top Judith ch 4

Chapter 4

1 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν Ὀλοφέρνης τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐσκύλευσεν πάντα τὰ ἱερὰ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὰ εἰς ἀφανισμόν, 1 Now 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.
2 καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ περὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ κυρίου θεοῦ αὐτῶν ἐταράχθησαν. 2 Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled for Jerusalem, and for the temple of the Lord their God:
3 ὅτι προσφάτως ἦσαν ἀναβεβηκότες ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, καὶ νεωστὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς συνελέλεκτο τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τὰ σκεύη καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἐκ τῆς βεβηλώσεως ἡγιασμένα ἦν. 3 For 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.
4 καὶ ἀπέστειλαν εἰς πᾶν ὅριον Σαμαρείας καὶ Κωνὰ καὶ Βαιθωρὼν καὶ Βελμαὶν καὶ Ἰεριχὼ καὶ εἰς Χωβὰ καὶ Αἰσωρὰ καὶ τὸν αὐλῶνα Σαλὴμ 4 Therefore 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:
5 καὶ προκατελάβοντο πάσας τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων τῶν ὑψηλῶν καὶ ἐτείχισαν τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς κώμας καὶ παρέθεντο εἰς ἐπισιτισμὸν εἰς παρασκευὴν πολέμου, ὅτι προσφάτως ἦν τὰ πεδία αὐτῶν τεθερισμένα. 5 And 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.
6 καὶ ἔγραψεν Ἰωακὶμ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, ὃς ἦν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, τοῖς κατοικοῦσι Βαιτυλούα καὶ Βαιτομεσθαίμ, ἥ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι Ἐσδρηλὼν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ πεδίου τοῦ πλησίον Δωθαΐμ, 6 Also 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,
7 λέγων διακατασχεῖν τὰς ἀναβάσεις τῆς ὀρεινῆς, ὅτι δι᾿ αὐτῶν ἦν ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, καὶ ἦν εὐχερῶς διακωλῦσαι αὐτοὺς προσβαίνοντας στενῆς τῆς προσβάσεως οὔσης ἐπ᾿ ἄνδρας τοὺς πάντας δύο. 7 Charging 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.
8 καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ καθὰ συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς Ἰωακὶμ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας καὶ ἡ γερουσία παντὸς δήμου Ἰσραήλ, οἳ ἐκάθηντο ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ. — 8 And 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.
9 καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐταπείνωσαν τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ μεγάλῃ. 9 Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with great vehemency did they humble their souls:
10 αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ νήπια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν καὶ πᾶς πάροικος καὶ μισθωτὸς καὶ ἀργυρώνητος αὐτῶν ἐπέθεντο σάκκους ἐπὶ τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν. 10 Both 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.
11 καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ γυνὴ καὶ τὰ παιδία οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔπεσον κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἐσποδώσαντο τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξέτειναν τοὺς σάκκους αὐτῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον κυρίου· 11 Thus 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,
12 καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον σάκκῳ περιέβαλον καὶ ἐβόησαν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν Ἰσραὴλ 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 ὀνειδισμὸν ἐπίχαρμα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. 12 And 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.
13 καὶ εἰσήκουσεν κύριος τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν καὶ εἰσεῖδεν τὴν θλῖψιν αὐτῶν· καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς νηστεύων ἡμέρας πλείους ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν ἁγίων κυρίου παντοκράτορος. 13 So 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.
14 καὶ Ἰωακὶμ 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, 14 And 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,
15 καὶ ἦν σποδὸς ἐπὶ τὰς κιδάρεις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐβόων πρὸς κύριον ἐκ πάσης δυνάμεως εἰς ἀγαθὸν ἐπισκέψασθαι πᾶν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ. 15 And 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.