| 友弟德傳 |
Judith |
| 1夜已深了，他的僕役都迅速離去，巴哥阿從外面把帳幕關好，又示意叫侍從離開主人面前；由於宴飲時間過長，人都感到疲乏，就各自上床睡了。 |
1When it grew late, his servants quickly withdrew. Bagoas closed the tent from the outside and excluded the attendants from their master's presence. They went off to their beds, for they were all tired from the prolonged banquet. |
| 2此時，在帳幕內只有友弟德，和泥醉橫臥在床上的敖羅斐乃。 |
2Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes, who lay prostrate on his bed, for he was sodden with wine. |
| 3友弟德遂吩咐自己的婢女，要她像平日一樣，在寢室外等候她出來，因為她說自己要出去祈禱；且也對巴哥阿這樣說了。 |
3She had ordered her maid to stand outside the bedroom and wait, as on the other days, for her to come out; she said she would be going out for her prayer. To Bagoas she had said this also. |
| 4此時，所有的人都走了，不論大小，沒有一個留在寢室內。友弟德就站在他的床邊，心裏說：「上主，全能的天主！求你在此時，眷顧我手要行的工作，為顯揚耶路撒冷！ |
4When all had departed, and no one, small or great, was left in the bedroom, Judith stood by Holofernes' bed and said within herself: "O Lord, God of all might, in this hour look graciously on my undertaking for the exaltation of Jerusalem; |
| 5因為如今正是救助你家業的時候，請玉成我的計劃，消滅那起來攻擊我們的敵人！」 |
5now is the time for aiding your heritage and for carrying out my design to shatter the enemies who have risen against us." |
| 6她走到靠敖羅斐乃頭部的床柱前，由上面取下了他的短劍， |
6She went to the bedpost near the head of Holofernes, and taking his sword from it, |
| 7再走近床前，抓住他的頭髮說：「上主，以色列的天主，求你今天賜我力量！」 |
7drew close to the bed, grasped the hair of his head, and said, "Strengthen me this day, O God of Israel!" |
| 8遂用盡氣力，在他頸上砍了兩下，割下他的頭顱， |
8Then with all her might she struck him twice in the neck and cut off his head. |
| 9把他的屍首從床上滾下，由柱上卸下帳幔，即刻走出，將敖羅斐乃的頭，交給自己的使女； |
9She rolled his body off the bed and took the canopy from its supports. Soon afterward, she came out and handed over the head of Holofernes to her maid, |
| 10使女把頭放進食袋裏。然後二人一起，照習慣出外祈禱去了。二人經過兵營，繞過山谷，爬上拜突里雅山，來到了自己的城門下。 |
10who put it into her food pouch; and the two went off together as they were accustomed to do for prayer. They passed through the camp, and skirting the ravine, reached Bethulia on the mountain. As they approached its gates, |
| 11友弟德從遠處向守門的人說：「開門！開門啊！天主，我們的天主，與我們同在，他今日所作的，再次證明他在以色列中的能力，和處置敵人的威力。」 |
11Judith shouted to the guards from a distance: "Open! Open the gate! God, our God, is with us. Once more he has made manifest his strength in Israel and his power against our enemies; he has done it this very day." |
| 12城裏的人，一聽見她的聲音，就趕快下來，到城門口，召集了城中的長老。 |
12When the citizens heard her voice, they quickly descended to their city gate and summoned the city elders. |
| 13於是老幼大小一齊都跑來，由於她回來實在出乎他們意料之外。遂開門迎接她們，點起明亮的火把，將二人圍起來。 |
13All the people, from the least to the greatest, hurriedly assembled, for her return seemed unbelievable. They opened the gate and welcomed the two women. They made a fire for light; and when they gathered around the two, |
| 14友弟德大聲對他們說：「讚美天主！讚美，讚美天主！他不但沒有從以色列家收回他的仁慈，今夜反藉着我的手，粉碎了我們的敵人。」 |
14Judith urged them with a loud voice: "Praise God, praise him! Praise God, who has not withdrawn his mercy from the house of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand this very night." |
| 15遂由袋裏取出一個人頭來，指着對他們說：「看，這就是亞述軍隊的總司令敖羅斐乃的頭。看！這就是他醉後睡的帳幔！上主藉着一個婦人的手，擊殺了他。 |
15Then she took the head out of the pouch, showed it to them, and said: "Here is the head of Holofernes, general in charge of the Assyrian army, and here is the canopy under which he lay in his drunkenness. The Lord struck him down by the hand of a woman. |
| 16上主永在！他在我行的路上保護了我，因為我的容貌迷惑了他，叫他趨於喪亡；他未曾與我犯罪，玷污羞辱我。」 |
16As the Lord lives, who has protected me in the path I have followed, I swear that it was my face that seduced Holofernes to his ruin, and that he did not sin with me to my defilement or disgrace." |
| 17民眾聽了，不勝驚奇，都俯伏在地，朝拜天主，同聲說道：「今日使你民族的敵人化為烏有的，我們的天主啊！你是應受讚美的！」 |
17All the people were greatly astonished. They bowed down and worshiped God, saying with one accord, "Blessed are you, our God, who today have brought to nought the enemies of your people." |
| 18敖齊雅對她說：「我女！全世界婦女中，你分外應受至高者天主的祝福！創造天地的上主，領你割取我們的敵人統帥頭顱的天主，應受讚美！ |
18Then Uzziah said to her: "Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth, who guided your blow at the head of the chief of our enemies. |
| 19在永遠記得天主能力的人心中，不會忘記你的信心。 |
19Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those who tell of the might of God. |
| 20你不忍見我們民族所受的屈辱，竟不顧惜你的性命，出去挽救我們的危亡，在我們的天主面前，履行正道；希望天主永遠使你獲得光榮，賜與你幸福！」民眾答說：「但願如此！但願如此！」 |
20May God make this redound to your everlasting honor, rewarding you with blessings, because you risked your life when your people were being oppressed, and you averted our disaster, walking uprightly before our God." And all the people answered, "Amen! Amen!" |
