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1 Now it came to pass, when Judith a widow
had heard these words, who was the daughter of Merari,
the son of Idox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozias, the son of Elai, the son
of Jamnor, the son of Gedeon,
the son of Raphaim, the son of Achitob,
the son of Melehias, the son of Enan,
the son of Nathanias, the son of Salathiel, the son of Simeon, the son of Ruben:
2 And her husband was Manasses,
who died in the time of the barley harvest:
3 For he was standing over them that bound
sheaves in the field ; and the heat came upon his head, and he died in Bethulia his own city, and was buried there with his
fathers.
4 And Judith his relict was a widow now three
years and six months.
5 And she made herself a private chamber in
the upper part of her house, in which she abode shut up with her maids.
6 And she wore haircloth upon her loins, and
fasted all the days of her life, except the sabbaths,
and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.
7 And she was exceedingly beautiful, and her
husband left her great riches, and very many servants, and large possessions
of herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep.
8 And she was greatly renowned among all,
because she feared the Lord very much, neither was there any one that spoke
an ill word of her.
9 When therefore she had heard that Ozias had promised that he would deliver up the city
after the fifth day, she sent to the ancients Chabri
and Charmi.
10 And they came to her, and she said to them:
What is this word, by which Ozias hath consented to
give up the city to the Assyrians, if within five days there come no aid to
us?
11 And who are you that tempt the Lord?
12 This is not a word that may draw down mercy,
but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indignation.
13 You have set a time for the mercy of the
Lord, and you have appointed him a day, according to your pleasure.
14 But forasmuch as the Lord is patient, let
us be penitent for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg his
pardon:
15 For God will not threaten like man, nor
be inflamed to anger like the son of man.
16 And therefore let us humble our souls
before him, and continuing in an humble spirit, in his service:
17 Let us ask the Lord with tears, that
according to his will so he would shew his mercy to
us: that as our heart is troubled by their pride, so also we may glorify in
our humility.
18 For we have not followed the sins of our
fathers, who forsook their God, and worshipped strange gods.
19 For which crime they were given up to their
enemies, to the sword, and to pillage, and to confusion: but we know no other
God but him.
20 Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and
the Lord our God will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies,
and he will humble all the nations that shall rise up against us, and bring
them to disgrace.
21 And now, brethren, as you are the ancients
among the people of God, and their very soul resteth
upon you: comfort their hearts by your speech, that they may be mindful how
our fathers were tempted that they might be proved, whether they worshipped
their God truly.
22 They must remember how our father Abraham
was tempted, and being proved by many tribulations, was made the friend of
God.
23 So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that
have pleased God, passed through many tribulations, remaining faithful.
24 But they that did not receive the trials
with the fear of the Lord, but uttered their impatience and the reproach of
their murmuring against the Lord,
25 Were destroyed by the destroyer, and
perished by serpents.
26 As for us therefore let us not revenge
ourselves for these things which we suffer
27 But esteeming these very punishments to
be less than our sins deserve, let us believe that these scourges of the
Lord, with which like servants we are chastised, have happened for our
amendment, and not for our destruction.
28 And Ozias and the
ancients said to her: All things which thou hast spoken are true, and there
is nothing to be reprehended in thy words.
29 Now therefore pray for us, for thou art a
holy woman, and one fearing God.
30 And Judith said to them: As you know that
what I have been able to say is of God:
31 So that which I intend to do prove ye if
it be of God, and pray that God may strengthen my design.
32 You shall stand at the gate this night, and
I will go out with my maidservant: and pray ye, that as you have said, in
five days the Lord may look down upon his people Israel.
33 But I desire that you search not into what
I am doing, and till I bring you word let nothing else be done but to pray
for me to the Lord our God.
34 And Ozias the
prince of Juda said to her: Go in peace, and the
Lord be with thee to take revenge of our enemies. So returning they departed.
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1- و لما سمعت هذا الكلام يهوديت
الارملة و هي بنت مراري بن ايدوس ابن يوسف بن عزيا بن الاي ابن يمنور بن جدعون
بن رفائيم بن احيطوب بن ملكيا ابن عانان بن نتنيا بن شالتيئيل بن شمعون بن
راوبين.
2- و كان بعلها منسى و قد مات في ايام حصاد
الشعير.
3- لانه كان يحث رابطي الحزم في الحقل فصخد
الحر راسه فمات في بيت فلوى مدينته و قبر هناك مع ابائه.
4- و كانت يهوديت قد بقيت ارملة منذ ثلاث سنين
و ستة اشهر.
5- و كانت قد هيات لها في اعلى
بيتها غرفة سرية و كانت تقيم فيها مع جواريها و تغلقها.
6- و كان على حقويها مسح و كانت تصوم جميع
ايام حياتها ما خلا السبوت و رؤوس الشهور و اعياد ال اسرائيل.
7- و كانت جميلة المنظر جدا و قد ترك لها
بعلها ثروة واسعة و حشما كثيرين و املاكا مملوءة باصورة البقر و قطعان الغنم.
8- و كانت لها شهرة بين جميع الناس من اجل
انها كانت تتقي الرب جدا و لم يكن احد يقول عليها كلمة سوء.
9- فهذه لما سمعت ان عزيا وعد بان يسلم
المدينة بعد خمسة ايام انفذت الى الشيخين كبري و كرمي.
10- فوافياها فقالت لهما ما هذا الامر الذي
وافق عليه عزيا ان يسلم المدينة الى الاشوريين اذا لم تاتنا معونة الى خمسة ايام.
11- من انتم حتى تجربوا الرب.
12- ليس هذا بكلام يستعطف الرحمة
و لكنه بالاحرى يهيج الغضب و يضرم السخط.
13- فانكم قد ضربتم اجلا لرحمة الرب و عينتم
له يوما كما شئتم.
14- و لكن بما ان الرب طويل الاناة فلنندم على
هذا و نلتمس غفرانه بالدموع المسكوبة.
15- انه ليس وعيد الله كوعيد الانسان و لا هو
يستشيط حنقا كابن البشر.
16- لذلك فلنذلل له انفسنا و نعبده بروح
متواضع.
17- و لنسال الرب باكين ان يؤتينا رحمته بحسب
مشيئته لنفتخر بتواضعنا مثلما اضطربت قلوبنا بتكبرهم.
18- فانا لم نجر على خطايا ابائنا الذين تركوا
الههم و عبدوا الهة غريبة.
19- فاسلموا من اجل ذلك الاثم الى السيف و
النهب و الخزي بين اعدائهم لكنا نحن لا نعرف الها غيره.
20- فنترجى بالتواضع تعزيته و هو ينتقم لدمنا
عن اعنات اعدائنا لنا و يذل جميع الامم الواثبين علينا و يخزيهم الرب الهنا.
21- و الان يا اخوتي بما انكم انتم شيوخ في
شعب الله و بكم نفوسهم منوطة فانهضوا قلوبهم بكلامكم حتى يذكروا ان اباءنا انما
ورد عليهم البلاء ليمتحنوا هل يعبدون الههم بالحق.
22- فينبغي لهم ان يذكروا كيف امتحن ابونا
ابراهيم و بعد ان جرب بشدائد كثيرة صار خليلا لله.
23- و هكذا اسحق و هكذا يعقوب و هكذا موسى و
جميع الذين رضي الله منهم جازوا في شدائد كثيرة و بقوا على امانتهم.
24- فاما الذين لم يقبلوا
البلايا بخشية الرب بل ابدوا جزعهم و عاد تذمرهم على الرب.
25- فاستاصلهم المستاصل و هلكوا بالحيات.
26- و اما نحن الان فلا نجزع لما
نقاسيه.
27- بل لنحسب ان هذه العقوبات هي دون خطايانا
و نعتقد ان ضربات الرب التي نؤدب بها كالعبيد انما هي للاصلاح لا للاهلاك.
28- فقال لها عزيا و الشيوخ جميع مقالك حق و
لا عيب في كلماتك.
29- فالان صلي عنا لانك امراة قديسة متقية
لله.
30- فقالت لهم يهوديت كما انكم عرفتم ان ما
تكلمت به هو من قبل الله.
31- فاعلموا عن خبرة ان ما عزمت عليه هو من
قبل الله و صلوا حتى يؤيد الله مشورتي.
32- ففي هذه الليلة تقفون انتم على الباب و
انا اخرج مع وصيفتي و صلوا ان ينظر الرب الى شعبه اسرائيل خمسة ايام كما قلتم.
33- و انا لا احب ان تفحصوا عن قصدي و من الان
حتى اعلمكم به لا تصنعوا شيئا غير الصلاة عني الى الرب الهنا.
34- فقال لها عزيا امير يهوذا اذهبي بسلام و
ليكن الرب معك في الانتقام من اعدائنا و انصرفوا راجعين
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