Holofernes in great rage sendeth Achior to Bethulia, there to be slain with the Israelites.
Holofernes in great rage sendeth Achior to Bethulia, that he may there be slaine with the Israelites. 8. He is leift bound to a tree, 10. from whence the Israelites taking him, he telleth them the cause. 14. They entertaine him courteously and earnestly pray to God for helpe.
1And it came to pass when they had left off speaking, that Holofernes being in a violent passion, said to Achior:E Quand'ebber parlato quelli, Oloferne sdegnato altamente disse ad Achior;AND it came to passe when they had ceased to speake, Holofernes being sore offended, said to Achior:Factum est autem cum cessassent loqui, indignatus Holofernes vehementer, dixit ad Achior: 2Because thou hast prophesied unto us, saying: That the nation of Israel is defended by their God, to shew thee that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor:Giacchè tu hai profetizzato a noi, e ci hai detto, che il popolo d'Israele è difeso dal suo Dio, per farti vedere, che non v'ha altro dio, che Nabuchodonosor:Because thou hast prophecied vnto vs saying, that the nation of Israel is defended of their God, that I may sheu thee that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor:Quoniam prophetasti nobis, dicens quod gens Israël defendatur a Deo suo, ut ostendam tibi quoniam non est deus nisi Nabuchodonosor, 3When we shall slay them all as one man, then thou also shalt die with them by the sword of the Assyrians, and all Israel shall perish with thee:Quando noi avremo uccisi tutti coloro, come se fossero un sol uomo, allora anche tu perirai sotto la spada degli Assiri, e tutto Israele anderà in perdizione con te,when we shal haue strookē them al as one man, then thy self with them shalt die by the sword of the Assyrians, and al Israel with thee shal perish by destruction:cum percusserimus eos omnes, sicut hominem unum, tunc et ipse cum illis Assyriorum gladio interibis, et omnis Israël tecum perditione disperiet: 4And thou shalt find that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth: and then the sword of my soldiers shall pass through thy sides, and thou shalt be stabbed and fall among the wounded of Israel, and thou shalt breathe no more till thou be destroyed with them.Esperimenterai come Nabuchodonosor è il signor di tutta quanta la terra: e allora la spada delle mie genti trapasserà i tuoi fianchi, e trafitto cadrai tra feriti d'Israele, fino a tanto che tu con essi finisca, e resti senza fiato.and thou shalt proue that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth: and then the sword of my warfare shal passe through thy sides, & pearsed thou shalt fal among the wounded of Israel, and thou shalt no more fetch breath, til thou be destroyed with them.et probabis quoniam Nabuchodonosor dominus sit universæ terræ: tuncque gladius militiæ meæ transiet per latera tua, et confixus cades inter vulneratos Israël, et non respirabis ultra, donec extermineris cum illis.
5But if thou think thy prophecy true, let not thy countenance sink, and let the paleness that is in thy face, depart from thee, if thou imaginest these my words cannot be accomplished.Ma se tu credi vera la tua profezia, non si cambi di colore il tuo volto, e il pallore, che cuopre la tua faccia stia lungi da te, se tu credi, che queste parole mie non a possano aver effetto.But if thou thinke thy prophecie true, let not thy countenance quaile, and the palenesse that is in thy face, let it depart from thee, if thou thinke these my wordes can not be accomplished.Porro autem si prophetiam tuam veram existimas, non concidat vultus tuus: et pallor qui faciem tuam obtinet abscedat a te, si verba mea hæc putas impleri non posse. 6And that thou mayst know that thou shalt experience these things together with them, behold from this hour thou shalt be associated to their people, that when they shall receive the punishment they deserve from my sword, thou mayst fall under the same vengeance.Or affinchè tu sappi, che queste cose le proverai tu insieme con quelli, ecco che in questo punto tu sarai della società di quel popolo, affinchè quando eglino saran puniti dalla mia spada, tu stesso soggiaccia insieme alla stessa vendetta.And that thou mayst know that thou shalt proue these thinges together with them, behold from this houre thou shalt be associate to their people, that whiles they shal receiue worthie punishment of my sword, thou withal may be subiect to the vengeance.Ut autem noveris quia simul cum illis hæc experieris, ecce ex hac hora illorum populo sociaberis, ut, dum dignas mei gladii pœnas exceperint, ipse simul ultioni subjaceas. 7Then Holofernes commanded his servants to take Achior, and to lead him to Bethulia, and to deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel.Allora Oloferne comandò a suoi servi, che preso Achior lo conducessero a Betulia, e lo rimettessero in mano de' figliuoli d'Israele.Then Holofernes commanded his seruantes that they should take Achior, and lead him into Bethula, and should deliuer him into the handes of the children of Israel.Tunc Holofernes præcepit servis suis ut comprehenderent Achior, et perducerent eum in Bethuliam, et traderent eum in manus filiorum Israël. 8And the servants of Holofernes taking him, went through the plains: but when they came near the mountains, the slingers came out against them.E i servi di Oloferne presero Achior, e si incamminarono per la pianura, ma quando furono vicini ai monti, uscirono fuora dei frombolieri contro di essi.And the seruantes of Holofernes taking him, went through the champaine but when they came neere the mountaynes, the slingers came forth against them.Et accipientes eum servi Holofernis, profecti sunt per campestria: sed cum appropinquassent ad montana, exierunt contra eos fundibularii.
9Then turning out of the way by the side of the mountain, they tied Achior to a tree hand and foot, and so left him bound with ropes, and returned to their master.E quelli piegando verso un lato del monte, legaron pei piedi, e pelle mani Achior a un albero; e così legato con funi lo lasciarono, e se ne tornarono al loro signore.And they turning out of the way by the side of the mountayne, tyed Achior to a tree hand and foote, and so left him bound with withes, and returned to their lord.Illi autem divertentes a latere montis, ligaverunt Achior ad arborem manibus et pedibus, et sic vinctum restibus dimiserunt eum, et reversi sunt ad dominum suum. 10And the children of Israel coming down from Bethulia, came to him, and loosing him they brought him to Bethulia, and setting him in the midst of the people, asked him what was the matter that the Assyrians had left him bound.E i figliuoli d'Israele scesi da Betulia andarono a lui, e lo sciolsero, e lo condussero a Betulia; e postolo in mezzo del popolo, lo interrogarono qual fosse il motivo, per cui gli Assiri l'avesser lasciato legato in tal guisa.Moreouer the children of Israel descending from Bethulia, came to him Whom loosnig they brought to Bethulia, and setting him in the middes of the people, demanded what was the matter, that the Assyrians had left him bound.Porro filii Israël descendentes de Bethulia, venerunt ad eum: quem solventes, duxerunt ad Bethuliam, atque in medium populi illum statuentes, percunctati sunt quid rerum esset quod illum vinctum Assyrii reliquissent. 11In those days the rulers there, were Ozias the son of Micha of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, called also Gothoniel.In quel tempo eran principi in quel luogo Ozia figliuolo di Micha della tribù di Simeon, e Carmi, detto anche Gothoniel,In those dayes the princes there, were Ozias the sonne of Micha of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, who also is Gothoniel.In diebus illis erant illic principes Ozias filius Micha de tribu Simeon, et Charmi, qui et Gothoniel. 12And Achior related in the midst of the ancients, and in the presence of all the people, all that he had said being asked by Holofernes: and how the people of Holofernes would have killed him for this word,Achior pertanto in mezzo a seniori, e in faccia a tutta la gente riferì tutto quello, che avea risposto alle interrogazioni di Oloferne, e come la gente di Oloferne avea voluto ucciderlo per aver dette quelle cose.In the middes therefore of the ancientes, and in the sight of al, Achior told al thinges that he had spoken being asked of Holofernes: and how the people of Holofernes would haue killed him for this word,In medio itaque seniorum, et in conspectu omnium, Achior dixit omnia quæ locutus ipse fuerat ab Holoferne interrogatus: et qualiter populus Holofernis voluisset propter hoc verbum interficere eum, 13And how Holofernes himself being angry had commanded him to be delivered for this cause to the Israelites: that when he should overcome the children of Israel, then he might command Achior also himself to be put to death by diverse torments, for having said: The God of heaven is their defender.E come lo stesso oloferne sdegnato dato, che egli perciò fosse messo nelle mani degl'Israeliti, perchè vinti che avesse gl'Israeliti volea far perire con vari supplizi lo stesso Achior, perchè avea detto: il Dio del cielo è loro difensore.and how Holofernes him selfe being angrie cōmanded him to be deliuered for this cause to the Israelites: that when he should ouercome the children of Israel, then he might command Achior also himself to die by diuerse tormentes, for this that he had said: The God of heauen is their defender.et quemadmodum ipse Holofernes iratus jusserit eum Israëlitis hac de causa tradi, ut dum vicerit filios Israël, tunc et ipsum Achior diversis jubeat interire suppliciis, propter hoc quod dixisset: Deus cæli defensor eorum est.
14And when Achior had declared all these things, all the people fell upon their faces, adoring the Lord, and all of them together mourning and weeping poured out their prayers with one accord to the Lord,Allorchè Achior ebbe raccontate queste cose, tutto il popolo si prostrò per terra adorando il Signore, e gemendo tutti insieme, e piangendo porsero unanimamente le loro preghiere al Signore,And when Achior had declared al these thinges, al the people fel on their face, adoring our Lord, and with common lamentation and weeping they powred out their prayers with one accord to our Lord,Cumque Achior universa hæc exposuisset, omnis populus cecidit in faciem, adorantes Dominum, et communi lamentatione et fletu unanimes preces suas Domino effuderunt, 15Saying: O Lord God of heaven and earth, behold their pride, and look on our low condition, and have regard to the face of thy saints, and shew that thou forsakest not them that trust on thee, and that thou humblest them that presume of themselves, and glory in their own strength.Dicendo: Signore Dio del cielo, e della terra, mira la superbia di costoro, e rifletti alla nostra umiliazione, e guarda in faccia i tuoi Santi, e fa vedere, come tu non disprezzi quelli, che confidono in te, e quei che presumono di se stessi, e del loro potere si vantano, tu gli umilii.saying: Lord God of heauen and earth, behold their pride, and haue regard to our humilitie, and attend the face of thy sainctes, and shew that thou forsakest not them that presumeof thee and, that thow humblest them that presume of them selues, and glorie of their power.dicentes: Domine Deus cæli et terræ, intuere superbiam eorum, et respice ad nostram humilitatem, et faciem sanctorum tuorum attende, et ostende quoniam non derelinquis præsumentes de te: et præsumentes de se, et de sua virtute gloriantes, humilias. 16So when their weeping was ended, and the people’s prayer, in which they continued all the day, was concluded, they comforted Achior,Ma dopo i pianti, e finita che fu l'orazione del popolo, che durò tutto il giorno, consolarono Achior,Their weeping therfore being ended, & the peoples prayer by the whole day being finished, they comforted Achior,Finito itaque fletu, et per totam diem oratione populorum completa, consolati sunt Achior, 17Saying: The God of our fathers, whose power thou hast set forth, will make this return to thee, that thou rather shalt see their destruction.Dicendo: Il Dio de' padri nostri, di cui tu hai celebrata la virtù, egli cangerà la tua sorte in guisa, che piuttosto vedrai tu la loro rovina.saying: The God of our fathers, whose power thou hast set forth, he wil geue thee this recompence, that thou rather shalt see their destruction.dicentes: Deus patrum nostrorum, cujus tu virtutem prædicasti, ipse tibi hanc dabit vicissitudinem, ut eorum magis tu interitum videas.
18And when the Lord our God shall give this liberty to his servants, let God be with thee also in the midst of us: that as it shall please thee, so thou with all thine mayst converse with us.Ma quando il Signore Dio nostro avrà così posti in libertà i suoi servi, sia egli Dio anche con te in mezzo a noi, onde se così ti parrà, tu viva con noi insieme con tutta la tua gente.And when the Lord out God shal geue this libertie to his seruantes, be God with thee also in the middes of vs: that as it shal please thee, so thou with al thine mayst conuerse with vs.Cum vero Dominus Deus noster dederit hanc libertatem servis suis, sit et tecum Deus in medio nostri: ut sicut placuerit tibi, ita cum tuis omnibus converseris nobiscum. 19Then Ozias, after the assembly was broken up, received him into his house, and made him a great supper.Allora licenziata l'adunanza, Ozia lo accolse in sua casa, e gl'imbandì una gran cena.Then Ozias, the counsel being ended, receiued him into his house, and made him a greate supper.Tunc Ozias, finito consilio, suscepit eum in domum suam, et fecit ei cœnam magnam. 20And all the ancients were invited, and they refreshed themselves together after their fast was over.E invitati tutti i seniori, finito essendo il digiuno, presero insieme ristoro.And al the ancientes being called, they refreshed them selues together after the fasting was ended.Et vocatis omnibus presbyteris, simul expleto jejunio refecerunt. 21And afterwards all the people were called together, and they prayed all the night long within the church, desiring help of the God of Israel.Indi fu convocato tutto il popolo, e tutta la notte fecero orazione nella chiesa, chiedendo aiuto al Dio d'Israello.But afterwarde al the people was called together, and al the night long within the church, they prayed desiring helpe of the God of Israel.Postea vero convocatus est omnis populus, et per totam noctem intra ecclesiam oraverunt, petentes auxilium a Deo Israël.
6:1
6:2
Haydock
To shew. Greek, "and who is God but Nabuchodonosor? He will," etc. (Haydock)
Worthington
They allow the title to none but their king. Neither will God admit of any rival. (Worthington)
Diodorus xiv
The generous advice of Achior was highly resented. Charidemus, who spoke with the like boldness to Darius, when Alexander approached, was even put to death, though the king repented when it was too late. (Curtius iii.) (Diodorus xiv.)
6:6
People. Greek, "my slaves shall station thee on the mountainous country, and in one of the cities on the ascents, (of which thou hast so much spoken) and thou shalt not perish till thou perish with them. But if thou believest in thy heart that they will not be taken, let not thy countenance fall. I have spoken, and nothing that I have said shall be without effect."
6:7
Haydock
Bethulia. Travellers, depending on the uncertain traditions of the country, generally place this fortress in the tribe of Zebulon, about three miles west of Tiberias. See Brochard., etc. But St. Jerome places it nearer Egypt; (Vita Hil.) and the Scripture speaks of Bethul, in the tribe of Simeon, (Josue 19:4.) to which Judith and the ancients belonged. Holofernes left his camp near Scythopolis, (chap. 7:1.) when he proceeded (Calmet) to attack the southern countries. (Haydock)
6:11
Menochius
And. Greek adds, "Chabris, the son of Othoniel, and Charmis, the son of Melchiel." (Menochius)
Calmet
The former is, in effect, mentioned [in] Judith 8:9. (Calmet)
6:15
Worthington
Pride. God will not fail to reward those who trust in him, (Haydock) and to humble the presumptuous. (Worthington)
Haydock
Saints. Syriac, "sanctuary." This version and the Greek have only, "Look upon the face of the persons (or things) sanctified unto thee on this day. And they consoled Achior, and praised him greatly. And Ozias took him from the assembly to his own house, and made a feast (literally, drinking) for the ancients, and they invoked the God of Israel to assist them during all that night." (Haydock)
6:18
Menochius
With us, observing the true religion. (Menochius)
6:20
6:21
Challoner
The church. That is, the synagogue or place where they met in prayer. (Challoner)
6:21
The church.... That is, the synagogue or place where they met for prayer.
6:2
Nabucodonosors vassals would haue no other God but him. And God almightie is also ielous and wil haue no God but him selfe.
6:15
God regardeth the pride of sinners;
the humiliation of penitentes,
the sanctitie of his Church in general, as wel holie persons, as holie thinges.
and true cōfidence in him, without presumīg of mens poure
6:2
2. Because thou hast prophesied, — that is, thou hast foretold, not from an oracle received from God, but from human prudence and experience of former times.
6:4
4. THOU SHALT NOT BREATHE ANY MORE, UNTIL THOU BE UTTERLY DESTROYED. — "Until" does not refer to "thou shalt not breathe," for he who does not breathe is already destroyed and dead: but it refers back to "the sword shall pass through thy sides, and thou shalt fall pierced," so namely that "thou shalt not breathe any more," that is, until thou art completely lifeless and "be utterly destroyed with them."
6:6
6. THOU SHALT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR PEOPLE,—that is to say, See, Achior, thou art a secret associate and favorer of the Jews, and therefore a traitor to me: wherefore go to those whose society thou hast preferred to mine, and be an open enemy to me, as they are, so that thou, who art a partner in their hostility, mayest be a partaker in their destruction and vengeance.
6:10
10. MOREOVER THE SONS OF ISRAEL, DESCENDING FROM BETHULIA, CAME TO HIM. — Bethulia was a city of Galilee situated in the tribe of Zebulon on a mountain, three leagues distant from Dothaim, where Joseph was captured by his brothers and stripped of his coat of many colors. Brocard and Adrichomius add that even today the traces of Holofernes' camps are seen there. "Bethulia" in Hebrew means the same as "the virginity of God." For it itself, as it were a virgin untouched, was preserved from the destruction of Holofernes through the chaste Judith. Moreover Bethulia was proper to the tribe of Zebulon, and therefore belonged to the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes: but when these were led away into Assyria, the tribe of Judah claimed it and several other cities of Israel for itself; for all Canaan had been given by God to the descendants of Jacob, and when part of them were led away, the other survivors, namely the Jews, as it were brothers, succeeded to the inheritance of the ten tribes, as it were their brothers, by the right of kinship and nature.
6:11
11. IN THOSE DAYS THERE WERE THERE PRINCES OZIAS THE SON OF MICHA OF THE TRIBE OF SIMEON, AND CHARMI, WHO IS ALSO GOTHONIEL. — Although Bethulia was in the tribe of Zebulon, nevertheless it had a leader from another tribe, namely Simeon, just as judges from various tribes presided over all Israel. Hence Ozias here in chapter VIII, verse 34, is called: "Prince of Judah," and in chapter XIII, verse 23: "Prince of the people of Israel." Lyran and Dionysius think that Ozias and Charmi were elder priests, because in Greek they are called presbyters. But presbyter (πρέσβυς), that is, elder, is called a senior and one advanced in age; whether he be a layman or a priest. Hence again these things do not seem to have happened under King Manasseh: but after the captivity under the leaders Ozias and Charmi.
6:15
15. And the face of thy saints. — In Greek, those sanctified, that is thy faithful ones, who have dedicated themselves to thee through circumcision, and now again through fasting, prayer, and suppliant petitions wholly sanctify themselves to thee, that is dedicate and consecrate themselves. BECAUSE THOU FORSAKEST NOT THEM THAT PRESUME ON THEE, — that is, those who trust in thee; for these above all and before all things take thee as it were the God of their works and the leader of war, and through thee hope for certain victory. Thus St. Germanus, so that he might escape an illness raging like a fire, did not allow himself to be moved by others, "by a presumption of faith," as Bede says in book I of the History of the English, chapter XIX. THEM THAT PRESUME ON THEMSELVES, (that is on themselves and their own strength: whence explaining it he adds,) AND GLORYING IN THEIR OWN STRENGTH THOU HUMBLEST. — Hear St. Bernard, in the book On the Degrees of Humility, degree 7: "He who thinks himself to excel others, how does he not presume more of himself than of others? He sits first in assemblies, he answers first in councils, he comes unasked, he intrudes uninvited, he reorders what is ordered, he remakes what is made, whatever he himself has not done or ordered, he does not think rightly done, nor beautifully ordered. He judges those who judge, he prejudges those about to judge."
6:16
16. They comforted Achior, — yet they did not employ him in their counsels, or place him in command of the war, because the faith of deserters is suspect; for thus Judith, falsely deserting to the Assyrians, Chusai to Absalom, II Kings XVII, Sinon to the Trojans, Zopyrus the leader of Darius Hystaspes to the Babylonians, betrayed them to their enemies.
6:21
21. Then afterwards (after the meal and frugal banquet) all the people were assembled, and throughout the whole night within the church they prayed, asking help from the God of Israel. — For as St. Jerome says, in his letter to Eustochium: "You should always eat in such a way that food is followed by prayer and reading." And to Laeta, concerning the instruction of a daughter: "Eat in such a way that you are always hungry, so that immediately after food you can read and sing psalms." Tertullian, Apology cap. XXXIX, refuting the Gentiles concerning the calumny of gluttony among Christians, which they hurled at them with that saying of Diogenes: "The Megarensians feast as if they will die tomorrow, they build as if they will never die," describes the Agape, that is, the banquet common to all Christians after the Eucharist, of charity, thus: "One does not recline at table before prayer to God is tasted first; food is eaten as much as the hungry can take, drink is taken as much as is fitting for the modest; thus they are satisfied, so that those who remember that they must also adore God through the night: thus they converse, knowing that the Lord hears. After the washing of hands and the lights, each one is invited to sing to God in the midst, either from the holy Scriptures or from his own talent, as he is able: hence it is proved how he drank. And prayer ends the banquet: from there they depart not into bands of brawlers, nor into groups of wanderers, nor into outbursts of wantonness, but to the same care of modesty, so that those who have not so much dined at dinner as learned discipline." Let the faithful read these things, and imitate the frugality and piety of the first Christians in their banquets. Note: to "within the Church," that is within the Synagogue, that is, the place of assembly and prayer, which from then on is called in Greek προσευχή: for the Jews did not have a temple in Bethulia, but only in Jerusalem; however, they had a Synagogue in place of a temple in each of the larger cities. See here likewise the antiquity of nocturnal vigils, by which on great feasts, or on account of pressing calamities, the whole people kept vigil through the night in the temple at Jerusalem, and outside Jerusalem in the proseucha (as the Greek has here) or synagogue devoted to prayer. Whence Josephus in his life: "On the following," he says, "day the people gathered in the proseuchas, which they call the spacious house of prayer." The same Philo in De Vita Mosis, lib. III: "Among the Jews," he says, "places are designated city by city for sacred prayers, which the common people call proseuchas." Concerning these sacred vigils see St. Basil, in Psalm CXIV, Eusebius, lib. VI, Hist. cap. VII, Tertullian, lib. II to his wife, cap. IV.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
6:15
Ozias (Azarias; Heb. 'Uzzijjah)
UZZIAH - Son of Micha, of the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the three governors of Bethulia (v.) at the time of the siege and liberation of that city (Jdt. 6:15 ff.). …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.