Judit 10

1Cuando cesó de clamar al Señor, se levantó del lugar en que estaba postrada delante del Señor.

2Llamó a su criada, bajó a su habitación, se quitó el cilicio, y se despojó de los vestidos de viuda.

3Luego lavó su cuerpo, se ungió con ungüento preciosísimo, aderezó el cabello de su cabeza, sobre el cual se puso un turbante, se atavió con los vestidos de fiesta, se calzó las sandalias, tomó sus brazaletes, el collar, los zarcillos y las sortijas, y se adornó de todos sus atavíos.

4Además le añadió el Señor belleza, porque toda esta compostura no provenía de lasciva pasión, sino de virtud; y por eso el Señor dio mayor realce a su hermosura, de modo que a los ojos de todos parecía de una incomparable belleza.

5Entregó a su criada una bota de vino, un frasco de aceite, trigo tostado, tortas de higos, panes y queso, y se puso en camino.

6Al llegar a la puerta de la ciudad, hallaron a Ocías y los ancianos de la ciudad, que estaban esperando.

7Al verla quedaron en extremo asombrados de su hermosura,

8pero sin preguntarle palabra, la dejaron pasar diciendo: “El Dios de nuestros padres te dé su gracia, y confirme con su poder todos los designios de tu corazón, para que Jerusalén se gloríe de ti y tu nombre figure en el número de los santos y justos.”

9Y todos los que allí estaban dijeron a una voz: “¡Así sea! ¡Así sea!”

10Mas Judit pasó por las puertas, con su criada, orando al Señor.

11Bajando por el monte, al rayar el día, le salieron al paso los centinelas de los asirios, que la detuvieron, diciendo: “¿De dónde vienes? ¿Y adónde vas?”

12“Soy una de las hijas de los hebreos, respondió, y he huido de ellos, porque sé que han de ser presa vuestra; por cuanto menospreciándoos no han querido entregarse voluntariamente para hallar misericordia delante de vosotros.

13Por esto pensé y dije para conmigo: «Voy a presentarme al príncipe Holofernes, para descubrirle los secretos de los hebreos e indicar el camino por donde pueda tomarlos, sin perder ni un hombre siquiera de su ejército».”

14Oyendo aquellos soldados sus palabras, contemplaron su cara, y se les leía en los ojos el asombro; tan encantados estaban de su belleza.

15Y le dijeron: “Has salvado tu vida, tomando la resolución de venir a nuestro señor;

16pues ten por cierto que al presentarte delante de él, te tratará bien y serás muy agradable a su corazón.” Con esto la condujeron al pabellón de Holofernes, dándole noticia de ella.

17Apenas estuvo ella en su presencia, quedó Holofernes inmediatamente preso de sus ojos.

18Y le dijeron sus oficiales: “¿Quién podrá menospreciar al pueblo de los hebreos, que tiene mujeres tan bellas? ¿No merecen estas más bien que les hagamos la guerra para adquirirlas?”

19Cuando Judit vio a Holofernes sentado bajo su dosel, que era de púrpura, entretejido de oro con esmeraldas y piedras preciosas,

20fijó los ojos en su rostro y lo adoró, postrándose en tierra, más los siervos de Holofernes, la levantaron por mandato de su señor.

1Factum est autem, cum cessasset clamare ad Dominum, surrexit de loco in quo jacuerat prostrata ad Dominum.

2Vocavitque abram suam, et descendens in domum suam, abstulit a se cilicium, et exuit se vestimentis viduitatis suæ,

3et lavit corpus suum, et unxit se myro optimo, et discriminavit crinem capitis sui, et imposuit mitram super caput suum, et induit se vestimentis jucunditatis suæ, induitque sandalia pedibus suis, assumpsitque dextraliola, et lilia, et inaures, et annulos, et omnibus ornamentis suis ornavit se.

4Cui etiam Dominus contulit splendorem: quoniam omnis ista compositio non ex libidine, sed ex virtute pendebat: et ideo Dominus hanc in illam pulchritudinem ampliavit, ut incomparabili decore omnium oculis appareret.

5Imposuit itaque abræ suæ ascoperam vini, et vas olei, et polentam, et palathas, et panes, et caseum, et profecta est.

6Cumque venissent ad portam civitatis, invenerunt expectantem Oziam et presbyteros civitatis.

7Qui cum vidissent eam, stupentes mirati sunt nimis pulchritudinem ejus.

8Nihil tamen interrogantes eam, dimiserunt transire, dicentes: Deus patrum nostrorum det tibi gratiam, et omne consilium tui cordis sua virtute corroboret, ut glorietur super te Jerusalem, et sit nomen tuum in numero sanctorum et justorum.

9Et dixerunt hi qui illic erant omnes una voce: Fiat, fiat.

10Judith vero orans Dominum, transivit per portas, ipsa et abra ejus.

11Factum est autem cum descenderet montem, circa ortum diei, occurrerunt ei exploratores Assyriorum, et tenuerunt eam, dicentes: Unde venis? aut quo vadis?

12Quæ respondit: Filia sum Hebræorum, ideo ego fugi a facie eorum, quoniam futurum agnovi quod dentur vobis in deprædationem, pro eo quod contemnentes vos, noluerunt ultro tradere seipsos ut invenirent misericordiam in conspectu vestro.

13Hac de causa cogitavi mecum, dicens: Vadam ad faciem principis Holofernis, ut indicem illi secreta illorum, et ostendam illi quo aditu possit obtinere eos, ita ut non cadat vir unus de exercitu ejus.

14Et cum audissent viri illi verba ejus, considerabant faciem ejus, et erat in oculis eorum stupor, quoniam pulchritudinem ejus mirabantur nimis.

15Et dixerunt ad eam: Conservasti animam tuam, eo quod tale reperisti consilium, ut descenderes ad dominum nostrum.

16Hoc autem scias, quoniam cum steteris in conspectu ejus, bene tibi faciet, et eris gratissima in corde ejus. Duxeruntque illam ad tabernaculum Holofernis, annuntiantes eam.

17Cumque intrasset ante faciem ejus, statim captus est in suis oculis Holofernes.

18Dixeruntque ad eum satellites ejus: Quis contemnat populum Hebræorum, qui tam decoras mulieres habent, ut non pro his merito pugnare contra eos debeamus?

19Videns itaque Judith Holofernem sedentem in conopeo, quod erat ex purpura, et auro, et smaragdo, et lapidibus pretiosis intextum,

20et cum in faciem ejus intendisset, adoravit eum, prosternens se super terram. Et elevaverunt eam servi Holofernis, jubente domino suo.

1And it came to pass, when she had ceased to cry to the Lord, that she rose from the place wherein she lay prostrate before the Lord.

2And she called her maid, and going down into her house she took off her haircloth, and put away the garments of her widowhood,

3And she washed her body, and anointed herself with the best ointment, and plaited the hair of her head, and put a bonnet upon her head, and clothed herself with the garments of her gladness, and put sandals on her feet, and took her bracelets, and lilies, and earlets, and rings, and adorned herself with all her ornaments.

4And the Lord also gave her more beauty: because all this dressing up did not proceed from sensuality, lent from virtue: and therefore the Lord increased this her beauty, so that she appeared to all men’s eyes incomparably lovely.

5And she gave to her maid a bottle of wine to carry, and a vessel of oil, and parched corn, and dry figs, and bread and cheese, and went out.

6And when they came to the gate of the city, they found Ozias, and the ancients of the city waiting.

7And when they saw her they were astonished, and admired her beauty exceedingly.

8But they asked her no question, only they let her pass, saying: The God of our fathers give thee grace, and may he strengthen all the counsel of thy heart with his power, that Jerusalem may glory in thee, and thy name may be in the number of the holy and just.

9And they that were there said, all with one voice: So be it, so be it.

10But Judith praying to the Lord, passed through the gates, she and her maid.

11And it came to pass, when she went down the hill, about break of day, that the watchmen of the Assyrians met her and stopped her, saying: Whence comest thou? or whither goest thou?

12And she answered: I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fled from them, because I knew they would be made a prey to you, because they despised you, and would not of their own accord yield themselves, that they might find mercy in your sight.

13For this reason I thought with myself, saying: I will go to the presence of the prince Holofernes, that I may tell him their secrets, and shew him by what way he may take them, without the loss of one man of his army.

14And when the men had heard her words, they beheld her face, and their eyes were amazed, for they wondered exceedingly at her beauty.

15And they said to her: Thou hast saved thy life by taking this resolution, to come down to our lord.

16And be assured of this, that when thou shalt stand before him, he will treat thee well, and thou wilt be most acceptable to his heart. And they brought her to the tent of Holofernes, telling him of her.

17And when she was come into his presence, forthwith Holofernes was caught by his eyes.

18And his officers said to him: Who can despise the people of the Hebrews who have such beautiful women, that we should not think it worth our while for their sakes to fight against them?

19And Judith seeing Holofernes sitting under a canopy, which was woven of purple and gold, with emeralds and precious stones:

20After she had looked on his face bowed down to him, prostrating herself to the ground. And the servants of Holofernes lifted her up, by the command of their master.