Yudit 5

¹Asur ordusunun başkomutanı Holofernes’e, İsrailoğulları’nın savaşa hazırlandığı, dağlık bölgenin geçitlerini kapattığı, her yüksek dağ zirvesini surlarla tahkim ettiği ve ovalara askeri tuzaklar yerleştirdiği bildirildi.

²Bunun üzerine Holofernes çok büyük bir öfkeye kapıldı; bütün Moav önderlerini, Ammon komutanlarını ve kıyı şeridinin tüm satraplarını huzuruna çağırdı.

³Onlara şöyle dedi: "Bana bildirin bakalım, ey Kenan oğulları, dağlık bölgede yaşayan bu halk kimdir? Mesken edindikleri kentler hangileridir? Askeri güçlerinin miktarı ne kadardır? Kudret ve kuvvetleri neye dayanmaktadır? Başlarında kral olarak dikilen ve ordularını sevk eden kimdir?

⁴Neden batıda yaşayanların hepsine aykırı olarak, beni karşılamaya gelmekten kaçınıp arkalarını döndüler?"

⁵Bütün Ammon oğullarının önderi Ahyor ona şöyle yanıt verdi: "Efendim, kulunun ağzından çıkacak sözü dinlesin lütfen; sen yakınımızda ordugah kurmuşken, bu dağlık bölgede yaşayan bu halk hakkındaki gerçeği sana bildireceğim. Kulunun ağzından asla hiçbir yalan çıkmayacaktır.

⁶Bu halk Keldaniler’in soyundan gelmektedir.

⁷Önceleri Mezopotamya’da geçici olarak yerleştiler; çünkü Keldani topraklarında bulunan atalarının ilahlarının ardınca gitmek istemediler.

⁸Atalarının yolundan saptılar ve bizzat deneyimleyerek tanıdıkları göğün Tanrısı’na tapındılar. Bu yüzden Keldaniler onları kendi ilahlarının huzurundan kovdular; onlar da Mezopotamya’ya kaçıp orada uzun süre yabancı olarak yaşadılar.

⁹Sonra Tanrıları onlara, geçici olarak kaldıkları bu yerden çıkıp Kenan topraklarına gitmelerini buyurdu. Oraya yerleştiler; altın, gümüş ve pek çok hayvan sürüsüyle son derece zenginleştiler.

¹⁰Ancak Kenan topraklarının üzerini kıtlık kaplayınca Mısır’a indiler ve orada hayatta kalabildikleri zamana kadar geçici olarak yaşadılar. Orada sayıca o kadar çoğaldılar ki, soylarının hesabı tutulamaz oldu.

¹¹Mısır kralı onlara karşı ayaklandı; kerpiç yapımında ve ağır işlerde onları kurnazca ezdi, onları alçaltıp köleleştirdi.

¹²Onlar da Tanrıları’na feryat ettiler; Tanrı tüm Mısır ülkesini şifası olmayan belalarla vurdu. Bunun üzerine Mısırlılar onları huzurlarından kovup çıkardılar.

¹³Tanrı onların önünde Kızıldeniz’i kuruttu.

¹⁴Onları Sina ve Kadeş-Barnea yoluna sevk etti; onlar da çölde yaşayan tüm sakinleri sürüp çıkardılar.

¹⁵Amorlular’ın topraklarında yaşadılar ve kendi askeri güçleriyle bütün Heşbonlular’ı yok ettiler. Şeria Irmağı’nı geçerek bütün dağlık bölgeyi miras edindiler.

¹⁶Kenanlılar’ı, Perizliler’i, Yevuslular’ı, Şekemliler’i ve bütün Gergeşliler’i önlerinden sürüp çıkardılar ve orada uzun süre yaşadılar.

¹⁷Tanrıları’nın önünde günah işlemedikleri sürece iyilik onlarla birlikteydi; çünkü adaletsizlikten nefret eden Tanrı onlarla beraberdir.

¹⁸Ancak kendilerine buyurduğu yoldan saptıklarında, pek çok savaşta çok ağır bir şekilde kırıldılar ve kendilerine ait olmayan bir ülkeye sürgün edildiler. Tanrıları’nın tapınağı yerle bir edildi ve kentleri düşmanlar tarafından ele geçirildi.

¹⁹Şimdiyse Tanrıları’na dönerek, dağılmış oldukları yerlerden geri geldiler; kutsal yerlerinin bulunduğu Yeruşalim’i ele geçirip ıssız kalmış olan dağlık bölgeye yerleştiler.

²⁰Şimdi, ey efendim ve kralım, eğer bu halkın bir yanılgısı varsa ve Tanrıları’na karşı günah işliyorlarsa, bu tökezleme taşının onların yıkımı olacağını araştırıp görelim; o zaman yukarı çıkıp onlarla savaşalım.

²¹Ama eğer bu ulusun hiçbir yasasızlığı yoksa, efendim yoluna devam etsin; yoksa onların Rabbi ve Tanrısı onlara kalkan olur ve biz de bütün yeryüzünün önünde bir utanç kaynağı oluruz."

²²Ahyor bu sözleri bitirince, çadırın çevresinde duran ve orada toplanmış olan bütün halk homurdanmaya başladı. Holofernes’in ileri gelenleri, kıyı şeridinde ve Moav’da yaşayanların hepsi onun kılıçtan geçirilip parça parça edilmesini istedi.

²³Şöyle dediler: "Çünkü İsrailoğulları’ndan korkacak değiliz. İşte, güçlü bir savaş düzeni alacak ne güçleri ne de askeri kudretleri olan bir halktır bu!

²⁴Bu yüzden yukarı çıkacağız; onlar senin bütün orduna lokma olacaklar, ey efendimiz Holofernes!"

¹ΚΑΙ ἀνηγγέλη ᾿Ολοφέρνῃ ἀρχιστρατήγῳ δυνάμεως ᾿Ασσοὺρ διότι οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ παρεσκευάσαντο εἰς πόλεμον καὶ τὰς διόδους τῆς ὀρεινῆς συνέκλεισαν καὶ ἐτείχισαν πᾶσαν κορυφὴν ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἔθηκαν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις σκάνδαλα.

²καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ σφόδρα καὶ ἐκάλεσε πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας Μωὰβ καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ πάντας σατράπας τῆς παραλίας

³καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἀναγγείλατε δή μοι, υἱοὶ Χαναάν, τίς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὁ καθήμενος ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ, καὶ τίνες ἃς κατοικοῦσι πόλεις, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τίνι τὸ κράτος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τίς ἀνέστηκεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν βασιλεὺς ἡγούμενος στρατιᾶς αὐτῶν,

⁴καὶ διατὶ κατενωτίσαντο τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς ἀπάντησίν μοι παρὰ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν δυσμαῖς;

⁵καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ᾿Αχιὼρ ὁ ἡγούμενος πάντων υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών· ἀκουσάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου λόγον ἐκ στόματος τοῦ δούλου σου, καὶ ἀναγγελῶ σοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, ὃς κατοικεῖ τὴν ὀρεινὴν ταύτην, πλησίον σου οἰκοῦντος, καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται ψεῦδος ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ δούλου σου.

⁶ὁ λαὸς οὗτός εἰσιν ἀπόγονοι Χαλδαίων,

⁷καὶ παρῴκησαν τὸ πρότερον ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐβουλήθησαν ἀκολουθῆσαι τοῖς θεοῖς τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν, οἳ ἐγένοντο ἐν γῇ Χαλδαίων·

⁸καὶ ἐξέβησαν ἐξ ὁδοῦ τῶν γονέων αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ Θεῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, Θεῷ ᾧ ἐπέγνωσαν, καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς Μεσοποταμίαν καὶ παρῴκησαν ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας πολλάς.

⁹καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς παροικίας αὐτῶν καὶ πορευθῆναι εἰς γῆν Χαναάν, καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ ἐν κτήνεσι πολλοῖς σφόδρα.

¹⁰καὶ κατέβησαν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἐκάλυψε γὰρ τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς Χαναὰν λιμός, καὶ παρῴκησαν ἐκεῖ μέχρις οὗ διετράφησαν· καὶ ἐγένοντο ἐκεῖ εἰς πλῆθος πολύ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμὸς τοῦ γένους αὐτῶν.

¹¹καὶ ἐπανέστη αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου καὶ κατεσοφίσαντο αὐτοὺς ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν πλίνθῳ, καὶ ἐταπείνωσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτοὺς εἰς δούλους·

¹²καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπάταξε πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν Αἰγύπτου πληγαῖς, ἐν αἷς οὐκ ἦν ἴασις· καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν.

¹³καὶ κατεξήρανεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν

¹⁴καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὁδὸν τοῦ Σινὰ καὶ Κάδης Βαρνή· καὶ ἐξέβαλον πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

¹⁵καὶ ᾤκησαν ἐν γῇ ᾿Αμορραίων καὶ πάντας τοὺς ᾿Εσεβωνίτας ἐξωλόθρευσαν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτῶν. καὶ διαβάντες τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην ἐκληρονόμησαν πᾶσαν τὴν ὀρεινὴν

¹⁶καὶ ἐξέβαλον ἐκ προσώπου αὐτῶν τὸν Χαναναῖον καὶ τὸν Φερεζαῖον καὶ τὸν ᾿Ιεβουσαῖον καὶ τὸν Συχὲμ καὶ πάντας τοὺς Γεργεσαίους καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐν αὐτῇ ἡμέρας πολλάς.

¹⁷καὶ ἕως οὐχ ἥμαρτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτῶν, ἦν τὰ ἀγαθὰ μετ᾿ αὐτῶν, ὅτι Θεὸς μισῶν ἀδικίαν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐστιν.

¹⁸ὅτε δὲ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἧς διέθετο αὐτοῖς, ἐξωλοθρεύθησαν ἐν πολλοῖς πολέμοις ἐπὶ πολὺ σφόδρα καὶ ᾐχμαλωτεύθησαν εἰς γῆν οὐκ ἰδίαν, καὶ ὁ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτῶν ἐγενήθη εἰς ἔδαφος, καὶ οἱ πόλεις αὐτῶν ἐκρατήθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπεναντίων.

¹⁹καὶ νῦν ἐπιστρέψαντες ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τῆς διασπορᾶς, οὗ διεσπάρησαν ἐκεῖ, καὶ κατέσχον τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, οὗ τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτῶν, καὶ κατῳκίσθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ, ὅτι ἦν ἔρημος.

²⁰καὶ νῦν, δέσποτα κύριε, εἰ μέν ἐστιν ἀγνόημα ἐν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ καὶ ἁμαρτάνουσιν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπισκεψόμεθα ὅτι ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον τοῦτο, καὶ ἀναβησόμεθα καὶ ἐκπολεμήσομεν αὐτούς.

²¹εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνομία ἐν τῷ ἔθνει αὐτῶν, παρελθέτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου, μήποτε ὑπερασπίσῃ ὁ Κύριος αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐσόμεθα εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐναντίον πάσης τῆς γῆς.

²²καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐπαύσατο ᾿Αχιὼρ λαλῶν τοὺς λόγους τούτους, καὶ ἐγόγγυσε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ κυκλῶν τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ περιεστώς, καὶ εἶπαν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες ᾿Ολοφέρνου καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν παραλίαν καὶ τὴν Μωὰβ συγκόψαι αὐτόν·

²³οὐ γὰρ φοβηθησόμεθα ἀπὸ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ· ἰδοὺ γὰρ λαός, ἐν ᾧ οὐκ ἔστι δύναμις οὐδὲ κράτος εἰς παράταξιν ἰσχυράν·

²⁴διὸ δὴ ἀναβησόμεθα, καὶ ἔσονται εἰς κατάβρωμα πάσης τῆς στρατιᾶς σου, δέσποτα ᾿Ολοφέρνη.

¹Then was it declared to Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, that the children of Israel had prepared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill country, and had fortified all the tops of the high hills and had laid impediments in the champaign countries:

²Wherewith he was very angry, and called all the princes of Moab, and the captains of Ammon, and all the governors of the sea coast,

³And he said unto them, Tell me now, ye sons of Chanaan, who this people is, that dwelleth in the hill country, and what are the cities that they inhabit, and what is the multitude of their army, and wherein is their power and strength, and what king is set over them, or captain of their army;

⁴And why have they determined not to come and meet me, more than all the inhabitants of the west.

⁵Then said Achior, the captain of all the sons of Ammon, Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare unto thee the truth concerning this people, which dwelleth near thee, and inhabiteth the hill countries: and there shall no lie come out of the mouth of thy servant.

⁶This people are descended of the Chaldeans:

⁷And they sojourned heretofore in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, which were in the land of Chaldea.

⁸For they left the way of their ancestors, and worshipped the God of heaven, the God whom they knew: so they cast them out from the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia, and sojourned there many days.

⁹Then their God commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned, and to go into the land of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and were increased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle.

¹⁰But when a famine covered all the land of Chanaan, they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a great multitude, so that one could not number their nation.

¹¹Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves.

¹²Then they cried unto their God, and he smote all the land of Egypt with incurable plagues: so the Egyptians cast them out of their sight.

¹³And God dried the Red sea before them,

¹⁴And brought them to mount Sina, and Cades-Barne, and cast forth all that dwelt in the wilderness.

¹⁵So they dwelt in the land of the Amorites, and they destroyed by their strength all them of Esebon, and passing over Jordan they possessed all the hill country.

¹⁶And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, and the Sychemite, and all the Gergesites, and they dwelt in that country many days.

¹⁷And whilst they sinned not before their God, they prospered, because the God that hateth iniquity was with them.

¹⁸But when they departed from the way which he appointed them, they were destroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captives into a land that was not their’s, and the temple of their God was cast to the ground, and their cities were taken by the enemies.

¹⁹But now are they returned to their God, and are come up from the places where they were scattered, and have possessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and are seated in the hill country; for it was desolate.

²⁰Now therefore, my lord and governor, if there be any error against this people, and they sin against their God, let us consider that this shall be their ruin, and let us go up, and we shall overcome them.

²¹But if there be no iniquity in their nation, let my lord now pass by, lest their Lord defend them, and their God be for them, and we become a reproach before all the world.

²²And when Achior had finished these sayings, all the people standing round about the tent murmured, and the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt by the sea side, and in Moab, spake that he should kill him.

²³For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of the children of Israel: for, lo, it is a people that have no strength nor power for a strong battle

²⁴Now therefore, lord Holofernes, we will go up, and they shall be a prey to be devoured of all thine army.