Yudit 14

¹Yudit onlara şöyle dedi: "Kardeşlerim, beni can kulağıyla dinleyin; bu başı alın ve onu surlarınızın burcuna asın.

²Tan vakti ağarıp güneş yeryüzüne doğduğunda, her biriniz savaş silahlarınızı kuşanacaksınız ve eli silah tutan her adam kentten dışarı çıkacak; Asur oğullarının ileri karakoluna karşı ovaya iniyormuş gibi onlara bir öncülük görüntüsü vereceksiniz, ama aşağı inmeyeceksiniz.

³O zaman onlar da kendi zırhlarını kuşanıp kendi ordugahlarına gidecekler ve Asur ordusunun komutanlarını harekete geçirecekler; Holofernes'in çadırına hep birlikte koşacaklar ama onu bulamayacaklar. Üzerlerine büyük bir korku çökecek ve önünüzden kaçacaklar.

⁴Siz ve İsrail'in tüm sınırlarında yaşayan herkes onların peşine düşüp kaçtıkları yollarda onları yere sereceksiniz.

⁵Ama bunları yapmadan önce, Ammonlu Akyor'u bana çağırın; öyle ki, İsrail soyunu hor gören ve onu ölüme gönderir gibi bize yollayan adamı bizzat görüp tanısın."

⁶Böylece Akyor'u Ozyas'ın evinden çağırdılar. Gelip halk topluluğunun ortasında bir adamın elinde Holofernes'in başını görünce, yüzüstü yere kapandı ve bilincini yitirip bayıldı.

⁷Onu yerden kaldırdıklarında, Yudit'in ayaklarına kapandı, önünde secde ederek şöyle dedi: "Yahuda'nın her çadırında ve senin adını duyup dehşete düşecek olan tüm uluslar arasında kutsanmış olasın!

⁸Şimdi bu günlerde neler yaptığını bana anlat." Bunun üzerine Yudit, halkın ortasında, kentten ayrıldığı günden onlarla konuştuğu o ana kadar yaptığı her şeyi ona anlattı.

⁹O konuşmasını bitirince, halk yüksek sesle sevinç çığlıkları attı ve kentte neşeyle haykırdı.

¹⁰İsrail'in Tanrısı'nın yaptığı her şeyi gören Akyor, Tanrı'ya yürekten inandı, sünnet derisini sünnet ettirerek törensel olarak temizlendi ve bugüne dek İsrail halkına bağlı kaldı.

¹¹Sabah olunca Holofernes'in başını sura astılar; her İsrailli silahlarını kuşanıp bölükler halinde dağ geçitlerine doğru ilerledi.

¹²Asur oğulları onları görünce kendi önderlerine haber gönderdiler; onlar da komutanlarına, binbaşılarına ve tüm yöneticilerine gittiler.

¹³Holofernes'in çadırına gelip onun tüm işlerine bakan kahyaya şöyle dediler: "Efendimizi uyandır; çünkü o köleler tamamen yok edilmek üzere bizimle savaşmak için aşağı inmeye cüret ettiler."

¹⁴Bunun üzerine Bagoas içeri girip çadırın perdesine vurdu; çünkü onun Yudit ile uyumakta olduğunu sanıyordu.

¹⁵Ses çıkmayınca perdeyi aralayıp yatak odasına girdi ve onu sedirin üzerinde başı kesilmiş, cansız bir halde yatarken buldu.

¹⁶Hıçkıra hıçkıra ağlayarak, inleyerek ve feryat ederek yüksek sesle bağırdı ve giysilerini yırttı.

¹⁷Sonra Yudit'in kaldığı çadıra girdi, onu bulamayınca dışarı fırlayıp halka doğru bağırarak koştu:

¹⁸"Bu köleler bize ihanet etti! Tek bir İbrani kadın, Kral Nabukadnezar'ın hanedanına utanç getirdi! İşte, Holofernes yerde yatıyor ve başı yerinde değil!"

¹⁹Asur ordusunun komutanları bu sözleri duyunca giysilerini yırttılar; ruhları büyük bir sarsıntıyla sarsıldı ve ordugahın ortasında büyük bir feryat ve çığlık koptu.

¹ΚΑΙ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ᾿Ιουδίθ· ἀκούσατε δή μου, ἀδελφοί, καὶ λαβόντες τὴν κεφαλὴν ταύτην κρεμάσατε αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπάλξεως τοῦ τείχους ὑμῶν.

²καὶ ἔσται ἡνίκα ἂν διαφαύσῃ ὁ ὄρθρος καὶ ἐξέλθῃ ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀναλήψεσθε ἕκαστος τὰ σκεύη τὰ πολεμικὰ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξελεύσεσθε πᾶς ἀνὴρ ἰσχύων ἔξω τῆς πόλεως καὶ δώσετε ἀρχηγὸν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὡς καταβαίνοντες ἐπὶ τὸ πεδίον εἰς τὴν προφυλακὴν υἱῶν ᾿Ασσούρ, καὶ οὐ καταβήσεσθε.

³καὶ ἀναλαβόντες οὗτοι τὰς πανοπλίας αὐτῶν πορεύσονται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγεροῦσι τοὺς στρατηγοὺς τῆς δυνάμεως ᾿Ασσούρ· καὶ συνδραμοῦνται ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ᾿Ολοφέρνου καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπιπεσεῖται ἐπ᾿ αὐτου’ς φόβος, καὶ φεύξονται ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν.

⁴καὶ ἐπακολουθήσαντες ὑμεῖς καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες πᾶν ὅριον ᾿Ισραήλ, καταστρώσατε αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν.

⁵πρὸ δὲ τοῦ ποιῆσαι ταῦτα, καλέσατέ μοι ᾿Αχιὼρ τὸν ᾿Αμανίτην, ἵνα ἰδὼν ἐπιγνῷ τὸν ἐκφαυλίσαντα τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ αὐτὸν ὡς εἰς θάνατον ἀποστείλαντα εἰς ἡμᾶς.

⁶καὶ ἐκάλεσαν τὸν ᾿Αχιὼρ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου ᾿Οζία· ὡς δὲ ἦλθε καὶ εἶδε τὴν κεφαλὴν ᾿Ολοφέρνου ἐν χειρὶ ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ, ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐξελύθη τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ.

⁷ὡς δὲ ἀνέλαβον αὐτόν, προσέπεσε τοῖς ποσὶν ᾿Ιουδὶθ καὶ προσεκύνησε τῷ προσώπῳ αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν· εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν παντὶ σκηνώματι ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει, οἵτινες ἀκούσαντες τὸ ὄνομά σου ταραχθήσονται·

⁸καὶ νῦν ἀνάγγειλόν μοι ὅσα ἐποίσας ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις. καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ιουδὶθ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ πάντα, ὅσα ἦν πεποιηκυῖα, ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας ἐξῆλθεν ἕως οὗ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς.

⁹ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λαλοῦσα, ἠλάλαξεν ὁ λαὸς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἔδωκε φωνὴν εὐφρόσυνον ἐν τῇ πόλει αὐτῶν.

¹⁰ἰδὼν δὲ ᾿Αχιὼρ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, ἐπίστευσε τῷ Θεῷ σφόδρα καὶ περιετέμετο τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν οἶκον ᾿Ισραὴλ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

¹¹῾Ηνίκα δὲ ὁ ὄρθρος ἀνέβη, καὶ ἐκρέμασαν τὴν κεφαλὴν ᾿Ολοφέρνου ἐκ τοῦ τείχους, καὶ ἀνέλαβε πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ τὰ ὅπλα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξήλθοσαν κατὰ σπείρας ἐπὶ τὰς ἀναβάσεις τοῦ ὄρους.

¹²οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ ᾿Ασσοὺρ ὡς εἶδον αὐτούς, διέπεμψαν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους αὐτῶν· οἱ δὲ ἦλθον ἐπὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ χιλιάρχους καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα ἄρχοντα αὐτῶν.

¹³καὶ παρεγένοντο ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ᾿Ολοφέρνου καὶ εἶπαν τῷ ὄντι ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ· ἔγειρον δὴ τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐτόλμησαν οἱ δοῦλοι καταβαίνειν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς εἰς πόλεμον, ἵνα ἐξολοθρευθῶσιν εἰς τέλος.

¹⁴καὶ εἰσῆλθε Βαγώας καὶ ἔκρουσε τὴν αὐλαίαν τῆς σκηνῆς· ὑπενοεῖτο γὰρ καθεύδειν αὐτὸν μετὰ ᾿Ιουδίθ·

¹⁵ὡς δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐπήκουσε, διαστείλας εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κοιτῶνα καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς χελωνίδος ἐρριμμένον νεκρόν, καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἀφῄρετο ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

¹⁶καὶ ἐβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ στεναγμοῦ καὶ βοῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ.

¹⁷καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν σκηνήν, οὗ ἦν ᾿Ιουδὶθ καταλύουσα, καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν αὐτήν· καὶ ἐξεπήδησεν εἰς τὸν λαὸν κράζων·

¹⁸ἠθέτησαν οἱ δοῦλοι, ἐποίησεν αἰσχύνην μία γυνὴ τῶν ῾Εβραίων εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως Ναβουχοδονόσορ· ὅτι ἰδοὺ ᾿Ολοφέρνης χαμαί, καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ.

¹⁹ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς δυνάμεως ᾿Ασσούρ, τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτῶν διέρρηξαν, καὶ ἐταράχθη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῶν σφόδρα, καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῶν κραυγὴ καὶ βοὴ μεγάλη σφόδρα ἐν μέσῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς.

¹Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the highest place of your walls.

²And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out of the city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into the field toward the watch of the Assyrians; but go not down.

³Then they shall take their armour, and shall go into their camp, and raise up the captains of the army of Assur, and shall run to the tent of Holofernes, but shall not find him: then fear shall fall upon them, and they shall flee before your face.

⁴So ye, and all that inhabit the coast of Israel, shall pursue them, and overthrow them as they go.

⁵But before ye do these things, call me Achior the Ammonite, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us as it were to his death.

⁶Then they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; and when he was come, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell down on his face, and his spirit failed.

⁷But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith’s feet, and reverenced her, and said, Blessed art thou in all the tabernacles of Juda, and in all nations, which hearing thy name shall be astonished.

⁸Now therefore tell me all the things that thou hast done in these days. Then Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all that she had done, from the day that she went forth until that hour she spake unto them.

⁹And when she had left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city.

¹⁰And when Achior had seen all that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God greatly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined unto the house of Israel unto this day.

¹¹And as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by bands unto the straits of the mountain.

¹²But when the Assyrians saw them, they sent to their leaders, which came to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.

¹³So they came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that had the charge of all his things, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.

¹⁴Then went in Bagoas, and knocked at the door of the tent; for he thought that he had slept with Judith.

¹⁵But because none answered, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the floor dead, and his head was taken from him.

¹⁶Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and sighing, and a mighty cry, and rent his garments.

¹⁷After he went into the tent where Judith lodged: and when he found her not, he leaped out to the people, and cried,

¹⁸These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground without a head.

¹⁹When the captains of the Assyrians’ army heard these words, they rent their coats and their minds were wonderfully troubled, and there was a cry and a very great noise throughout the camp.