| 友弟德傳 |
Judith |
| 1友弟德呼籲以色列的天主，祝告了這一切話以後， |
1As soon as Judith had thus concluded, and ceased her invocation to the God of Israel, |
| 2就由地上起來，叫來自己的使女，一同下到她安息日及慶節日所常住的屋裏， |
2she rose from the ground. She called her maid and they went down into the house, which she used only on sabbaths and feast days. |
| 3除去所穿的苦衣，脫下寡婦的衣服，洗了澡，塗上貴重的香水，梳好頭髮，蒙上手帕，穿上丈夫默納舍在世時自己喜愛穿的錦衣， |
3She took off the sackcloth she had on, laid aside the garments of her widowhood, washed her body with water, and anointed it with rich ointment. She arranged her hair and bound it with a fillet, and put on the festive attire she had worn while her husband, Manasseh, was living. |
| 4腳穿涼鞋，掛上項鍊、帶上手鐲、指環、耳環，以及各種裝飾品；打扮得花枝招展，令男人見了，無不注目而視。 |
4She chose sandals for her feet, and put on her anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her other jewelry. Thus she made herself very beautiful, to captivate the eyes of all the men who should see her. |
| 5然後拿了一皮囊酒，一瓶油，交給自己的使女；又在一布袋內裝滿了烘焙的大麥，無花果糕，淨麵包；將一切物品包在一起，放在使女肩上背着。 |
5She gave her maid a leather flask of wine and a cruse of oil. She filled a bag with roasted grain, fig cakes, bread and cheese; all these provisions she wrapped up and gave to the maid to carry. |
| 6於是二人出發，走向拜突里雅城門，正遇見敖齊雅及城中長老加布黎和加爾米在那裏等候。 |
6Then they went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia and found Uzziah and the elders of the city, Chabri and Charmis, standing there. |
| 7他們見她容貌大變，服裝特異，讚歎她的美麗，對她說： |
7When these men saw Judith transformed in looks and differently dressed, they were very much astounded at her beauty and said to her, |
| 8「願我們祖先的天主，使你蒙恩，使以色列子民歡樂，使耶路撒冷顯揚！願他完成你的計劃！」 |
8"May the God of our fathers bring you to favor, and make your undertaking a success, for the glory of the Israelites and the exaltation of Jerusalem." Judith bowed down to God. Then she said to them, |
| 9友弟德遂朝拜了天主，以後向他們說：「請你們下令給我開城門，我要出去，完成你們對我說的事。」長老遂吩咐少年人，照她說的為她開門。 |
9"Order the gate of the city opened for me, that I may go to carry out the business we discussed." So they ordered the youths to open the gate for her as she requested. |
| 10他們開了城門，友弟德和她的婢女就出去了；城裏的人目送她下山；等她轉過了山谷，就看不見她了。 |
10When they did so, Judith and her maid went out. The men of the city kept her in view as she went down the mountain and crossed the valley; then they lost sight of her. |
| 11她二人在山谷內一直前行，迎面來了一個亞述的哨兵， |
11As Judith and her maid walked directly across the valley, they encountered the Assyrian outpost. |
| 12就捉住她，盤問說：「你是那國人，從那裏來，往那裏去？」她答說：「我是希伯來人。我從他們那裏偷跑出來，因為他們快要落在你們口裏。 |
12 The men took her in custody and asked her, "To what people do you belong? Where do you come from, and where are you going?" She replied: "I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from them, because they are about to be delivered up to you as prey. |
| 13我來見你們軍隊的統帥敖羅斐乃，我帶有真實情報，要指給他一條路，從這條路進攻，不損一兵一卒，就能佔領這山地。」 |
13I have come to see Holofernes, the general in chief of your forces, to give him a trustworthy report; I will show him the route by which he can ascend and take possession of the whole mountain district without a single one of his men suffering injury or loss of life." |
| 14那些人聽她說話時，都目不轉睛的看着她，見了這樣美麗的女人，都驚訝稱奇，對她說： |
14When the men heard her words and gazed upon her face, which appeared wondrously beautiful to them, they said to her, |
| 15「你救了命，因你迅速下來，投奔我們的主帥；如今你到他帳幕裏去，我們必有人送你，將你交在他手裏。 |
15"By coming down thus promptly to see our master, you have saved your life. Now go to his tent; some of our men will accompany you to present you to him. |
| 16若你站在他面前時，你心裏不要害怕，只要你按你的話報告，他必定會優待你。」 |
16When you stand before him, have no fear in your heart; give him the report you speak of, and he will treat you well." |
| 17人就從隊裏，挑選了一百人，護送她和她的使女，到敖羅斐乃的帳幕前。 |
17So they detailed a hundred of their men as an escort for her and her maid, and these conducted them to the tent of Holofernes. |
| 18一時全營齊集，因為她前來的消息已傳遍了各帳幕；人出來將她圍住。那時她正站在敖羅斐乃的帳幕外，等着往上傳稟她的事。 |
18When the news of her arrival spread among the tents, a crowd gathered in the camp. They came and stood around her as she waited outside the tent of Holofernes, while he was being informed about her. |
| 19人對她的花容玉貌，無不讚歎，也因她而讚歎以色列子民，彼此相告說：「這民族既有這樣的美人，誰還能輕視？他們中即便只讓一個男人生存，也不是好事；任他們自由，他們必能智取全世界。」 |
19They marveled at her beauty, regarding the Israelites with wonder because of her, and they said to one another, "Who can despise this people that has such women among them? It is not wise to leave one man of them alive, for if any were to be spared they could beguile the whole world." |
| 20敖羅斐乃的護衛和眾僕從出來，領她進入營幕。 |
20The guard of Holofernes and all his servants came out and ushered her into the tent. |
| 21那時敖羅斐乃，正在金玉珠寶裝飾的紫帳內的床上休息。 |
21Now Holofernes was reclining on his bed under a canopy with a netting of crimson and gold, emeralds and other precious stones. |
| 22人們將她的事向他稟告之後，他遂由銀燈引導，來到帳幕門口。 |
22When they announced her to him, he came out to the antechamber, preceded by silver lamps; |
| 23友弟德一來到他和他的侍從面前，他們無不讚賞她的花容玉貌。友弟德遂俯伏在地，向他致敬，侍役們即將她扶起。 |
23and when Holofernes and his servants beheld Judith, they all marveled at the beauty of her face. She threw herself down prostrate before him, but his servants raised her up. |
