Judith 16

Ἰουδίθ

1 ΚΑΙ εἶπεν Ἰουδίθ· Ἐξάρχετε τῷ Θεῷ μου ἐν τυμπάνοις, ᾄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ μου ἐν κυμβάλοις, ἐναρμόσασθε αὐτῷ ψαλμὸν καινόν, ὑψοῦτε καὶ ἐπικαλέσασθε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ,

And Judith said, Begin to my God with timbrels, sing to my Lord with cymbals: tune to him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name. (verse 2 in Brenton's English)

2 ὅτι Θεὸς συντρίβων πολέμους Κύριος, ὅτι εἰς παρεμβολὰς αὐτοῦ μέσῳ λαοῦ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν καταδιωκόντων με.

For God breaks the battles: for amongst the camps in the midst of the people he has delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me. (verse 3 in Brenton's English)

3 ἦλθεν Ἀσσοὺρ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀπὸ βορρᾶ, ἦλθεν ἐν μυριάσι δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, ὧν τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν ἐνέφραξε χειμάρρους, καὶ ἡ ἵππος αὐτῶν ἐκάλυψε βουνούς.

Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents, and their horsemen have covered the hills. (verse 4 in Brenton's English)

4 εἶπεν ἐμπρήσειν τὰ ὅριά μου καὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους μου ἀνελεῖν ἐν ρομφαίᾳ καὶ τὰ θηλάζοντά μου θήσειν εἰς ἔδαφος καὶ τὰ νήπιά μου δώσειν εἰς προνομὴν καὶ τὰς παρθένους μου σκυλεῦσαι.

He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make my infants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil. (verse 5 in Brenton's English)

5 Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἠθέτησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν χειρὶ θηλείας.

But the Almighty Lord has disappointed them by the hand of a woman. (verse 6 in Brenton's English)

6 οὐ γὰρ ὑπέπεσεν ὁ δυνατὸς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ νεανίσκων, οὐδὲ υἱοὶ τιτάνων ἐπάταξαν αὐτόν, οὐδὲ ὑψηλοὶ γίγαντες ἐπέθεντο αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ Ἰουδὶθ θυγάτηρ Μεραρὶ ἐν κάλλει προσώπου αὐτῆς παρέλυσεν αὐτόν·

For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans strike him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance. (verse 7 in Brenton's English)

7 ἐξεδύσατο γὰρ στολὴν χηρεύσεως αὐτῆς εἰς ὕψος τῶν πονούντων ἐν Ἰσραήλ, ἠλείψατο τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ἐν μυρισμῷ

For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment, and bound her hair in a tire, and took a linen garment to deceive him. (verse 8 in Brenton's English)

8 καὶ ἐδήσατο τὰς τρίχας αὐτῆς ἐν μίτρᾳ καὶ ἔλαβε στολὴν λινῆν εἰς ἀπάτην αὐτοῦ·

In the English, this verse is part of verse 7.

9 τὸ σανδάλιον αὐτῆς ἥρπασεν ὀφθαλμὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς ᾐχμαλώτισε ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, διῆλθεν ὁ ἀκινάκης τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ.

Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the fauchion passed through his neck.

10 ἔφριξαν Πέρσαι τὴν τόλμαν αὐτῆς, καὶ Μῆδοι τὸ θράσος αὐτῆς ἐρράχθησαν.

The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness.

11 τότε ἠλάλαξαν οἱ ταπεινοί μου, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ἀσθενοῦντές μου καὶ ἐπτοήθησαν, ὕψωσαν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνετράπησαν.

Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.

12 υἱοὶ κορασίων κατεκέντησαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς παῖδας αὐτομολούντων ἐτίτρωσκον αὐτούς, ἀπώλοντο ἐκ παρατάξεως Κυρίου μου.

The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugatives' children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.

13 ὑμνήσω τῷ Θεῷ μου ὕμνον καινόν· Κύριε, μέγας εἶ καὶ ἔνδοξος, θαυμαστὸς ἐν ἰσχύϊ, ἀνυπέρβλητος.

I will sing to the Lord a new song: O Lord, you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.

14 σοὶ δουλευσάτω πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις σου· ὅτι εἶπας, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, ἀπέστειλας τὸ πνεῦμά σου, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιστήσεται τῇ φωνῇ σου.

Let all creatures serve you: for you spoke, and they were made, you did send forth your spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist your voice.

15 ὄρη γὰρ ἐκ θεμελίων σὺν ὕδασι σαλευθήσεται, πέτραι δὲ ἀπὸ προσώπου σου ὡς κηρὸς τακήσονται, ἔτι δὲ τοῖς φοβουμένοις σε, σὺ εὐιλατεύεις αὐτοῖς.

For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at your presence: yet you are merciful to them that fear you.

16 ὅτι μικρὸν πᾶσα θυσία εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, καὶ ἐλάχιστον πᾶν στέαρ εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμά σοι· ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον μέγας διαπαντός.

For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour to you, and all the fat is not sufficient for your burnt offering: but he that fears the Lord is great at all times.

17 οὐαὶ ἔθνεσιν ἐπανισταμένοις τῷ γένει μου· Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐκδικήσει αὐτοὺς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως δοῦναι πῦρ καὶ σκώληκας εἰς σάρκας αὐτῶν, καὶ κλαύσονται ἐν αἰσθήσει ἕως αἰῶνος.

Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgement, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever.

18 Ὡς δὲ ἤλθοσαν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, προσεκύνησαν τῷ Θεῷ. καὶ ἡνίκα ἐκαθαρίσθη ὁ λαός, ἀνήνεγκαν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἑκούσια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ δόματα.

Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts.

19 καὶ ἀνέθηκεν Ἰουδὶθ πάντα τὰ σκεύη Ὀλοφέρνου, ὅσα ἔδωκεν ὁ λαὸς αὐτῇ, καὶ τὸ κωνωπεῖον, ὃ ἔλαβεν αὕτη ἐκ τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀνάθημα τῷ Θεῷ ἔδωκε.

Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedchamber, for a gift to the Lord.

20 καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς εὐφραινόμενος ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν ἁγίων ἐπὶ μῆνας τρεῖς, καὶ Ἰουδὶθ μετ᾿ αὐτῶν κατέμεινε.

So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months and Judith remained with them.

21 Μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ἀνέζευξεν ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰουδὶθ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Βαιτυλούα καὶ κατέμεινεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπάρξεως αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῆς ἔνδοξος ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.

After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honourable in all the country.

22 καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπεθύμησαν αὐτήν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ἀνὴρ αὐτὴν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς, ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀπέθανε Μανασσῆς ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.

And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.

23 καὶ ἦν προβαίνουσα μεγάλη σφόδρα καὶ ἐγήρασεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἔτη ἑκατὸν πέντε· καὶ ἀφῆκε τὴν ἅβραν αὐτῆς ἐλευθέραν. καὶ ἀπέθανεν εἰς Βαιτυλούα, καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς Μανασσῆ,

But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in her husband's house, being one hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.

24 καὶ ἐπένθησεν αὐτὴν οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ἡμέρας ἑπτά. καὶ διεῖλε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὴν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔγγιστα Μανασσῆ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ τοῖς ἔγγιστα τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς.

And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

25 καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἔτι ὁ ἐκφοβῶν τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἰουδὶθ καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὴν ἡμέρας πολλάς.

And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.