top Judith ch 3

Chapter 3

1 Καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγγέλους λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς λέγοντες 1 So they sent ambassadors unto him to treat of peace, saying,
2 ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς οἱ παῖδες Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλέως μεγάλου παρακείμεθα ἐνώπιόν σου, χρῆσαι ἡμῖν καθὼς ἀρεστόν ἐστιν τῷ προσώπῳ σου· 2 Behold, we the servants of Nabuchodonosor the great king lie before thee; use us as shall be good in thy sight.
3 ἰδοὺ αἱ ἐπαύλεις ἡμῶν καὶ πᾶς τόπος ἡμῶν καὶ πᾶν πεδίον πυρῶν καὶ τὰ ποίμνια καὶ τὰ βουκόλια καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ μάνδραι τῶν σκηνῶν ἡμῶν παράκεινται πρὸ προσώπου σου, χρῆσαι καθὸ ἄν ἀρέσκῃ σοι· 3 Behold, our houses, and all our places, and all our fields of wheat, and flocks, and herds, and all the lodges of our tents lie before thy face; use them as it pleaseth thee.
4 ἰδοὺ καὶ αἱ πόλεις ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐταῖς δοῦλοι σοί εἰσιν, ἐλθὼν ἀπάντησον αὐταῖς ὡς ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου. 4 Behold, even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants; come and deal with them as seemeth good unto thee.
5 καὶ παρεγένοντο οἱ ἄνδρες πρὸς Ὀλοφέρνην καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα. 5 So the men came to Holofernes, and declared unto him after this manner.
6 καὶ κατέβη ἐπὶ τὴν παραλίαν αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐφρούρωσε τὰς πόλεις τὰς ὑψηλὰς καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐξ αὐτῶν εἰς συμμαχίαν ἄνδρας ἐπιλέκτους· 6 Then came he down toward the sea coast, both he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for aid.
7 καὶ ἐδέξαντο αὐτὸν αὐτοὶ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος αὐτῶν μετὰ στεφάνων καὶ χορῶν καὶ τυμπάνων. 7 So they and all the country round about received them with garlands, with dances, and with timbrels.
8 καὶ κατέσκαψεν πάντα τὰ ὅρια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἄλση αὐτῶν ἐξέκοψεν, καὶ ἦν δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐξολεθρεῦσαι πάντας τοὺς θεοὺς τῆς γῆς, ὅπως αὐτῷ μόνῳ τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ λατρεύσωσι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ γλῶσσαι καὶ αἱ φυλαὶ αὐτῶν ἐπικαλέσωνται αὐτὸν εἰς θεόν. 8 Yet he did cast down their frontiers, and cut down their groves: for he had decreed to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god.
9 καὶ ἦλθεν κατὰ πρόσωπον Ἐσδρηλὼν πλησίον τῆς Δωταίας, ἥ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι τοῦ πρίονος τοῦ μεγάλου τῆς Ἰουδαίας, 9 Also he came over against Esdraelon near unto Judea, over against the great strait of Judea.
10 καὶ κατεστρατοπέδευσαν ἀνὰ μέσον Γαιβαὶ καὶ Σκυθῶν πόλεως, καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ μῆνα ἡμερῶν εἰς τὸ συλλέξαι πᾶσαν τὴν ἀπαρτίαν τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. 10 And he pitched between Geba and Scythopolis, and there he tarried a whole month, that he might gather together all the carriages of his army.