Yudit 16

¹Ve Yudit şöyle dedi: "Teflerle Tanrım'a ezgiler başlatın, zillerle Rabbim'e ilahiler söyleyin; O'nun için yeni bir mezmuru ahenkle hazırlayın, adını yüceltin ve O'na yakarın.

²Çünkü Rab, savaşları ezip yok eden Tanrı'dır; beni kovalayanların elinden kurtarmak için, halkının ortasındaki kendi koruyucu ordugahına ulaştırdı.

³Asur kuzeydeki dağlardan geldi, ordusunun on binlerce askeriyle geldi; onların muazzam çokluğu dereleri tıkadı ve süvarileri tepeleri kapladı.

⁴Sınırlarımı yakıp yıkacağını, gençlerimi büyük kılıçla yok edeceğini, emzikteki bebeklerimi yere çalacağını, küçük çocuklarımı yağma olarak teslim edeceğini ve bakirelerimi ganimet alacağını söyledi.

⁵Ama Her Şeye Gücü Yeten Rab, onları bir kadının eliyle hiçe sayıp planlarını boşa çıkardı.

⁶Çünkü onların güçlü yiğidi ne gençlerin eliyle yere serildi, ne titanların oğulları ona vurdu, ne de yüce devler ona saldırdı; aksine Merari kızı Yudit, yüzünün güzelliğiyle onu felç edip dermansız bıraktı.

⁷Çünkü İsrail'de acı çekenlerin yükseltilmesi için dulluk giysisini çıkardı, yüzüne güzel kokulu yağlar sürdü.

⁸Saçlarını süslü bir başlıkla bağladı ve onu baştan çıkarmak için keten bir giysi giydi.

⁹Çarığı onun gözünü kamaştırıp kaptı, güzelliği canını tutsak aldı ve Pers kılıcı boynundan geçip onu biçti.

¹⁰Persler onun bu cesaretinden ürktü, Medler onun bu pervasız cüreti karşısında sarsılıp kırıldı.

¹¹O zaman mazlumlarım sevinç çığlığı attı, zayıflarım haykırdı ve düşmanlar dehşete düşüp korktu; seslerini yükselttiler ve bozguna uğrayıp kaçıştılar.

¹²Hizmetçi kızların oğulları onları mızrakladı, firari kölelerin çocukları gibi onları yaraladılar; Rabbimin ordusu karşısında yok olup gittiler.

¹³Tanrım'a yeni bir ilahi söyleyeceğim: Ya Rab, sen büyüksün ve görkemlisin, gücünle mucizeler yaratansın, yenilmezsin.

¹⁴Bütün yarattıkların sana kulluk etsin; çünkü sen söyledin ve var oldular, ruhunu gönderdin ve her şey inşa edilip kuruldu; senin sesine karşı durabilecek kimse yoktur.

¹⁵Çünkü dağlar sularla birlikte temellerinden sarsılacak, kayalar senin huzurunda balmumu gibi eriyecek; ama senden korkanlara sen yine de merhamet edip lütfedeceksin.

¹⁶Çünkü hoş koku için sunulan her kurban senin için küçük bir şeydir ve yakmalık sunu için hiçbir yağ yeterli sayılmaz; ama Rab'den korkan kişi her zaman büyüktür.

¹⁷Soyuma karşı ayaklanan ulusların vay haline! Her Şeye Gücü Yeten Rab, yargı gününde onlardan öç alacak; bedenlerine ateş ve kurtlar verecek, sonsuza dek bu acıyı hissederek ağlayacaklar.

¹⁸Yeruşalim'e vardıklarında Tanrı'ya tapındılar. Halk arındıktan sonra yakmalık sunularını, gönüllü sunularını ve adak armağanlarını sundular.

¹⁹Yudit de halkın kendisine verdiği Holofernes'in bütün eşyalarını ve onun yatak odasından bizzat aldığı cibinliği Tanrı'ya kutsal bir adak olarak sundu.

²⁰Halk, kutsal mekanın huzurunda üç ay boyunca Yeruşalim'de sevinçle şenlik yaptı ve Yudit de onlarla birlikte kaldı.

²¹Bu günlerden sonra herkes kendi mirasına döndü; Yudit de Beytülva'ya gidip kendi mülkünün başında yaşadı ve kendi dönemi boyunca bütün ülkede çok saygın bir kişi oldu.

²²Birçok kişi onunla evlenmek istedi; ama kocası Manasse'nin ölüp halkına kavuştuğu günden sonra, Yudit ömrü boyunca başka hiçbir adamla birleşmedi.

²³Yaşı epey ilerledi ve kocasının evinde yüz beş yaşına kadar yaşayarak yaşlandı; sadık nedimesini de özgür bıraktı. Beytülva'da öldü ve onu kocası Manasse'nin mağarasına gömdüler.

²⁴İsrail halkı yedi gün boyunca onun için yas tuttu. Yudit ölmeden önce mülkünü kocası Manasse'nin en yakın akrabalarına ve kendi soyunun yakınlarına paylaştırdı.

²⁵Yudit'in yaşadığı günlerde ve onun ölümünden sonraki uzun süre boyunca İsrailoğulları'nı korkutan hiç kimse olmadı.

¹ΚΑΙ εἶπεν ᾿Ιουδίθ· ᾿Εξάρχετε τῷ Θεῷ μου ἐν τυμπάνοις, ᾄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ μου ἐν κυμβάλοις, ἐναρμόσασθε αὐτῷ ψαλμὸν καινόν, ὑψοῦτε καὶ ἐπικαλέσασθε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ,

²ὅτι Θεὸς συντρίβων πολέμους Κύριος, ὅτι εἰς παρεμβολὰς αὐτοῦ μέσῳ λαοῦ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν καταδιωκόντων με.

³ἦλθεν ᾿Ασσοὺρ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀπὸ βορρᾶ, ἦλθεν ἐν μυριάσι δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, ὧν τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν ἐνέφραξε χειμάρρους, καὶ ἡ ἵππος αὐτῶν ἐκάλυψε βουνούς.

⁴εἶπεν ἐμπρήσειν τὰ ὅριά μου καὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους μου ἀνελεῖν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ τὰ θηλάζοντά μου θήσειν εἰς ἔδαφος καὶ τὰ νήπιά μου δώσειν εἰς προνομὴν καὶ τὰς παρθένους μου σκυλεῦσαι.

⁵Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἠθέτησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν χειρὶ θηλείας.

⁶οὐ γὰρ ὑπέπεσεν ὁ δυνατὸς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ νεανίσκων, οὐδὲ υἱοὶ τιτάνων ἐπάταξαν αὐτόν, οὐδὲ ὑψηλοὶ γίγαντες ἐπέθεντο αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ ᾿Ιουδὶθ θυγάτηρ Μεραρὶ ἐν κάλλει προσώπου αὐτῆς παρέλυσεν αὐτόν·

⁷ἐξεδύσατο γὰρ στολὴν χηρεύσεως αὐτῆς εἰς ὕψος τῶν πονούντων ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ, ἠλείψατο τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ἐν μυρισμῷ

⁸καὶ ἐδήσατο τὰς τρίχας αὐτῆς ἐν μίτρᾳ καὶ ἔλαβε στολὴν λινῆν εἰς ἀπάτην αὐτοῦ·

⁹τὸ σανδάλιον αὐτῆς ἥρπασεν ὀφθαλμὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς ᾐχμαλώτισε ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, διῆλθεν ὁ ἀκινάκης τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ.

¹⁰ἔφριξαν Πέρσαι τὴν τόλμαν αὐτῆς, καὶ Μῆδοι τὸ θράσος αὐτῆς ἐρράχθησαν.

¹¹τότε ἠλάλαξαν οἱ ταπεινοί μου, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ἀσθενοῦντές μου καὶ ἐπτοήθησαν, ὕψωσαν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνετράπησαν.

¹²υἱοὶ κορασίων κατεκέντησαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς παῖδας αὐτομολούντων ἐτίτρωσκον αὐτούς, ἀπώλοντο ἐκ παρατάξεως Κυρίου μου.

¹³ὑμνήσω τῷ Θεῷ μου ὕμνον καινόν· Κύριε, μέγας εἶ καὶ ἔνδοξος, θαυμαστὸς ἐν ἰσχύϊ, ἀνυπέρβλητος.

¹⁴σοὶ δουλευσάτω πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις σου· ὅτι εἶπας, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, ἀπέστειλας τὸ πνεῦμά σου, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιστήσεται τῇ φωνῇ σου.

¹⁵ὄρη γὰρ ἐκ θεμελίων σὺν ὕδασι σαλευθήσεται, πέτραι δὲ ἀπὸ προσώπου σου ὡς κηρὸς τακήσονται, ἔτι δὲ τοῖς φοβουμένοις σε, σὺ εὐιλατεύεις αὐτοῖς.

¹⁶ὅτι μικρὸν πᾶσα θυσία εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, καὶ ἐλάχιστον πᾶν στέαρ εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμά σοι· ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον μέγας διαπαντός.

¹⁷οὐαὶ ἔθνεσιν ἐπανισταμένοις τῷ γένει μου· Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐκδικήσει αὐτοὺς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως δοῦναι πῦρ καὶ σκώληκας εἰς σάρκας αὐτῶν, καὶ κλαύσονται ἐν αἰσθήσει ἕως αἰῶνος.

¹⁸῾Ως δὲ ἤλθοσαν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, προσεκύνησαν τῷ Θεῷ. καὶ ἡνίκα ἐκαθαρίσθη ὁ λαός, ἀνήνεγκαν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἑκούσια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ δόματα.

¹⁹καὶ ἀνέθηκεν ᾿Ιουδὶθ πάντα τὰ σκεύη ᾿Ολοφέρνου, ὅσα ἔδωκεν ὁ λαὸς αὐτῇ, καὶ τὸ κωνωπεῖον, ὃ ἔλαβεν αὕτη ἐκ τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀνάθημα τῷ Θεῷ ἔδωκε.

²⁰καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς εὐφραινόμενος ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν ἁγίων ἐπὶ μῆνας τρεῖς, καὶ ᾿Ιουδὶθ μετ᾿ αὐτῶν κατέμεινε.

²¹Μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ἀνέζευξεν ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ᾿Ιουδὶθ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Βαιτυλούα καὶ κατέμεινεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπάρξεως αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῆς ἔνδοξος ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.

²²καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπεθύμησαν αὐτήν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ἀνὴρ αὐτὴν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς, ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀπέθανε Μανασσῆς ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.

²³καὶ ἦν προβαίνουσα μεγάλη σφόδρα καὶ ἐγήρασεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἔτη ἑκατὸν πέντε· καὶ ἀφῆκε τὴν ἅβραν αὐτῆς ἐλευθέραν. καὶ ἀπέθανεν εἰς Βαιτυλούα, καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς Μανασσῆ,

²⁴καὶ ἐπένθησεν αὐτὴν οἶκος ᾿Ισραὴλ ἡμέρας ἑπτά. καὶ διεῖλε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὴν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔγγιστα Μανασσῆ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ τοῖς ἔγγιστα τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς.

²⁵καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἔτι ὁ ἐκφοβῶν τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ᾿Ιουδὶθ καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὴν ἡμέρας πολλάς.

¹And Judith said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name.

²For God breaketh the battles: for among the camps in the midst of the people he hath delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me.

³Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents, and their horsemen have covered the hills.

⁴He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mine infants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil.

⁵But the Almighty Lord hath disappointed them by the hand of a woman.

⁶For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance.

⁷For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment,

⁸and bound her hair in a tire, and took a linen garment to deceive him.

⁹Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the fauchion passed through his neck.

¹⁰The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness.

¹¹Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.

¹²The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugatives’ children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.

¹³I will sing unto the Lord a new song: O Lord, thou art great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.

¹⁴Let all creatures serve thee: for thou spakest, and they were made, thou didst send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist thy voice.

¹⁵For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: yet thou art merciful to them that fear thee.

¹⁶For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee, and all the fat is not sufficient for thy burnt offering: but he that feareth the Lord is great at all times.

¹⁷Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever.

¹⁸Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts.

¹⁹Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedchamber, for a gift unto the Lord.

²⁰So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months and Judith remained with them.

²¹After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honourable in all the country.

²²And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.

²³But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in her husband’s house, being an hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.

²⁴And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

²⁵And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.