| 友弟德傳 |
Judith |
| 1敖羅斐乃向她說：「女人，放心，不要害怕，因為凡願意服侍全世界之王拿步高的，我沒有加害過。 |
1Then Holofernes said to her: "Take courage, lady; have no fear in your heart! Never have I harmed anyone who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth. |
| 2現在，你那住在山地的人民，若沒有輕視我，我也不會舉起我的戈矛攻擊他們，這是他們自作自受。 |
2Nor would I have raised my spear against your people who dwell in the mountain region, had they not despised me and brought this upon themselves. |
| 3現在，你告訴我，為什麼你逃開他們，來到這裏？你來若是為救你自己，你可放心！今夜以及將來，你必獲得生存！ |
3But now tell me why you fled from them and came to us. In any case, you have come to safety. Take courage! Your life is spared tonight and for the future. |
| 4因為沒有人加害你，反要優待你，如同優待我主拿步高王的臣僕一樣。」 |
4No one at all will harm you. Rather, you will be well treated, as are all the servants of my lord, King Nebuchadnezzar." |
| 5友弟德回答說：「願你聽取你奴婢的話，恩准你婢女在你面前說話。我今夜決不向我主說一句謊話。 |
5Judith answered him: "Listen to the words of your servant, and let your handmaid speak in your presence! I will tell no lie to my lord this night, |
| 6你若順從了你婢女的話，天主必藉着你順利完成你的事業；我主的計劃，必不至於失敗。 |
6and if you follow out the words of your handmaid, God will give you complete success, and my lord will not fail in any of his undertakings. |
| 7全世界之王拿步高萬歲！他的德能萬歲！他打發你來，是為謀眾生的福利，你不但叫人都服侍他，也叫野獸、家畜和空中的飛鳥，都藉着你的威權，因服侍拿步高及他的全家而生存。 |
7By the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth, and by the power of him who has sent you to set all creatures aright! not only do men serve him through you; but even the wild beasts and the cattle and the birds of the air, because of your strength, will live for Nebuchadnezzar and his whole house. |
| 8我們早聽說你的智慧和雄才大略，全世界都知道你是舉世無雙，能幹多謀，戰略如神的人。 |
8Indeed, we have heard of your wisdom and sagacity, and all the world is aware that throughout the kingdom you alone are competent, rich in experience, and distinguished in military strategy. |
| 9阿希約爾在你會議席上說的話，我們已聽到了，因為拜突里雅人救了他，他就將自己在你面前說的話，都告訴了我們。 |
9"As for Achior's speech in your council, we have heard of it. When the men of Bethulia spared him, he told them all he had said to you. |
| 10所以主帥，不要忽視他的話，反應把那些話記在心裏，因為都是真情實話：除非我們的民族犯罪得罪了自己的天主，是不會受罰的，刀劍也無能為力。 |
10So then, my lord and master, do not disregard his word, but bear it in mind, for it is true. For our people are not punished, nor does the sword prevail against them, except when they sin against their God. |
| 11但幾時行了越軌的事，就激起自己天主發怒；現在可巧，他們又犯了罪，喪亡必要臨頭，所以我主不致謀事不成，出師不利。 |
11But now their guilt has caught up with them, by which they bring the wrath of their God upon them whenever they do wrong; so that my lord will not be repulsed and fail, but death will overtake them. |
| 12自從他們缺少食糧，飲水不敷以來，就決意要宰殺牲畜。凡天主用法律禁止吃的一切，他們也決定要吃， |
12Since their food gave out and all their water ran low, they decided to kill their animals, and determined to consume all the things which God in his laws forbade them to eat. |
| 13連那些祝聖過的，為給在耶路撒冷於我們天主面前供職的司祭所保留下的初熟麥子，和十分之一的酒油，也決意要動用。這些東西，平民連手觸摸，也是不許的。 |
13They decreed that they would use up the first fruits of grain and the tithes of wine and oil which they had sanctified and reserved for the priests who minister in the presence of our God in Jerusalem: things which no layman should even touch with his hands. |
| 14他們已打發使者到耶路撒冷去，──因為那裏的居民也作了同樣的事──要他們向長老院要求豁免。 |
14They have sent messengers to Jerusalem to bring back to them authorization from the council of the elders; for the inhabitants there have also done these things. |
| 15他們一得到答覆，就必實行：就在同一天內，他們必落在你手裏，而淪於滅亡。 |
15On the very day when the response reaches them and they act upon it, they will be handed over to you for destruction. |
| 16因此，你的婢女，我一知道這一切，就暗暗離開了他們。天主打發我來，好與你完成這件全世界一聽到，無不驚奇的事。 |
16"As soon as I, your handmaid, learned all this, I fled from them. God has sent me to perform with you such deeds that people throughout the world will be astonished on hearing of them. |
| 17你的婢女原是敬畏天主的人，日夜都要服侍天上的大主。我主！如今我願住在你這裏，但是夜間，你的婢女卻要出去，到山谷中去祈求天主。幾時他們做出了犯罪的事，他必會告訴我； |
17Your handmaid is, indeed, a God-fearing woman, serving the God of heaven night and day. Now I will remain with you, my lord; but each night your handmaid will go out to the ravine and pray to God. He will tell me when the Israelites have committed their crimes. |
| 18然後我來通知你，你便率領大軍出發，他們沒有一個敢抵抗你的。 |
18Then I will come and let you know, so that you may go out with your whole force, and not one of them will be able to withstand you. |
| 19那時，我要領你取道猶太，直取耶路撒冷，在那裏建立你的寶座；你率領他們如無牧之羊，連狗也不敢向你張口吠叫。這些事，我已先知，早已說給我，通知我了。故此受命前來，轉告給你。」 |
19I will lead you through Judea, till you come to Jerusalem, and there I will set up your judgment seat. You will drive them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will growl at you. This was told me, and announced to me in advance, and I in turn have been sent to tell you." |
| 20她的話，使敖羅斐乃和他的眾僕從很是喜悅，都驚訝她的智慧說： |
20Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; they marveled at her wisdom and exclaimed, |
| 21「大地兩極間，再沒有一個容貌如此美麗，出言如此明智的女人！」 |
21"No other woman from one end of the world to the other looks so beautiful and speaks so wisely!" |
| 22敖羅斐乃對她說：「天主在這個民族以先打發你來，使勝利屬於我軍，使滅亡歸於輕視我主的人，實在做得好！ |
22Then Holofernes said to her: "God has done well in sending you ahead of your people, to bring victory to our arms, and destruction to those who have despised my lord. |
| 23現在，你的容貌既如此美麗，說話又如此中肯，如果你按照你所說的去行，那麼你的天主將是我的天主，你將住在拿步高王的宮殿裏，成為全世界上出名的人物。」 |
23You are fair to behold, and your words are well spoken. If you do as you have said, your God will be my God; you shall dwell in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, and shall be renowned throughout the earth." |
