| 1 τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον παρήγγειλεν Ολοφέρνης πάσῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ αὐτοῦ καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ οἳ παρεγένοντο ἐπὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν αὐτοῦ ἀναζευγνύειν ἐπὶ Βαιτυλουα καὶ τὰς ἀναβάσεις τῆς ὀρεινῆς προκαταλαμβάνεσθαι καὶ ποιεῖν πόλεμον πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ 2 καὶ ἀνέζευξεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ πᾶς ἀνὴρ δυνατὸς αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν ἀνδρῶν πολεμιστῶν χιλιάδες πεζῶν ἑκατὸν ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ ἱππέων χιλιάδες δέκα δύο χωρὶς τῆς ἀποσκευῆς καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν οἳ ἦσαν πεζοὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς πλῆθος πολὺ σφόδρα 3 καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν τῷ αὐλῶνι πλησίον Βαιτυλουα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς καὶ παρέτειναν εἰς εὖρος ἐπὶ Δωθαϊμ ἕως Βελβαιμ καὶ εἰς μῆκος ἀπὸ Βαιτυλουα ἕως Κυαμωνος ἥ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι τοῦ Εσδρηλων 4 οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ὡς εἶδον αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος ἐταράχθησαν σφόδρα καὶ εἶπαν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ νῦν ἐκλείξουσιν οὗτοι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς πάσης καὶ οὔτε τὰ ὄρη τὰ ὑψηλὰ οὔτε αἱ φάραγγες οὔτε οἱ βουνοὶ ὑποστήσονται τὸ βάρος αὐτῶν 5 καὶ ἀναλαβόντες ἕκαστος τὰ σκεύη τὰ πολεμικὰ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνακαύσαντες πυρὰς ἐπὶ τοὺς πύργους αὐτῶν ἔμενον φυλάσσοντες ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην 6 τῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἐξήγαγεν Ολοφέρνης πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον αὐτοῦ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ οἳ ἦσαν ἐν Βαιτυλουα 7 καὶ ἐπεσκέψατο τὰς ἀναβάσεις τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων ἐφώδευσεν καὶ προκατελάβετο αὐτὰς καὶ ἐπέστησεν αὐταῖς παρεμβολὰς ἀνδρῶν πολεμιστῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνέζευξεν εἰς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ 8 καὶ προσελθόντες αὐτῷ πάντες ἄρχοντες υἱῶν Ησαυ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ Μωαβ καὶ οἱ στρατηγοὶ τῆς παραλίας εἶπαν 9 ἀκουσάτω δὴ λόγον ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῶν ἵνα μὴ γένηται θραῦσμα ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου |
1 Next day, Holofernes ordered his troops to march on Bethulia. 2 He had a hundred and twenty thousand foot and twenty-two thousand horse under his command, besides forced levies from the manhood of all the regions and cities he had overrun. 3 This whole army now prepared to attack the Israelites, advancing up the mountain-slopes to a height which commands the Dothian plain, all the way from Belma to Chelmon, near Esdrelon. 4 Face to earth the men of Israel bowed down, and threw dust on their heads, as they saw the enemy’s numbers, beseeching God with one accord to grant his people deliverance; 5 then, taking up their arms, they mounted guard over the approaches of the narrow defile that leads between the mountains, where they kept watch day and night. 6 Holofernes, looking for a devious path to circumvent them, came upon the springs which fed their aqueduct, south of the city and beyond its enclosure; so he gave orders that their supply of water should be cut off. 7 A few springs remained, not far from the wall, from which they still drew water, enough to revive their spirits but scarce enough to quench their thirst. This they did by stealth, but not unobserved; 8 and now the men of Ammon and Moab offered their advice to Holofernes. Not in bow or lance, said they, do the Israelites put their trust; it is the hill-country that befriends them; these mountains with their headlong slopes are all the defence they need. 9 Wouldst thou defeat them without battle joined? Then set a guard over these springs of theirs, and let them draw water no longer. Either thou wilt compass their deaths, and no blood shed, or, worn down at last, they will yield into thy hands the city they think impregnable. |
1 Holofernes autem altera die præcepit exercitibus suis ut ascenderent contra Bethuliam. 2 Erant 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. 3 Omnes 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. 4 Filii 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. 5 Et assumentes arma sua bellica, sederunt per loca quæ ad angusti itineris tramitem dirigunt inter montosa, et erant custodientes ea tota die et nocte. 6 Porro Holofernes, dum circuit per gyrum, reperit quod fons qui influebat, aquæductum illorum a parte australi extra civitatem dirigeret: et incidi præcepit aquæductum illorum. 7 Erant tamen non longe a muris fontes, ex quibus furtim videbantur haurire aquam ad refocillandum potius quam ad potandum. 8 Sed 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. 9 Ut 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. |