友弟德傳:Chapter 7

友弟德傳: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。	¹The following day Holofernes ordered his whole army, and all the allied troops that had come to his support, to move against Bethulia, seize the mountain passes, and engage the Israelites in battle.
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；	²That same day all their fighting men went into action. Their forces numbered a hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand horsemen, not counting the baggage train or the men who accompanied it on foot-a very great army.
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。	³They encamped at the spring in the valley near Bethulia, and spread out in breadth toward Dothan as far as Balbaim, and in length from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.
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。」	⁴When the Israelites saw how many there were, they said to one another in great dismay: "Soon they will devour the whole country. Neither the high mountains nor the valleys and hills can support the mass of them."
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。	⁵ Yet they all seized their weapons, lighted fires on their bastions, and kept watch throughout the 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，	⁶On the second day Holofernes led out all his cavalry in the sight of the Israelites who were in Bethulia.
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。	⁷He reconnoitered the approaches to their city and located their sources of water; these he seized, stationing armed detachments around them, while he himself returned to his troops.
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：	⁸All the commanders of the Edomites and all the leaders of the Ammonites, together with the generals of the seacoast, came to Holofernes and said:
⁹「願我們的主帥聽取一個建議，免得你的軍隊受害。	⁹"Sir, listen to what we have to say, that there may be no losses among your troops.
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。	¹⁰These Israelites do not rely on their spears, but on the height of the mountains where they dwell; it is not easy to reach the summit of their mountains.
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。	¹¹Therefore, sir, do not attack them in regular formation; thus not a single one of your troops will fall.
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，	¹²Stay in your camp, and spare all your soldiers. Have some of your servants keep control of the source of water that flows out at the base of the mountain,
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。	¹³for that is where the inhabitants of Bethulia get their water. Then thirst will begin to carry them off, and they will surrender their city. Meanwhile, we and our men will go up to the summits of the nearby mountains, and encamp there to guard against anyone's leaving the city.
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。	¹⁴They and their wives and children will languish with hunger, and even before the sword strikes them they will be laid low in the streets of their city.
¹⁵這樣你可以惡毒地報復他們，因為他們頑抗，沒有歡迎你。」	¹⁵Thus you will render them dire punishment for their rebellion and their refusal to meet you peacefully."
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。	¹⁶Their words pleased Holofernes and all his ministers, and he ordered their proposal to be carried out.
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。	¹⁷Thereupon the Moabites moved camp, together with five thousand Assyrians. They encamped in the valley, and held the water supply and the springs of the Israelites.
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。	¹⁸The Edomites and the Ammonites went up and encamped in the mountain region opposite Dothan; and they sent some of their men to the south and to the east opposite Egrebel, near Chusi, which is on Wadi Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army was encamped in the plain, covering the whole countryside. Their enormous store of tents and equipment was spread out in profusion everywhere.
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。	¹⁹The Israelites cried to the Lord, their God, for they were disheartened, since all their enemies had them surrounded, and there was no way of slipping through their lines.
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，	²⁰The whole Assyrian camp, infantry, chariots, and cavalry, kept them thus surrounded for thirty-four days. All the reservoirs of water failed the inhabitants of Bethulia,
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。	²¹and the cisterns ran dry, so that on no day did they have enough to drink, but their drinking water was rationed.
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。	²²Their children fainted away, and the women and youths were consumed with thirst and were collapsing in the streets and gateways of the city, with no strength left in them.
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：	²³All the people, therefore, including youths, women, and children, went in a crowd to Uzziah and the rulers of the city. They set up a great clamor and said before the elders:
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。	²⁴"God judge between you and us! You have done us grave injustice in not making peace with the Assyrians.
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。	²⁵There is no help for us now! Instead, God has sold us into their power by laying us prostrate before them in thirst and utter exhaustion.
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。	²⁶Therefore, summon them and deliver the whole city as booty to the troops of Holofernes and to all his forces;
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。	²⁷we would be better off to become their prey. We should indeed be made slaves, but at least we should live, and not have to behold our little ones dying before our eyes and our wives and children breathing out their souls.
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！」	²⁸We adjure you by heaven and earth, and by our God, the Lord of our forefathers, who is punishing us for our sins and those of our forefathers, to do as we have proposed, this very day."
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。	²⁹All in the assembly with one accord broke into shrill wailing and loud cries to the Lord their God.
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！	³⁰But Uzziah said to them, "Courage, my brothers! Let us wait five days more for the Lord our God, to show his mercy toward us; he will not utterly forsake us.
³¹如果過了這日期，仍得不到救援，我就依照你們的話辦理。」	³¹But if those days pass without help coming to us, I will do as you say."
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。	³²Then he dispersed the men to their posts, and they returned to the walls and towers of the city; the women and children he sent to their homes. Throughout the city they were in great misery.