Judith:Chapter 5

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Judith:Chapter 5

友弟德傳	Judith
¹那時，有人向亞述軍隊的統帥敖羅斐乃報告說：「以色列子民已準備應戰，封鎖山地隘口，在高山上修築了防禦工事，平原中已設下埋伏。」	¹It was reported to Holofernes that the people of Israel were prepared for war, that they had closed the mountain passes, fortified the ramparts on the summits of all the high mountains and placed blockades in the plains.
²他遂勃然大怒，召集所有摩阿布的公侯，阿孟的司令，及沿海一帶的長官來，	²Seething with anger, Holofernes called the leaders of the Moabites, the generals of Ammon and all the governors of the Seacoast,
³對他們說：「客納罕的子民！請告訴我，這山地裏住的是什麼民族？他們住的是什麼城池？部隊的人數究有多少？他們的力量和勇氣，究在什麼事上？作他們的君王，率領他們軍隊的是誰？	³and said to them, "Tell me, sons of Canaan, who are these people living in the mountain region? Which towns do they inhabit? What is the strength of their army? In what does their power and strength consist? Who has been placed at their head as commander of their army?
⁴為什麼在西方諸民族中，只有他們不屑於前來歡迎我？」	⁴Why have they not appeared before me like everyone else in the West?"
⁵於是全阿孟子民的統帥阿希約爾便對他說：「我主！請聽你僕人一言，我要向你說明，這住在山地離你不遠的民族，是什麼情形；你僕人口中所說的，決沒有一句虛話。	⁵Achior, commander of the Ammonites, said to him, "May my Lord listen to the word spoken by your servant, for I will tell you the truth about these people from the mountain region whom you now encounter.
⁶這民族原是加爾底亞人的後裔，	⁶These people descend from the Chaldeans.
⁷原先僑居在美索不達米亞，因為不願隨從自己祖先所居加爾底亞地的神祇，	⁷They settled first in Mesopotamia, for they did not wish to worship any longer the gods of their fathers who lived in Chaldea.
⁸就離棄了自己祖先的途徑，而崇拜天上的大主，一位自己所承認的神。所以他們被那裏的神祇所驅逐，逃到美索不達米亞，僑居在那裏很久。	⁸They abandoned the religion of their ancestors, and worshiped the God of Heaven, a God whom they had come to recognize. Because of this their fathers drove them out and they fled to Mesopotamia where they dwelt for a long time.
⁹後來他們的天主，吩咐他們離開僑居的地方，往客納罕地方去，就住在那裏，積蓄了大批金銀和很多家畜。	⁹Then their God told them to leave the country where they had settled and go to the land of Canaan. They went to live there, and acquired an abundance of gold and silver and numerous herds of cattle.
¹⁰後又因客納罕地方連年饑荒，便下到埃及，居留在那裏，直到他們能自養自足；在那裏竟成了一個大族，子孫眾多，不可勝數。	¹⁰There was famine throughout the land of Canaan, so they went down into Egypt where they remained as long as there was food. Then they became so numerous that their race could not be counted.
¹¹但埃及王卻苛待他們，逼令他們作做磚的苦工，壓迫他們，當作奴隸。	¹¹But the king of Egypt rose up against them and tricked them into making bricks, and they were humiliated and made into slaves.
¹²於是他們向自己的天主哀號，天主就以不治之症，打擊了埃及全境；埃及人就將他們趕走。	¹²They called upon their God who punished the whole of Egypt with such incurable plagues that the Egyptians drove them out.
¹³天主使紅海在他們面前乾涸，	¹³Then God dried up the Red Sea in front of them
¹⁴引他們沿着西乃和卡德士巴爾乃亞的路前進，他們將曠野中的居民完全驅逐，	¹⁴and he led them along the route of Sinai and Kadesh Barnea. The Israelites drove all the inhabitants into the desert;
¹⁵住在阿摩黎人的境內，以武力消滅了一切赫市朋人，繼而渡過約但河，佔領了整個山地，據為己有，	¹⁵they inhabited the country of the Amorites and wiped out the Heshbonites. Then, having crossed the Jordan, they took possession of all the hill country,
¹⁶將客納罕人、培黎齊人、耶步斯人、舍根人與一切基爾加史人，都由自己的面前趕走，住在那裏很久。	¹⁶driving out the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Shechemites, and the Gergesites, and they lived there for a long time.
¹⁷當他們不犯罪得罪自己的天主時，便常享幸福，因為有一位嫉惡的天主，與他們同在。	¹⁷As long as they did not offend God, they prospered, because their God who hates wrongdoing was on their side.
¹⁸但當他們離開天主給他們所指示的道路時，便在戰爭中受到殲滅，被擄到異鄉，他們天主的殿宇也被毀為平地，城市都為敵人所佔據。	¹⁸But when they strayed from the path he had set for them, they were completely annihilated in many battles, and they were led off into captivity in a country not their own. The temple of their God was leveled to the ground and their cities were occupied by their enemies.
¹⁹可是現在，自從他們歸向天主以來，就由散居的地方回來，收復了他們的聖殿的所在地耶路撒冷，住在已變為荒蕪的山地。	¹⁹Now that they have turned again to their God, they have returned from exile from the various places in which they had been scattered. They have retaken Jerusalem where their Sanctuary is and they have settled in the mountain region because it has remained deserted.
²⁰主帥！假使這個民族作惡，得罪他們的天主，如果我們發覺他們有這『致命傷』，就可上去進攻，必能戰勝。	²⁰And now, Sovereign Lord, we must find out if there is any wrongdoing in this people.
²¹若是這民族沒有什麼不法的事，請我主放過他們，免得他們的上主天主庇護他們，使我們在全世界成為人的笑柄。」	²¹If they are sinning against their God, then we shall march against them and we shall conquer. But if there is no sinfulness in their nation, then, my Lord, turn aside from them for fear that their Lord and God will cover them with his shield and the whole world will witness our downfall."
²²阿希約爾一說完這些話，站在營幕周圍的眾人，怨聲四起，敖羅斐乃的軍官和一切住在沿海與摩阿布一帶的人，都聲言要將他碎屍萬段：	²²Now it happened that when Achior had finished speaking, all the people standing in a circle around the tent began criticizing and protesting. The officers of Holofernes and all the inhabitants of the seacoast and of Moab wanted to beat him black and blue. They said,
²³「我們不應該怕以色列子民！這個民族決沒有勇氣和能力，與勁旅相對抗。	²³"We are not afraid of the children of Israel. Look, they are a people with no strength or energy to sustain a violent conflict.
²⁴敖羅斐乃主帥！我們應上前進攻，他們必能為你的全軍所撲滅。」	²⁴Let us go forth, and they will be like bread for your whole army, O Lord Holofernes!"

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