| 9 καὶ ἤκουσεν τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ λαοῦ τὰ πονηρὰ ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα ὅτι ὠλιγοψύχησαν ἐν τῇ σπάνει τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ ἤκουσεν πάντας τοὺς λόγους Ιουδιθ οὓς ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Οζιας ὡς ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς παραδώσειν τὴν πόλιν μετὰ ἡμέρας πέντε τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις 10 καὶ ἀποστείλασα τὴν ἅβραν αὐτῆς τὴν ἐφεστῶσαν πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτῆς ἐκάλεσεν Χαβριν καὶ Χαρμιν τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς πόλεως αὐτῆς 11 καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτήν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς ἀκούσατε δή μου ἄρχοντες τῶν κατοικούντων ἐν Βαιτυλουα ὅτι οὐκ εὐθὴς ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ὃν ἐλαλήσατε ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ ἐστήσατε τὸν ὅρκον τοῦτον ὃν ἐλαλήσατε ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ εἴπατε ἐκδώσειν τὴν πόλιν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἡμῶν ἐὰν μὴ ἐν αὐταῖς ἐπιστρέψῃ κύριος βοήθειαν ὑμῖν 12 καὶ νῦν τίνες ἐστὲ ὑμεῖς οἳ ἐπειράσατε τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ σήμερον καὶ ἵστατε ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν μέσῳ υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων 13 καὶ νῦν κύριον παντοκράτορα ἐξετάζετε καὶ οὐθὲν ἐπιγνώσεσθε ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος 14 ὅτι βάθος καρδίας ἀνθρώπου οὐχ εὑρήσετε καὶ λόγους τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ οὐ διαλήμψεσθε καὶ πῶς τὸν θεόν ὃς ἐποίησεν πάντα ταῦτα ἐρευνήσετε καὶ τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ ἐπιγνώσεσθε καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν αὐτοῦ κατανοήσετε μηδαμῶς ἀδελφοί μὴ παροργίζετε κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν 15 ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ βούληται ἐν ταῖς πέντε ἡμέραις βοηθῆσαι ἡμῖν αὐτὸς ἔχει τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐν αἷς θέλει σκεπάσαι ἡμέραις ἢ καὶ ὀλεθρεῦσαι ἡμᾶς πρὸ προσώπου τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν 16 ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ ἐνεχυράζετε τὰς βουλὰς κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεὸς ἀπειληθῆναι οὐ{D'} ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου διαιτηθῆναι 17 διόπερ ἀναμένοντες τὴν πα{R'} αὐτοῦ σωτηρίαν ἐπικαλεσώμεθα αὐτὸν εἰς βοήθειαν ἡμῶν καὶ εἰσακούσεται τῆς φωνῆς ἡμῶν ἐὰν ᾖ αὐτῷ ἀρεστόν 18 ὅτι οὐκ ἀνέστη ἐν ταῖς γενεαῖς ἡμῶν οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ σήμερον οὔτε φυλὴ οὔτε πατριὰ οὔτε δῆμος οὔτε πόλις ἐξ ἡμῶν οἳ προσκυνοῦσι θεοῖς χειροποιήτοις καθάπερ ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς πρότερον ἡμέραις 19 ὧν χάριν ἐδόθησαν εἰς ῥομφαίαν καὶ εἰς διαρπαγὴν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν καὶ ἔπεσον πτῶμα μέγα ἐνώπιον τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν 20 ἡμεῖς δὲ ἕτερον θεὸν οὐκ ἔγνωμεν πλὴν αὐτοῦ ὅθεν ἐλπίζομεν ὅτι οὐχ ὑπερόψεται ἡμᾶς οὐ{D'} ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν |
9 This Judith, then, when she heard how Ozias had promised to surrender the city in five days’ time, would have two of the elders, Chabri and Charmi, pay her a visit.[2] 10 And thus she greeted them, Is it true Ozias has promised he will hand the city over to the Assyrians, if in five days no rescue comes to you? 11 By what right, sirs, do you put the Lord’s goodness to such a test? 12 This is no way to win it; rather, we shall earn his displeasure, add fuel to his vengeance. 13 What, would you set a date to the Lord’s mercies, bid him keep tryst with you on a day of your own appointing? 14 Well for us that he, at least, is patient; repent we, and with flowing tears ask his pardon! 15 He will not overwhelm us with reproaches, as men do; not his the human anger that bursts into flame. 16 Abate we our pride, and wait on him with chastened spirits; 17 entreat him with tears to grant us relief at a time of his own choosing. Then shall we, who stand aghast now at the pride of our enemies, triumph in the reward of our humility. 18 It is something that we have not followed the evil example of our forefathers, who forsook their own God and worshipped alien gods instead, 19 dooming themselves thus to massacre, to plunder, and to insult at the hands of their enemies. At least we acknowledge one God, and him only. 20 Wait we humbly till he sends us relief; he will avenge our wrongs by bringing misfortune on our enemies; he, the Lord our God, will bring the invader low, and disappoint him of his prize. |
9 Hæc itaque cum audisset quoniam Ozias promisisset quod transacto quinto die traderet civitatem, misit ad presbyteros Chabri et Charmi. 10 Et venerunt ad illam, et dixit illis: Quod est hoc verbum, in quo consensit Ozias, ut tradat civitatem Assyriis si intra quinque dies non venerit vobis adjutorium? 11 et qui estis vos, qui tentatis Dominum? 12 non est iste sermo qui misericordiam provocet, sed potius qui iram excitet, et furorem accendat. 13 Posuistis vos tempus miserationis Domini, et in arbitrium vestrum, diem constituistis ei. 14 Sed quia patiens Dominus est, in hoc ipso pœniteamus, et indulgentiam ejus fusis lacrimis postulemus: 15 non enim quasi homo sic Deus comminabitur, neque sicut filius hominis ad iracundiam inflammabitur. 16 Et ideo humiliemus illi animas nostras, et in spiritu constituti humiliato, servientes illi 17 dicamus flentes Domino, ut secundum voluntatem suam sic faciat nobiscum misericordiam suam: ut sicut conturbatum est cor nostrum in superbia eorum, ita etiam de nostra humilitate gloriemur: 18 quoniam non sumus secuti peccata patrum nostrorum, qui dereliquerunt Deum suum, et adoraverunt deos alienos, 19 pro quo scelere dati sunt in gladium, et in rapinam, et in confusionem inimicis suis: nos autem alterum deum nescimus præter ipsum. 20 Expectemus humiles consolationem ejus, et exquiret sanguinem nostrum de afflictionibus inimicorum nostrorum, et humiliabit omnes gentes, quæcumque insurgunt contra nos, et faciet illas sine honore Dominus Deus noster. |