Judite 13

1E, chegando a noite, os seus servos se apressaram a retirar-se; e Bagoas fechou a tenda por fora, e os afastou da presença do seu senhor; e eles foram para os seus leitos, pois todos estavam fatigados porque o banquete tinha sido muito longo.

1Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long.

2E Judite ficou só na tenda, e Holofernes estava prostrado no seu leito, pois estava cheio de vinho.

2And Judith was left alone in the tent, and Holofernes lying alone upon his bed: for he was filled with wine.

3E Judite tinha dito à sua criada que ficasse fora do seu quarto de dormir e esperasse a sua saída, como todos os dias; pois tinha dito que sairia para a sua oração. E tinha falado a Bagoas estas mesmas palavras.

3Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and to wait for her. coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose.

4E todos se retiraram de diante dela, e ninguém, pequeno nem grande, ficou no quarto de dormir. E Judite, de pé junto ao seu leito, disse no seu coração: Ó Senhor, Deus de todo o poder, olha nesta hora para a obra das minhas mãos para exaltação de Jerusalém.

4So all went forth and none was left in the bedchamber, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of all power, look at this present upon the works of mine hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.

5Porque agora é o momento de socorrer a tua herança e de executar o meu empreendimento para destruição dos inimigos que se levantaram contra nós.

5For now is the time to help thine inheritance, and to execute thine enterprizes to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.

6E aproximou-se da coluna do leito que estava junto à cabeça de Holofernes, e tirou dele a sua cimitarra.

6Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his fauchion from thence,

7E aproximou-se do leito, e agarrou a cabeleira da sua cabeça, e disse: Fortalece-me, Senhor, Deus de Israel, neste dia.

7And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.

8E feriu duas vezes no seu pescoço com toda a sua força, e cortou-lhe a cabeça.

8And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him.

9E rolou o seu corpo para fora do leito, e arrancou o cortinado das colunas; e, pouco depois, saiu e entregou a cabeça de Holofernes à sua criada.

9And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid;

10E esta a pôs no seu saco de mantimentos. E saíram ambas juntas, segundo o seu costume, para a oração; e, atravessando o acampamento, rodearam aquele vale, e subiram ao monte de Betúlia, e chegaram às suas portas.

10And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom unto prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.

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11Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: God, even our God, is with us, to shew his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he hath even done this day.

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12Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city.

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13And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strange unto them that she was come: so they opened the gate, and received them, and made a fire for a light, and stood round about them.

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14Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise God, praise God, I say, for he hath not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but hath destroyed our enemies by mine hands this night.

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15So she took the head out of the bag, and shewed it, and said unto them, behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman.

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16As the Lord liveth, who hath kept me in my way that I went, my countenance hath deceived him to his destruction, and yet hath he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.

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17Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be thou, O our God, which hast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people.

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18Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which hath created the heavens and the earth, which hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies.

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19For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of God for ever.

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20And God turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit thee in good things because thou hast not spared thy life for the affliction of our nation, but hast revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.