Judit 7

1Al día siguiente Holofernes mandó a sus tropas que subiesen contra Betulia.

2Tenía ciento veinte mil soldados de infantería y veinte y dos mil de caballería, sin contar a los que había adiestrado de entre los cautivos, y toda la juventud que por fuerza se había llevado de las provincias y ciudades.

3Todos a un tiempo se prepararon para combatir a los hijos de Israel, y avanzaron por la ladera del monte hasta la altura que mira a Dotain, (acampando) desde el lugar llamado Belma, hasta Celmón, situado enfrente de Esdrelón.

4Al ver los hijos de Israel aquella multitud, se postraron en tierra, echando ceniza sobre sus cabezas y rogando todos juntos al Dios de Israel que mostrase su misericordia para con su pueblo.

5Luego tomaron sus armas y se apostaron en los parajes por donde se va a un sendero estrecho en medio de los montes; y los estaban guardando de día y de noche.

6Dando vuelta por los alrededores, encontró Holofernes que la fuente que desaguaba dentro (de la ciudad) venía por un acueducto que se hallaba fuera, hacia el mediodía, y mandó que les cortasen ese acueducto.

7Quedaban, sin embargo, no lejos de los muros, unos manantiales, de donde se veía que sacaban a escondidas agua, más para aliviar la sed que para apagarla.

8Entonces los ammonitas y los moabitas fueron a decir a Holofernes: “Los hijos de Israel no ponen su confianza en sus lanzas, ni en sus flechas, sino que su defensa y fortificaciones son los montes y los collados escarpados.

9Ahora bien, si quieres vencerlos sin venir a las manos, pon guardias en los manantiales, para impedir que saquen agua de ellos, y los matarás sin espada, o a lo menos, fatigados entregarán su ciudad, que creen inexpugnable por cuanto está situada en los montes.”

10Este consejo pareció bueno a Holofernes y a sus oficiales, por lo cual puso cien hombres de guardia alrededor de cada manantial.

11Después de veinte días que se hacía esta guardia, todas las cisternas y depósitos de agua de todos los habitantes de Betulia se agotaron, de tal manera que dentro de la ciudad no había agua bastante para saciar la sed aunque fuese para un solo día; pues se repartía cada día a los vecinos el agua por medida.

12Entonces todos los hombres y mujeres, jóvenes y niños, se congregaron con Ocías, y todos a una voz

13dijeron: “Juzgue Dios entre ti y nosotros; pues tú nos has causado estos males, por no querer tratar la paz con los asirios; por eso Dios nos ha vendido en sus manos;

14y por lo mismo no hay quien nos socorra ahora que desfallecemos por la sed y la suma miseria, a vista de los enemigos.

15Convóquense, pues, inmediatamente todos los que se hallan en la ciudad, para que nos entreguemos todos voluntariamente a la gente de Holofernes;

16porque más vale vivir cautivos y bendecir al Señor, que morir y ser el oprobio de todos los hombres, después de haber visto perecer ante nuestros ojos nuestras esposas y nuestros niños.

17Tomando hoy por testigos al cielo y a la tierra y al Dios de nuestros padres, el cual nos castiga conforme a nuestros pecados, (os conjuramos) que entreguéis en seguida la ciudad en poder de la gente de Holofernes, para que encontremos en breve nuestro fin al filo de la espada, y no se prolongue más y más con el ardor de la sed.”

18Dicho esto, prorrumpió todo el concurso en grandes llantos y alaridos; y por espacio de muchas horas estuvieron clamando a Dios a una voz, diciendo:

19“Hemos pecado nosotros y nuestros padres; hemos obrado injusticia y hemos hecho iniquidad.

20Pero Tú eres piadoso; ten misericordia de nosotros, o castiga Tú mismo nuestras iniquidades, mas no quieras entregar a los que te honran, en manos de un pueblo que no te conoce;

21no sea que digan los gentiles: “¿Dónde está su Dios?”

22Cuando fatigados de tanto clamar y llorar, quedaron en silencio,

23se levantó Ocías y bañado en lágrimas, dijo: “Tened buen ánimo, hermanos míos, y esperemos durante cinco días la misericordia del Señor;

24porque quizá pondrá fin a su indignación y glorificará su nombre.

25Mas si pasados los cinco días no viene socorro, haremos lo que habéis dicho.”

1Holofernes autem altera die præcepit exercitibus suis ut ascenderent contra Bethuliam.

2Erant autem pedites bellatorum centum viginti millia, et equites viginti duo millia, præter præparationes virorum illorum quos occupaverat captivitas, et abducti fuerant de provinciis et urbibus universæ juventutis.

3Omnes paraverunt se pariter ad pugnam contra filios Israël, et venerunt per crepidinem montis usque ad apicem, qui respicit super Dothain, a loco qui dicitur Belma usque ad Chelmon, qui est contra Esdrelon.

4Filii autem Israël, ut viderunt multitudinem illorum, prostraverunt se super terram, mittentes cinerem super capita sua, unanimes orantes ut Deus Israël misericordiam suam ostenderet super populum suum.

5Et assumentes arma sua bellica, sederunt per loca quæ ad angusti itineris tramitem dirigunt inter montosa, et erant custodientes ea tota die et nocte.

6Porro Holofernes, dum circuit per gyrum, reperit quod fons qui influebat, aquæductum illorum a parte australi extra civitatem dirigeret: et incidi præcepit aquæductum illorum.

7Erant tamen non longe a muris fontes, ex quibus furtim videbantur haurire aquam ad refocillandum potius quam ad potandum.

8Sed filii Ammon et Moab accesserunt ad Holofernem, dicentes: Filii Israël non in lancea nec in sagitta confidunt, sed montes defendunt illos, et muniunt illos colles in præcipitio constituti.

9Ut ergo sine congressione pugnæ possis superare eos, pone custodes fontium, ut non hauriant aquam ex eis, et sine gladio interficies eos, vel certe fatigati tradent civitatem suam, quam putant in montibus positam superari non posse.

10Et placuerunt verba hæc coram Holoferne et coram satellitibus ejus, et constituit per gyrum centenarios per singulos fontes.

11Cumque ista custodia per dies viginti fuisset expleta, defecerunt cisternæ et collectiones aquarum omnibus habitantibus Bethuliam, ita ut non esset intra civitatem unde satiarentur vel una die, quoniam ad mensuram dabatur populis aqua quotidie.

12Tunc ad Oziam congregati omnes viri feminæque, juvenes et parvuli, omnes simul una voce

13dixerunt: Judicet Deus inter nos et te, quoniam fecisti in nos mala, nolens loqui pacifice cum Assyriis, et propter hoc vendidit nos Deus in manibus eorum.

14Et ideo non est qui adjuvet, cum prosternamur ante oculos eorum in siti, et perditione magna.

15Et nunc congregate universos qui in civitate sunt, ut sponte tradamus nos omnes populo Holofernis.

16Melius est enim ut captivi benedicamus Dominum viventes, quam moriamur, et simus opprobrium omni carni, cum viderimus uxores nostras et infantes nostros mori ante oculos nostros.

17Contestamur hodie cælum et terram, et Deum patrum nostrorum, qui ulciscitur nos secundum peccata nostra, ut jam tradatis civitatem in manu militiæ Holofernis, et sit finis noster brevis in ore gladii, qui longior efficitur in ariditate sitis.

18Et cum hæc dixissent, factus est fletus et ululatus magnus in ecclesia ab omnibus, et per multas horas una voce clamaverunt ad Deum, dicentes:

19Peccavimus cum patribus nostris: injuste egimus, iniquitatem fecimus.

20Tu, quia pius es, miserere nostri, aut in tuo flagello vindica iniquitates nostras, et noli tradere confitentes te populo qui ignorat te,

21ut non dicant inter gentes: Ubi est Deus eorum?

22Et cum fatigati ex his clamoribus et his fletibus lassati siluissent,

23exsurgens Ozias infusus lacrimis, dixit: Æquo animo estote, fratres, et hos quinque dies expectemus a Domino misericordiam.

24Forsitan enim indignationem suam abscindet, et dabit gloriam nomini suo.

25Si autem transactis quinque diebus non venerit adjutorium, faciemus hæc verba quæ locuti estis.

1But Holofernes on the next day gave orders to his army, to go up against Bethulia.

2Now there were in his troops a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two and twenty thousand horsemen, besides the preparations of those men who had been taken, and who had been brought away out of the provinces and cities of all the youth.

3All these prepared themselves together to fight against the children of Israel, and they came by the hillside to the top, which looketh toward Dothain, from the place which is called Behlma, unto Chelmon, which is over against Esdrelon.

4But the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, prostrated themselves upon the ground, putting ashes upon their heads, praying with one accord, that the God of Israel would shew his mercy upon his people.

5And taking their arms of war, they posted themselves at the places, which by a narrow pathway lead directly between the mountains, and they guarded them all day and night.

6Now Holofernes, in going round about, found that the fountains which supplied them with water, ran through an aqueduct without the city on the south side: and he commanded their aqueduct to he cut off.

7Nevertheless there were springs not far from the walls, out of which they were seen secretly to draw water, to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill.

8But the children of Ammon and Moab came to Holofernes, saying: The children of Israel trust not in their spears, nor in their arrows, but the mountains are their defense, and the steep hires and precipices guard them.

9Wherefore that thou mayst overcome them without joining battle, set guards at the springs that they may not draw water out of them, and thou shalt destroy them without sword, or at least being wearied out they will yield up their city, which they suppose, because it is situate in the mountains, to be impregnable.

10And these words pleased Holofernes, and his officers, and he placed all round about a hundred men at every spring.

11And when they had kept this watch for full twenty days, the cisterns, and the reserve of waters failed among all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was not within the city, enough to satisfy them, no not for one day, for water was daily given out to the people by measure.

12Then all the men and women, young men, and children, gathering themselves together to Ozias, all together with one voice,

13Said: God be judge between us and thee, for thou hast done evil against us, in that thou wouldst not speak peaceably with the Assyrians, and for this cause God hath sold us into their hands.

14And therefore there is no one to help us, while we are cast down before their eyes in thirst, and sad destruction.

15And now assemble ye all that are in the city, that we may of our own accord yield ourselves all up to the people of Holofernes.

16For it is better, that being captives we should live and bless the Lord, than that we should die, and be a reproach to all flesh, after we have seen our wives and our infants die before our eyes.

17We call to witness this day heaven and earth, and the God of our fathers, who taketh vengeance upon us according to our sins, conjuring you to deliver now the city into the hand of the army of Holofernes, that our end may be short by the edge of the sword, which is made longer by the drought of thirst.

18And when they had said these things, there was great weeping and lamentation of all in the assembly, and for many hours with one voice they cried to God, saying:

19We have sinned with our fathers we have done unjustly, we have commited iniquity:

20Have thou mercy on us, because thou art good, or punish our iniquities by chastising us thyself, and deliver not them that trust in thee to a people that knoweth not thee,

21That they may not say among the gentiles: Where is their God?

22And when being wearied with these cries, and tired with these weepings, they held their peace,

23Ozias rising up all in tears, said: Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.

24For perhaps he will put a stop to his indignation, and will give glory to his own name.

25But if after five days be past there come no aid, we will do the things which you leave spoken.