæc dixisset, accessit ad columnam quæ erat ad caput lectuli ejus, et pugionem ejus, qui in ea ligatus pendebat, exsolvit.
8 She struck twice upon his neck with all her might and cut off his head,
9 Cumque evaginasset illum, apprehendit comam capitis ejus, et ait: Confirma me, Domine Deus, in hac hora.
9 tumbled his body down from the bed, and took down the canopy from the posts. After a little while she went out, and gave Holofernes’ head to her maid;
10 Et percussit bis in cervicem ejus, et abscidit caput ejus, et abstulit conopeum ejus a columnis, et evolvit corpus ejus truncum.
10 and she put it in her bag of food. They both went out together to prayer, according to their custom. They passed through the camp, circled around that valley, and went up to the mountain of Bethulia, and came to its gates.
11 Et post pusillum exivit, et tradidit caput Holofernis ancillæ suæ, et jussit ut mitteret illud in peram suam.
11 Judith said afar off to the watchmen at the gates, “Open, open the gate, now. God is with us, even our God, to show his power yet in Israel, and his might against the enemy, as he has done even this day.”
12 Et exierunt duæ, secundum consuetudinem suam, quasi ad orationem, et transierunt castra, et gyrantes vallem, venerunt ad portam civitatis.
12 It came to pass, when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called together the elders of the city.
13 Et dixit Judith a longe custodibus murorum: Aperite portas, quoniam nobiscum est Deus, qui fecit virtutem in Israël.
13 They all ran together, both small and great, for it seemed unbelievable to them that she had come. They opened the gate and received them, making a fire to give light, and surrounded them.
14 Et factum est cum audissent viri vocem ejus, vocaverunt presbyteros civitatis.
14 She said to them with a loud voice, “Praise God! Praise him! Praise God, who has not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by my hand tonight!”
15 Et concurrerunt ad eam omnes, a minimo usque ad maximum: quoniam sperabant eam jam non esse venturam.
15 Then she took the head out of the bag and showed it, and said to them, “Behold, the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Asshur, and behold, the canopy under which he laid in his drunkenness. The Lord struck him by the hand of a woman.
16 Et accendentes luminaria, congyraverunt circa eam universi: illa autem ascendens in eminentiorem locum, jussit fieri silentium. Cumque omnes tacuissent,
16 And as the Lord lives, who preserved me in my way that I went, my countenance deceived him to his destruction, and he didn’t commit sin with me, to defile and shame me.”
17 dixit Judith: Laudate Dominum Deum nostrum, qui non deseruit sperantes in se,
17 All the people were exceedingly amazed, and bowed themselves, and worshiped God, and said with one accord, “Blessed are you, O our God, who have this day humiliated the enemies of your people.”
18 et in me ancilla sua adimplevit misericordiam suam, quam promisit domui Israël: et interfecit in manu mea hostem populi sui hac nocte.
18 Ozias said to her, “Blessed are you, daughter, in the sight of the Most High God, above all the women upon the earth; and blessed is the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth, who directed you to cut off the head of the prince of our enemies.
19 Et proferens de pera caput Holofernis, ostendit illis, dicens: Ecce caput Holofernis principis militiæ Assyriorum, et ecce conopeum illius, in quo recumbebat in ebrietate sua, ubi per manum feminæ percussit illum Dominus Deus noster.
19 For your hope will not depart from the heart of men that remember the strength of God forever.
20 Vivit autem ipse Dominus, quoniam custodivit me angelus ejus et hinc euntem, et ibi commorantem, et inde huc revertentem, et non permisit me Dominus ancillam suam coinquinari, sed sine pollutione peccati revocavit me vobis gaudentem in victoria sua, in evasione mea, et in liberatione vestra.
20 May God turn these things to you for a perpetual praise, to visit you with good things, because you didn’t spare your life by reason of the affliction of our race, but prevented our ruin, walking a straight way before our God.” And all the people said, “Amen! Amen!”
21 Confitemini illi omnes, quoniam bonus, quoniam in sæculum misericordia ejus.
21 Not in this translation
22 Universi autem adorantes Dominum, dixerunt ad eam: Benedixit te Dominus in virtute sua, quia per te ad nihilum redegit inimicos nostros.
22 Not in this translation
23 Porro Ozias princeps populi Israël dixit ad eam: Benedicta es tu, filia, a Domino Deo excelso præ omnibus mulieribus super terram.
23 Not in this translation
24 Benedictus Dominus, qui creavit cælum et terram, qui te direxit in vulnera capitis principis inimicorum nostrorum:
24 Not in this translation
25 quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit, ut non recedat laus tua de ore hominum qui memores fuerint virtutis Domini in æternum, pro quibus non pepercisti animæ tuæ propter angustias et tribulationem generis tui, sed subvenisti ruinæ ante conspectum Dei nostri.
25 Not in this translation
26 Et dixit omnis populus: Fiat, fiat.
26 Not in this translation
27 Porro Achior vocatus venit, et dixit ei Judith: Deus Israël, cui tu testimonium dedisti quod ulciscatur se de inimicis suis, ipse caput omnium incredulorum incidit hac nocte in manu mea.
27 Not in this translation
28 Et ut probes quia ita est, ecce caput Holofernis, qui in contemptu superbiæ suæ Deum Israël contempsit, et tibi interitum minabatur, dicens: Cum captus fuerit populus Israël, gladio perforari præcipiam latera tua.
28 Not in this translation
29 Videns autem Achior caput Holofernis, angustiatus præ pavore cecidit in faciem suam super terram, et æstuavit anima ejus.
29 Not in this translation
30 Postea vero quam resumpto spiritu recreatus est, procidit ad pedes ejus, et adoravit eam, et dixit:
30 Not in this translation
31 Benedicta tu a Deo tuo in omni tabernaculo Jacob, quoniam in omni gente quæ audierit nomen tuum, magnificabitur super te Deus Israël.
31 Not in this translation