Judith:Chapter 7

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Judith:Chapter 7

友弟德傳	Judith
¹次日，敖羅斐乃下令全軍和前來與他聯盟的隊伍，拔營向拜突里雅進發，先佔領通往山地的隘口，向以色列子民挑戰。	¹But Holofernes on the next day gave orders to his army, to go up against Bethulia.
²那天，軍隊全體出發；作戰的隊伍，有步兵十七萬，騎兵一萬二千；此外還有輜重隊，和隨軍步行的人，多得不可勝數；	²Now there were in his troops a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two and twenty thousand horsemen, besides the preparations of those men who had been taken, and who had been brought away out of the provinces and cities of all the youth.
³在靠近拜突里雅的山谷中，在水泉旁安營。營幕綿延，長度由多堂到貝耳瑪因，寬度由拜突里雅到厄斯得隆對面的夸孟。	³All these prepared themselves together to fight against the children of Israel, and they came by the hillside to the top, which looketh toward Dothain, from the place which is called Behlma, unto Chelmon, which is over against Esdrelon.
⁴以色列子民一見如此眾多的軍隊，驚慌非常，都彼此說：「如今他們必將全地面一掃而光，連高山、幽谷、丘陵都擔負不了他們的壓力。」	⁴But the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, prostrated themselves upon the ground, putting ashes upon their heads, praying with one accord, that the God of Israel would shew his mercy upon his people.
⁵但以色列人還是各自拿着武器，在碉樓上點起烽火，那一整夜留守戒備。	⁵And taking their arms of war, they posted themselves at the places, which by a narrow pathway lead directly between the mountains, and they guarded them all day and night.
⁶第二天，敖羅斐乃把全部馬隊，開到住在拜突里雅的以色列子民面前，	⁶Now Holofernes, in going round about, found that the fountains which supplied them with water, ran through an aqueduct without the city on the south side: and he commanded their aqueduct to he cut off.
⁷也探明了通往該城的山路，尋得了水泉，派兵佔據把守，然後回到自己部隊那裏去了。	⁷Nevertheless there were springs not far from the walls, out of which they were seen secretly to draw water, to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill.
⁸厄撒烏子民的眾長官，摩阿布民族的眾首領，和沿海一帶的司令，都來向敖羅斐乃說：	⁸But the children of Ammon and Moab came to Holofernes, saying: The children of Israel trust not in their spears, nor in their arrows, but the mountains are their defense, and the steep hires and precipices guard them.
⁹「願我們的主帥聽取一個建議，免得你的軍隊受害。	⁹Wherefore that thou mayst overcome them without joining battle, set guards at the springs that they may not draw water out of them, and thou shalt destroy them without sword, or at least being wearied out they will yield up their city, which they suppose, because it is situate in the mountains, to be impregnable.
¹⁰以色列這個民族，原不依仗槍矛，惟獨依靠所住的高山，因為攀登他們的山頂，並不是一件易事。	¹⁰And these words pleased Holofernes, and his officers, and he placed all round about a hundred men at every spring.
¹¹主帥！如今不要同他們列陣交戰，如此你的軍人一個也不會傷亡。	¹¹And when they had kept this watch for full twenty days, the cisterns, and the reserve of waters failed among all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was not within the city, enough to satisfy them, no not for one day, for water was daily given out to the people by measure.
¹²你可留在營中，督守你軍中所有的人馬，只讓你的僕役去佔領山麓下湧出來的水泉，	¹²Then all the men and women, young men, and children, gathering themselves together to Ozias, all together with one voice,
¹³因為凡住在拜突里雅的人，都從那裏汲水。他們沒有水喝，勢必將城交出，同時我們率領我們的軍人，上到附近的山頂上安營，監視他們，不許一人走出城來。	¹³Said: God be judge between us and thee, for thou hast done evil against us, in that thou wouldst not speak peaceably with the Assyrians, and for this cause God hath sold us into their hands.
¹⁴他們和妻子兒女必飢渴得衰弱無力，刀劍還未臨到身上，他們已躺臥在靠近家門的街道上了。	¹⁴And therefore there is no one to help us, while we are cast down before their eyes in thirst, and sad destruction.
¹⁵這樣你可以惡毒地報復他們，因為他們頑抗，沒有歡迎你。」	¹⁵And now assemble ye all that are in the city, that we may of our own accord yield ourselves all up to the people of Holofernes.
¹⁶他們的建議，大得敖羅斐乃和他眾官員的歡心。於是下令，依照這建議辦理。	¹⁶For it is better, that being captives we should live and bless the Lord, than that we should die, and be a reproach to all flesh, after we have seen our wives and our infants die before our eyes.
¹⁷摩阿布子民就移營出發，與他們同去的，還有五千亞述人，駐紮在山谷中，佔據了以色列子民的水渠和水泉。	¹⁷We call to witness this day heaven and earth, and the God of our fathers, who taketh vengeance upon us according to our sins, conjuring you to deliver now the city into the hand of the army of Holofernes, that our end may be short by the edge of the sword, which is made longer by the drought of thirst.
¹⁸厄撒烏的子孫及阿孟子民，也與一萬二千亞述人上去，駐紮在多堂對面的山地。又從他們中派遣人，往厄格勒貝耳對面的東南方去，──厄格勒貝耳是在摩客慕爾河旁的雇士附近，──其餘的亞述軍隊，駐紮在平原上，遮遍了地面；帳幕和輜重，堆集如山，多不勝數。	¹⁸And when they had said these things, there was great weeping and lamentation of all in the assembly, and for many hours with one voice they cried to God, saying:
¹⁹以色列子民見自己四面受敵，不能逃出，都提心吊膽，遂向上主他們的天主哀號。	¹⁹We have sinned with our fathers we have done unjustly, we have commited iniquity:
²⁰這時，亞述大軍，即所有步兵、戰車、馬隊，包圍他們，已經三十四天了。拜突里雅居民所有的蓄水器，都已空了，	²⁰Have thou mercy on us, because thou art good, or punish our iniquities by chastising us thyself, and deliver not them that trust in thee to a people that knoweth not thee,
²¹蓄水池都乾了。人沒有一天可得暢飲，因為水是分配給人喝的。	²¹That they may not say among the gentiles: Where is their God?
²²他們的幼兒渴的沒有氣力，婦女和青年，渴得發暈，倒在城內大街上和門口，再也沒有一點力氣。	²²And when being wearied with these cries, and tired with these weepings, they held their peace,
²³於是全體民眾、青年、婦女和幼童，都聚集在敖齊雅及城中首長那裏，大聲疾呼，當着眾長老說：	²³Ozias rising up all in tears, said: Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.
²⁴「願天主在你們與我們之間，施行審判；因為你們不同亞述人說和，使我們遭此大禍。	²⁴For perhaps he will put a stop to his indignation, and will give glory to his own name.
²⁵如今我們不但沒有救援，連天主也將我們交在他們手中，叫我們飢渴而死，都倒斃在他們面前。	²⁵But if after five days be past there come no aid, we will do the things which you leave spoken.
²⁶現今你們就叫他們進來，把全城交給敖羅斐乃的人民和大軍，任憑他們搶掠。	²⁶
²⁷我們更好當他們的戰利品，因為我們雖然身為奴隸，但可保全性命，不至於眼看着我們的幼童夭亡，我們的妻子兒女，斷送性命。	²⁷
²⁸我們當着上天下地，因着我們的天主，即因懲罰我們的罪過，及我們祖先過犯的我們祖先的上主，懇求你們設法，別叫天主今日按照這些話來處置我們！」	²⁸
²⁹集會的民眾遂不約而同，都放聲痛哭，向上主天主大聲哀號。	²⁹
³⁰敖齊雅遂對他們說：「弟兄們！振作精神，再忍耐五天，也許上主我們的天主，在這個時期內，向我們再施行他的仁慈，因為他決不會永遠拋棄我們！	³⁰
³¹如果過了這日期，仍得不到救援，我就依照你們的話辦理。」	³¹
³²遂遣散眾人各歸本營、城墻和城樓上；婦女幼童，一一遣送回家；當時全城陷於沮喪與絕望。	³²

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