Apo

1 Then was it declared to Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, that the children of Israel had prepared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill country, and had fortified all the tops of the high hills and had laid impediments in the champaign countries:

2 Wherewith he was very angry, and called all the princes of Moab, and the captains of Ammon, and all the governors of the sea coast,

3 And he said unto them, Tell me now, ye sons of Chanaan, who this people is, that dwelleth in the hill country, and what are the cities that they inhabit, and what is the multitude of their army, and wherein is their power and strength, and what king is set over them, or captain of their army;

4 And why have they determined not to come and meet me, more than all the inhabitants of the west.

5 Then said Achior, the captain of all the sons of Ammon, Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare unto thee the truth concerning this people, which dwelleth near thee, and inhabiteth the hill countries: and there shall no lie come out of the mouth of thy servant.

6 This people are descended of the Chaldeans:

7 And they sojourned heretofore in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, which were in the land of Chaldea.

8 For they left the way of their ancestors, and worshipped the God of heaven, the God whom they knew: so they cast them out from the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia, and sojourned there many days.

9 Then their God commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned, and to go into the land of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and were increased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle.

10 But when a famine covered all the land of Chanaan, they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a great multitude, so that one could not number their nation.

11 Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves.

12 Then they cried unto their God, and he smote all the land of Egypt with incurable plagues: so the Egyptians cast them out of their sight.

13 And God dried the Red sea before them,

14 And brought them to mount Sina, and Cades-Barne, and cast forth all that dwelt in the wilderness.

15 So they dwelt in the land of the Amorites, and they destroyed by their strength all them of Esebon, and passing over Jordan they possessed all the hill country.

16 And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, and the Sychemite, and all the Gergesites, and they dwelt in that country many days.

17 And whilst they sinned not before their God, they prospered, because the God that hateth iniquity was with them.

18 But when they departed from the way which he appointed them, they were destroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captives into a land that was not their's, and the temple of their God was cast to the ground, and their cities were taken by the enemies.

19 But now are they returned to their God, and are come up from the places where they were scattered, and have possessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and are seated in the hill country; for it was desolate.

20 Now therefore, my lord and governor, if there be any error against this people, and they sin against their God, let us consider that this shall be their ruin, and let us go up, and we shall overcome them.

21 But if there be no iniquity in their nation, let my lord now pass by, lest their Lord defend them, and their God be for them, and we become a reproach before all the world.

22 And when Achior had finished these sayings, all the people standing round about the tent murmured, and the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt by the sea side, and in Moab, spake that he should kill him.

23 For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of the children of Israel: for, lo, it is a people that have no strength nor power for a strong battle

24 Now therefore, lord Holofernes, we will go up, and they shall be a prey to be devoured of all thine army.

Sep

1 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη Ολοφέρνῃ ἀρχιστρατήγῳ δυνάμεως Ασσουρ διότι οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ παρεσκευάσαντο εἰς πόλεμον καὶ τὰς διόδους τῆς ὀρεινῆς συνέκλεισαν καὶ ἐτείχισαν πᾶσαν κορυφὴν ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἔθηκαν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις σκάνδαλα

2 καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ σφόδρα καὶ ἐκάλεσεν πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας Μωαβ καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς Αμμων καὶ πάντας σατράπας τῆς παραλίας

3 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἀναγγείλατε δή μοι υἱοὶ Χανααν τίς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὁ καθήμενος ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ καὶ τίνες ἃς κατοικοῦσιν πόλεις καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τίνι τὸ κράτος αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τίς ἀνέστηκεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν βασιλεὺς ἡγούμενος στρατιᾶς αὐτῶν

4 καὶ διὰ τί κατενωτίσαντο τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς ἀπάντησίν μοι παρὰ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν δυσμαῖς

5 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Αχιωρ ὁ ἡγούμενος πάντων υἱῶν Αμμων ἀκουσάτω δὴ λόγον ὁ κύριός μου ἐκ στόματος τοῦ δούλου σου καὶ ἀναγγελῶ σοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ὃς κατοικεῖ τὴν ὀρεινὴν ταύτην πλησίον σοῦ οἰκοῦντος καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται ψεῦδος ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ δούλου σου

6 ὁ λαὸς οὗτός εἰσιν ἀπόγονοι Χαλδαίων

7 καὶ παρῴκησαν τὸ πρότερον ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ ὅτι οὐκ ἐβουλήθησαν ἀκολουθῆσαι τοῖς θεοῖς τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν οἳ ἐγένοντο ἐν γῇ Χαλδαίων

8 καὶ ἐξέβησαν ἐξ ὁδοῦ τῶν γονέων αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ θεῷ ᾧ ἐπέγνωσαν καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς Μεσοποταμίαν καὶ παρῴκησαν ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας πολλάς

9 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς παροικίας αὐτῶν καὶ πορευθῆναι εἰς γῆν Χανααν καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ ἐν κτήνεσιν πολλοῖς σφόδρα

10 καὶ κατέβησαν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐκάλυψεν γὰρ τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς Χανααν λιμός καὶ παρῴκησαν ἐκεῖ μέχρις οὗ διετράφησαν καὶ ἐγένοντο ἐκεῖ εἰς πλῆθος πολύ καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμὸς τοῦ γένους αὐτῶν

11 καὶ ἐπανέστη αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου καὶ κατεσοφίσατο αὐτοὺς ἐν πόνῳ καὶ πλίνθῳ ἐταπείνωσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτοὺς εἰς δούλους

12 καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπάταξεν πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν Αἰγύπτου πληγαῖς ἐν αἷς οὐκ ἦν ἴασις καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν

13 καὶ κατεξήρανεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν

14 καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὁδὸν τοῦ Σινα καὶ Καδης Βαρνη καὶ ἐξέβαλον πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

15 καὶ ᾤκησαν ἐν γῇ Αμορραίων καὶ πάντας τοὺς Εσεβωνίτας ἐξωλέθρευσαν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι αὐτῶν καὶ διαβάντες τὸν Ιορδάνην ἐκληρονόμησαν πᾶσαν τὴν ὀρεινὴν

16 καὶ ἐξέβαλον ἐκ προσώπου αὐτῶν τὸν Χαναναῖον καὶ τὸν Φερεζαῖον καὶ τὸν Ιεβουσαῖον καὶ τὸν Συχεμ καὶ πάντας τοὺς Γεργεσαίους καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐν αὐτῇ ἡμέρας πολλάς

17 καὶ ἕως οὐχ ἥμαρτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν τὰ ἀγαθά ὅτι θεὸς μισῶν ἀδικίαν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐστιν

18 ὅτε δὲ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἧς διέθετο αὐτοῖς ἐξωλεθρεύθησαν ἐν πολλοῖς πολέμοις ἐπὶ πολὺ σφόδρα καὶ ᾐχμαλωτεύθησαν εἰς γῆν οὐκ ἰδίαν καὶ ὁ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν ἐγενήθη εἰς ἔδαφος καὶ αἱ πόλεις αὐτῶν ἐκρατήθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπεναντίων

19 καὶ νῦν ἐπιστρέψαντες ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τῆς διασπορᾶς οὗ διεσπάρησαν ἐκεῖ καὶ κατέσχον τὴν Ιερουσαλημ οὗ τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτῶν καὶ κατῳκίσθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ ὅτι ἦν ἔρημος

20 καὶ νῦν δέσποτα κύριε εἰ μὲν ἔστιν ἀγνόημα ἐν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ καὶ ἁμαρτάνουσιν εἰς τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπισκεψόμεθα ὅτι ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον τοῦτο καὶ ἀναβησόμεθα καὶ ἐκπολεμήσομεν αὐτούς

21 εἰ δ᾽ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνομία ἐν τῷ ἔθνει αὐτῶν παρελθέτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου μήποτε ὑπερασπίσῃ ὁ κύριος αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐσόμεθα εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐναντίον πάσης τῆς γῆς

22 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐπαύσατο Αχιωρ λαλῶν τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ἐγόγγυσεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ κυκλῶν τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ περιεστώς καὶ εἶπαν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες Ολοφέρνου καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν παραλίαν καὶ τὴν Μωαβ συγκόψαι αὐτόν

23 οὐ γὰρ φοβηθησόμεθα ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἰδοὺ γὰρ λαὸς ἐν ᾧ οὐκ ἔστιν δύναμις οὐδὲ κράτος εἰς παράταξιν ἰσχυράν

24 διὸ δὴ ἀναβησόμεθα καὶ ἔσονται εἰς κατάβρωσιν πάσης τῆς στρατιᾶς σου δέσποτα Ολοφέρνη

Vul

1 Nuntiatumque est Holoferni principi militiæ Assyriorum, quod filii Israël præpararent se ad resistendum, ac montium itinera conclusissent:

2 et furore nimio exarsit in iracundia magna, vocavitque omnes principes Moab et duces Ammon,

3 et dixit eis: Dicite mihi quis sit populus iste, qui montana obsidet: aut quæ, et quales, et quantæ sint civitates eorum: quæ etiam sit virtus eorum, aut quæ sit multitudo eorum, vel quis rex militiæ illorum:

4 et quare præ omnibus qui habitant in oriente, isti contempserunt nos, et non exierunt obviam nobis ut susciperent nos cum pace?

5 Tunc Achior dux omnium filiorum Ammon respondens, ait: Si digneris audire, domine mi, dicam veritatem in conspectu tuo de populo isto qui in montanis habitat, et non egredietur verbum falsum ex ore meo.

6 Populus iste ex progenie Chaldæorum est.

7 Hic primum in Mesopotamia habitavit, quoniam noluerunt sequi deos patrum suorum, qui erant in terra Chaldæorum.

8 Deserentes itaque cæremonias patrum suorum, quæ in multitudine deorum erant,

9 unum Deum cæli coluerunt, qui et præcepit eis ut exirent inde et habitarent in Charan. Cumque operuisset omnem terram fames, descenderunt in Ægyptum, illicque per quadringentos annos sic multiplicati sunt, ut dinumerari eorum non posset exercitus.

10 Cumque gravaret eos rex Ægypti, atque in ædificationibus urbium suarum in luto et latere subjugasset eos, clamaverunt ad Dominum suum, et percussit totam terram Ægypti plagis variis.

11 Cumque ejecissent eos Ægyptii a se, et cessasset plaga ab eis, et iterum eos vellent capere, et ad suum servitium revocare,

12 fugientibus his, Deus cæli mare aperuit, ita ut hinc inde aquæ quasi murus solidarentur, et isti pede sicco fundum maris perambulando transirent.

13 In quo loco dum innumerabilis exercitus Ægyptiorum eos persequeretur, ita aquis coopertus est, ut non remaneret vel unus, qui factum posteris nuntiaret.

14 Egressi vero mare Rubrum, deserta Sina montis occupaverunt, in quibus numquam homo habitare potuit, vel filius hominis requievit.

15 Illic fontes amari obdulcati sunt eis ad bibendum, et per annos quadraginta annonam de cælo consecuti sunt.

16 Ubicumque ingressi sunt sine arcu et sagitta, et absque scuto et gladio, Deus eorum pugnavit pro eis, et vicit.

17 Et non fuit qui insultaret populo isti, nisi quando recessit a cultu Domini Dei sui.

18 Quotiescumque autem præter ipsum Deum suum, alterum coluerunt, dati sunt in prædam, et in gladium, et in opprobrium.

19 Quotiescumque autem pœnituerunt se recessisse a cultura Dei sui, dedit eis Deus cæli virtutem resistendi.

20 Denique Chananæum regem, et Jebusæum, et Pherezæum, et Hethæum, et Hevæum, et Amorrhæum, et omnes potentes in Hesebon prostraverunt, et terras eorum et civitates eorum ipsi possederunt:

21 et usque dum non peccarent in conspectu Dei sui, erant cum illis bona: Deus enim illorum odit iniquitatem.

22 Nam et ante hos annos cum recessissent a via quam dederat illis Deus ut ambularent in ea, exterminati sunt præliis a multis nationibus, et plurimi eorum captivi abducti sunt in terram non suam.

23 Nuper autem reversi ad Dominum Deum suum, ex dispersione qua dispersi fuerant, adunati sunt, et ascenderunt montana hæc omnia, et iterum possident Jerusalem, ubi sunt sancta eorum.

24 Nunc ergo mi domine, perquire si est aliqua iniquitas eorum in conspectu Dei eorum: ascendamus ad illos, quoniam tradens tradet illos Deus eorum tibi, et subjugati erunt sub jugo potentiæ tuæ.

25 Si vero non est offensio populi hujus coram Deo suo, non poterimus resistere illis, quoniam Deus eorum defendet illos: et erimus in opprobrium universæ terræ.

26 Et factum est, cum cessasset loqui Achior verba hæc, irati sunt omnes magnates Holofernis, et cogitabant interficere eum, dicentes ad alterutrum:

27 Quis est iste, qui filios Israël posse dicat resistere regi Nabuchodonosor et exercitibus ejus, homines inermes, et sine virtute, et sine peritia artis pugnæ?

28 Ut ergo agnoscat Achior quoniam fallit nos, ascendamus in montana: et cum capti fuerint potentes eorum, tunc cum eisdem gladio transverberabitur:

29 ut sciat omnis gens quoniam Nabuchodonosor deus terræ est, et præter ipsum alius non est.