Yudit 4

¹Yahudiye'de yaşayan İsrail oğulları, Asurluların kralı Nabukadnezar'ın başkomutanı Holofernes'in uluslara yaptığı her şeyi, onların bütün tapınaklarını nasıl yağmalayıp tamamen yok oluşa teslim ettiğini duydular.

²Bu yüzden onun huzurunda dehşetle sarsılıp çok büyük bir korkuya kapıldılar; Yeruşalim ile Tanrıları Rab'bin tapınağı için derin bir kaygı duydular.

³Çünkü sürgünden henüz yeni dönmüşlerdi, Yahudiye halkı daha yeni bir araya toplanmıştı; kutsal kaplar, sunak ve tapınak kirlenmişlikten arındırılarak yeni kutsanmıştı.

⁴Bu yüzden Samiriye'nin her bölgesine, Kona'ya, Beythoron'a, Belmain'e, Eriha'ya, Hoba'ya, Esora'ya ve Şalem vadisine haber gönderdiler.

⁵Yüksek dağların bütün tepelerini önceden ele geçirdiler, buralardaki köyleri surlarla tahkim ettiler ve savaş hazırlığı için yiyecek depoladılar; çünkü ovaları henüz yeni biçilmişti.

⁶O günlerde Yeruşalim'de bulunan Başkahin Yoakim, Dotayim yakınındaki ovanın karşısında, Esdraelon'un önünde yer alan Beytülva ve Beytomesthaim sakinlerine mektup yazdı.

⁷Onlara dağlık bölgenin geçitlerini tutmalarını buyurdu; çünkü Yahudiye'ye giriş buralardandı ve geçit en fazla iki kişinin geçebileceği kadar dar olduğundan, yukarı çıkmak isteyenleri engellemek kolaydı.

⁸İsrail oğulları, Başkahin Yoakim'in ve Yeruşalim'de bulunan bütün İsrail halkı meclisinin kendilerine buyurduğu gibi yaptılar.

⁹Bütün İsrail erkekleri büyük bir içtenlikle Tanrı'ya feryat ettiler ve canlarını büyük bir alçakgönüllülükle, oruçla alçalttılar.

¹⁰Kendileri, karıları, çocukları, hayvanları, aralarında yaşayan her yabancı, ücretli işçi ve parayla satın alınmış köleleri bellerine çul kuşandılar.

¹¹Bütün İsrail erkekleri, kadınları, çocukları ve Yeruşalim'de yaşayanlar tapınağın önünde yüzüstü yere kapandılar, başlarına kül serptiler ve çullarını Rab'bin önünde yere serdiler.

¹²Sunağı da çulla örttüler; çocuklarının yağmalanmaması, karılarının ganimet olarak götürülmemesi, miras aldıkları kentlerin yok edilmemesi, kutsal yerlerinin kirletilip uluslara alay konusu ve rezalet olmaması için tek bir yürekle, içtenlikle İsrail'in Tanrısı'na feryat ettiler.

¹³Rab onların sesini duydu ve sıkıntılarını gördü. Halk, bütün Yahudiye'de ve Yeruşalim'de, Her Şeye Gücü Yeten Rab'bin kutsal yerinin önünde günlerce oruç tuttu.

¹⁴Başkahin Yoakim ve Rab'bin önünde duran herkes, kahinler ve Rab'be hizmet edenler, bellerine çul kuşanmış olarak günlük yakmalık sunuları, adakları ve halkın gönüllü sunularını sunuyorlardı.

¹⁵Sarıklarının üzerinde kül vardı; bütün İsrail soyunu iyilikle gözetmesi için var güçleriyle Rab'be feryat ediyorlardı.

¹ΚΑΙ ἤκουσαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ ᾿Ιουδαίᾳ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ᾿Ολοφέρνης τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλέως ᾿Ασσυρίων, καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐσκύλευσε πάντα τὰ ἱερὰ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὰ εἰς ἀφανισμόν,

²καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ περὶ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ Κυρίου Θεοῦ αὐτῶν ἐταράχθησαν.

³ὅτι προσφάτως ἦσαν ἀναβεβηκότες ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, καὶ νεωστὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς συνελέλεκτο τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας, καὶ τὰ σκεύη καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἐκ τῆς βεβηλώσεως ἡγιασμένα ἦν.

⁴καὶ ἀπέστειλαν εἰς πᾶν ὅριον Σαμαρείας καὶ Κωνὰ καὶ Βαιθωρὼν καὶ Βελμαὶν καὶ ῾Ιεριχὼ καὶ εἰς Χωβὰ καὶ Αἰσωρὰ καὶ τὸν αὐλῶνα Σαλὴμ

⁵καὶ προκατελάβοντο πάσας τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων τῶν ὑψηλῶν καὶ ἐτειχίσαντο τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς κώμας καὶ παρέθεντο εἰς ἐπισιτισμὸν εἰς παρασκευὴν πολέμου, ὅτι προσφάτως ἦν τὰ πεδία αὐτῶν τεθερισμένα.

⁶καὶ ἔγραψεν ᾿Ιωακὶμ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, ὃς ἦν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, τοῖς κατοικοῦσι Βαιτυλούα καὶ Βαιτομεσθαίμ, ἥ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι ᾿Εσδρηλὼν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ πεδίου τοῦ πλησίον Δωθαΐμ,

⁷λέγων διακατασχεῖν τὰς ἀναβάσεις τῆς ὀρεινῆς, ὅτι δι᾿ αὐτῶν ἦν ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν ᾿Ιουδαίαν, καὶ ἦν εὐχερῶς διακωλῦσαι αὐτοὺς προσβαίνοντας, στενῆς τῆς προσβάσεως οὔσης ἐπ᾿ ἄνδρας τοὺς πάντας δύο.

⁸καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ καθὰ συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς ᾿Ιωακὶμ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας καὶ ἡ γερουσία παντὸς δήμου ᾿Ισραήλ, οἳ ἐκάθηντο ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁹καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἐκτενίᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐταπεινοῦσαν τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἐν ἐκτενίᾳ μεγάλῃ.

¹⁰αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ νήπια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν καὶ πᾶς πάροικος ἢ μισθωτὸς καὶ ἀργυρώνητος αὐτῶν ἐπέθεντο σάκκους ἐπὶ τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν.

¹¹καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ γυνὴ καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἔπεσον κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἐσποδώσαντο τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξέτειναν τοὺς σάκκους αὐτῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον Κυρίου·

¹²καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον σάκκῳ περιέβαλον καὶ ἐβόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐκτενῶς τοῦ μὴ δοῦναι εἰς διαρπαγὴν τὰ νήπια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας εἰς προνομὴν καὶ τὰς πόλεις τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτῶν εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ τὰ ἅγια εἰς βεβήλωσιν καὶ ὀνειδισμόν, ἐπίχαρμα τοῖς ἔθνεσι.

¹³καὶ εἰσήκουσε Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν καὶ εἰσεῖδε τὴν θλῖψιν αὐτῶν· καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς νηστεύων ἡμέρας πλείους ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ᾿Ιουδαίᾳ καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν ἁγίων Κυρίου παντοκράτορος.

¹⁴καὶ ᾿Ιωακὶμ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας καὶ πάντες οἱ παρεστηκότες ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ λειτουργοῦντες Κυρίῳ, σάκκους περιεζωσμένοι τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν προσέφερον τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν τοῦ ἐνδελεχισμοῦ καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς καὶ τὰ ἑκούσια δόματα τοῦ λαοῦ,

¹⁵καὶ ἦν σποδὸς ἐπὶ τὰς κιδάρεις αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐβόων πρὸς Κύριον ἐκ πάσης δυνάμεως εἰς ἀγαθὸν ἐπισκέψασθαι πάντα οἶκον ᾿Ισραήλ.

¹Now the children of Israel, that dwelt in Judea, heard all that Holofernes the chief captain of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians had done to the nations, and after what manner he had spoiled all their temples, and brought them to nought.

²Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled for Jerusalem, and for the temple of the Lord their God:

³For they were newly returned from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were lately gathered together: and the vessels, and the altar, and the house, were sanctified after the profanation.

⁴Therefore they sent into all the coasts of Samaria, and the villages and to Bethoron, and Belmen, and Jericho, and to Choba, and Esora, and to the valley of Salem:

⁵And possessed themselves beforehand of all the tops of the high mountains, and fortified the villages that were in them, and laid up victuals for the provision of war: for their fields were of late reaped.

⁶Also Joacim the high priest, which was in those days in Jerusalem, wrote to them that dwelt in Bethulia, and Betomestham, which is over against Esdraelon toward the open country, near to Dothaim,

⁷Charging them to keep the passages of the hill country: for by them there was an entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up, because the passage was straight, for two men at the most.

⁸And the children of Israel did as Joacim the high priest had commanded them, with the ancients of all the people of Israel, which dwelt at Jerusalem.

⁹Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with great vehemency did they humble their souls:

¹⁰Both they, and their wives and their children, and their cattle, and every stranger and hireling, and their servants bought with money, put sackcloth upon their loins.

¹¹Thus every man and women, and the little children, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the temple, and cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out their sackcloth before the face of the Lord: also they put sackcloth about the altar,

¹²And cried to the God of Israel all with one consent earnestly, that he would not give their children for a prey, and their wives for a spoil, and the cities of their inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to profanation and reproach, and for the nations to rejoice at.

¹³So God heard their prayers, and looked upon their afflictions: for the people fasted many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.

¹⁴And Joacim the high priest, and all the priests that stood before the Lord, and they which ministered unto the Lord, had their loins girt with sackcloth, and offered the daily burnt offerings, with the vows and free gifts of the people,

¹⁵And had ashes on their mitres, and cried unto the Lord with all their power, that he would look upon all the house of Israel graciously.