友弟德传 9

1And when they were gone, Judith went into her oratory: and putting on haircloth, laid ashes on her head: and falling down prostrate before the Lord, she cried to the Lord, saying:

2O Lord God of my father Simeon, who gavest him a sword to execute vengeance against strangers, who had defiled by their uncleanness, and uncovered the virgin unto confusion:

3And who gavest their wives to be made a prey, and their daughters into captivity: and all their spoils to be divided to thy servants, who were zealous with thy zeal: assist, I beseech thee, O Lord God, me a widow.

4For thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised one thing after another: and what thou hast designed hath been done.

5For all thy ways are prepared, and in thy providence thou hast placed thy judgments.

6Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, as thou wast pleased to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued armed after thy servants, trusting in their chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors.

7But thou lookedst over their camp, and darkness wearied them.

8The deep held their feet, and the waters overwhelmed them.

9So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and glory in their spears,

10And know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the beginning, and the Lord is thy name.

11Lift up thy arm as from the beginning, and crush their power with thy power: let their power fall in their wrath, who promise themselves to violate thy sanctuary, and defile the dwelling place of thy name, and to beat down with their sword the horn of thy altar.

12Bring to pass, O Lord, that his pride may be cut off with his own sword.

13Let him be caught in the net of his own eyes in my regard, and do thou strike him by the graces of the words of my lips.

14Give me constancy in my mind, that I may despise him: and fortitude that I may overthrow him.

15For this will be a glorious monument for thy name, when he shall fall by the hand of a woman.

16For thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee.

17O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy.

18Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness:

19And all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee.

1Quibus ascendentibus, Judith ingressa est oratorium suum: et induens se cilicio, posuit cinerem super caput suum: et prosternens se Domino, clamabat ad Dominum, dicens:

2Domine Deus patris mei Simeon, qui dedisti illi gladium in defensionem alienigenarum, qui violatores extiterunt in coinquinatione sua, et denudaverunt femur virginis in confusionem:

3et dedisti mulieres illorum in prædam, et filias illorum in captivitatem: et omnem prædam in divisionem servis tuis, qui zelaverunt zelum tuum: subveni, quæso te, Domine Deus meus, mihi viduæ.

4Tu enim fecisti priora, et illa post illa cogitasti: et hoc factum est quod ipse voluisti.

5Omnes enim viæ tuæ paratæ sunt, et tua judicia in tua providentia posuisti.

6Respice castra Assyriorum nunc, sicut tunc castra Ægyptiorum videre dignatus es, quando post servos tuos armati currebant, confidentes in quadrigis, et in equitatu suo, et in multitudine bellatorum.

7Sed aspexisti super castra eorum, et tenebræ fatigaverunt eos.

8Tenuit pedes eorum abyssus, et aquæ operuerunt eos.

9Sic fiant et isti, Domine, qui confidunt in multitudine sua, et in curribus suis, et in contis, et in scutis, et in sagittis suis, et in lanceis gloriantur,

10et nesciunt quia tu ipse es Deus noster, qui conteris bella ab initio, et Dominus nomen est tibi.

11Erige brachium tuum sicut ab initio, et allide virtutem illorum in virtute tua: cadat virtus eorum in iracundia tua, qui promittunt se violare sancta tua, et polluere tabernaculum nominis tui, et dejicere gladio suo cornu altaris tui.

12Fac, Domine, ut gladio proprio ejus superbia amputetur:

13capiatur laqueo oculorum suorum in me, et percuties eum ex labiis caritatis meæ.

14Da mihi in animo constantiam ut contemnam illum, et virtutem, ut evertam illum.

15Erit enim hoc memoriale nominis tui, cum manus feminæ dejecerit eum.

16Non enim in multitudine est virtus tua, Domine, neque in equorum viribus voluntas tua est, nec superbi ab initio placuerunt tibi: sed humilium et mansuetorum semper tibi placuit deprecatio.

17Deus cælorum, creator aquarum, et Dominus totius creaturæ, exaudi me miseram deprecantem, et de tua misericordia præsumentem.

18Memento, Domine, testamenti tui, et da verbum in ore meo, et in corde meo consilium corrobora, ut domus tua in sanctificatione tua permaneat:

19et omnes gentes agnoscant quia tu es Deus, et non est alius præter te.

1And when they were gone, Judith entered her place of prayer. And clothing herself with haircloth, she placed ashes on her head. And prostrating herself to the Lord, she cried out to the Lord, saying:

2“O Lord, God of my father Simeon, you gave him a sword to defend against foreigners, who stood out as violators by their defilement, and who uncovered the thigh of the virgin unto shame.

3And you gave their wives into plunder, and their daughters into captivity, and all their spoils to be divided to the servants, who were zealous with your zeal. Bring help, I ask you, O Lord my God, to me, a widow.

4For you have acted in the past, and you have decided one thing after another. And what you have willed, this too has happened.

5For all your ways have been prepared, and you have placed your judgments within your providence.

6Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, just as you deigned to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when their weapons rushed after your servants, trusting in their four-horse chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors.

7But you gazed upon their camp, and darkness wearied them.

8The abyss took hold of their feet, and the waters covered them.

9So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their swift chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and the glory in their lances.

10And they do not know that you are our God, who crushes wars from the beginning, and the Lord is your name.

11Raise up your arm, just as from the beginning, and throw down their power by your power. Let their power fall, in their anger, for they promise themselves to violate your sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle of your name, and to cut down by their sword the horn of your altar.

12Act, O Lord, so that his arrogance may be cut off with his own sword.

13Let him be seized by the snare of his own eyes in my regard, and may you strike him by the attraction of my lips.

14Give me constancy in my soul, so that I may hold him in contempt, and give me virtue, so that I may overthrow him.

15For this will be a memorial to your name, when he will be overthrown by the hand of a woman.

16For your power, O Lord, is not in numbers, nor is your will with the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the arrogant been pleasing to you. But the pleas of the humble and the meek have always pleased you.

17O God of the heavens, Creator of the waters, and Lord of all creation, heed me, a miserable thing, pleading you and depending on your mercy.

18Remember, O Lord, your covenant, and put your words in my mouth, and reinforce the plan in my heart, so that your house may continue with your sanctification,

19and so that all the nations may acknowledge that you are God, and there is no other beside you.”