Apo

1 And when the tumult of men that were about the council was ceased, Holofernes the chief captain of the army of Assur said unto Achior and all the Moabites before all the company of other nations,

2 And who art thou, Achior, and the hirelings of Ephraim, that thou hast prophesied against us as to day, and hast said, that we should not make war with the people of Israel, because their God will defend them? and who is God but Nabuchodonosor?

3 He will send his power, and will destroy them from the face of the earth, and their God shall not deliver them: but we his servants will destroy them as one man; for they are not able to sustain the power of our horses.

4 For with them we will tread them under foot, and their mountains shall be drunken with their blood, and their fields shall be filled with their dead bodies, and their footsteps shall not be able to stand before us, for they shall utterly perish, saith king Nabuchodonosor, lord of all the earth: for he said, None of my words shall be in vain.

5 And thou, Achior, an hireling of Ammon, which hast spoken these words in the day of thine iniquity, shalt see my face no more from this day, until I take vengeance of this nation that came out of Egypt.

6 And then shall the sword of mine army, and the multitude of them that serve me, pass through thy sides, and thou shalt fall among their slain, when I return.

7 Now therefore my servants shall bring thee back into the hill country, and shall set thee in one of the cities of the passages:

8 And thou shalt not perish, till thou be destroyed with them.

9 And if thou persuade thyself in thy mind that they shall be taken, let not thy countenance fall: I have spoken it, and none of my words shall be in vain.

10 Then Holofernes commanded his servants, that waited in his tent, to take Achior, and bring him to Bethulia, and deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel.

11 So his servants took him, and brought him out of the camp into the plain, and they went from the midst of the plain into the hill country, and came unto the fountains that were under Bethulia.

12 And when the men of the city saw them, they took up their weapons, and went out of the city to the top of the hill: and every man that used a sling kept them from coming up by casting of stones against them.

13 Nevertheless having gotten privily under the hill, they bound Achior, and cast him down, and left him at the foot of the hill, and returned to their lord.

14 But the Israelites descended from their city, and came unto him, and loosed him, and brought him to Bethulia, and presented him to the governors of the city:

15 Which were in those days Ozias the son of Micha, of the tribe of Simeon, and Chabris the son of Gothoniel, and Charmis the son of Melchiel.

16 And they called together all the ancients of the city, and all their youth ran together, and their women, to the assembly, and they set Achior in the midst of all their people. Then Ozias asked him of that which was done.

17 And he answered and declared unto them the words of the council of Holofernes, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the princes of Assur, and whatsoever Holofernes had spoken proudly against the house of Israel.

18 Then the people fell down and worshipped God, and cried unto God. saying,

19 O Lord God of heaven, behold their pride, and pity the low estate of our nation, and look upon the face of those that are sanctified unto thee this day.

20 Then they comforted Achior, and praised him greatly.

21 And Ozias took him out of the assembly unto his house, and made a feast to the elders; and they called on the God of Israel all that night for help.

Sep

1 καὶ ὡς κατέπαυσεν ὁ θόρυβος τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν κύκλῳ τῆς συνεδρίας καὶ εἶπεν Ολοφέρνης ἀρχιστράτηγος δυνάμεως Ασσουρ πρὸς Αχιωρ ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ δήμου ἀλλοφύλων καὶ πρὸς πάντας υἱοὺς Μωαβ

2 καὶ τίς εἶ σύ Αχιωρ καὶ οἱ μισθωτοὶ τοῦ Εφραιμ ὅτι ἐπροφήτευσας ἐν ἡμῖν καθὼς σήμερον καὶ εἶπας τὸ γένος Ισραηλ μὴ πολεμῆσαι ὅτι ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν ὑπερασπιεῖ αὐτῶν καὶ τίς θεὸς εἰ μὴ Ναβουχοδονοσορ οὗτος ἀποστελεῖ τὸ κράτος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξολεθρεύσει αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ οὐ ῥύσεται αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν

3 ἀλλ᾽ ἡμεῖς οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ πατάξομεν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἄνθρωπον ἕνα καὶ οὐχ ὑποστήσονται τὸ κράτος τῶν ἵππων ἡμῶν

4 κατακαύσομεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ ὄρη αὐτῶν μεθυσθήσεται ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ πεδία αὐτῶν πληρωθήσεται τῶν νεκρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ ἀντιστήσεται τὸ ἴχνος τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ ἀπωλείᾳ ἀπολοῦνται λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς Ναβουχοδονοσορ ὁ κύριος πάσης τῆς γῆς εἶπεν γάρ οὐ ματαιωθήσεται τὰ ῥήματα τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ

5 σὺ δέ Αχιωρ μισθωτὲ τοῦ Αμμων ὃς ἐλάλησας τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀδικίας σου οὐκ ὄψει ἔτι τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἕως οὗ ἐκδικήσω τὸ γένος τῶν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου

6 καὶ τότε διελεύσεται ὁ σίδηρος τῆς στρατιᾶς μου καὶ ὁ λαὸς τῶν θεραπόντων μου τὰς πλευράς σου καὶ πεσῇ ἐν τοῖς τραυματίαις αὐτῶν ὅταν ἐπιστρέψω

7 καὶ ἀποκαταστήσουσίν σε οἱ δοῦλοί μου εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν καὶ θήσουσίν σε ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων τῶν ἀναβάσεων

8 καὶ οὐκ ἀπολῇ ἕως οὗ ἐξολεθρευθῇς μετ᾽ αὐτῶν

9 καὶ εἴπερ ἐλπίζεις τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ὅτι οὐ συλλημφθήσονται μὴ συμπεσέτω σου τὸ πρόσωπον ἐλάλησα καὶ οὐδὲν διαπεσεῖται τῶν ῥημάτων μου

10 καὶ προσέταξεν Ολοφέρνης τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ οἳ ἦσαν παρεστηκότες ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ συλλαβεῖν τὸν Αχιωρ καὶ ἀποκαταστῆσαι αὐτὸν εἰς Βαιτυλουα καὶ παραδοῦναι εἰς χεῖρας υἱῶν Ισραηλ

11 καὶ συνέλαβον αὐτὸν οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς εἰς τὸ πεδίον καὶ ἀπῆραν ἐκ μέσου τῆς πεδινῆς εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν καὶ παρεγένοντο ἐπὶ τὰς πηγάς αἳ ἦσαν ὑποκάτω Βαιτυλουα

12 καὶ ὡς εἶδαν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ ὄρους ἀνέλαβον τὰ ὅπλα αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπῆλθον ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ ὄρους καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ σφενδονήτης διεκράτησαν τὴν ἀνάβασιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔβαλλον ἐν λίθοις ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς

13 καὶ ὑποδύσαντες ὑποκάτω τοῦ ὄρους ἔδησαν τὸν Αχιωρ καὶ ἀφῆκαν ἐρριμμένον ὑπὸ τὴν ῥίζαν τοῦ ὄρους καὶ ἀπῴχοντο πρὸς τὸν κύριον αὐτῶν

14 καταβάντες δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν ἐπέστησαν αὐτῷ καὶ λύσαντες αὐτὸν ἀπήγαγον εἰς τὴν Βαιτυλουα καὶ κατέστησαν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν

15 οἳ ἦσαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις Οζιας ὁ τοῦ Μιχα ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Συμεων καὶ Χαβρις ὁ τοῦ Γοθονιηλ καὶ Χαρμις υἱὸς Μελχιηλ

16 καὶ συνεκάλεσαν πάντας τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς πόλεως καὶ συνέδραμον πᾶς νεανίσκος αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἔστησαν τὸν Αχιωρ ἐν μέσῳ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν Οζιας τὸ συμβεβηκός

17 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς τὰ ῥήματα τῆς συνεδρίας Ολοφέρνου καὶ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀρχόντων υἱῶν Ασσουρ καὶ ὅσα ἐμεγαλορρημόνησεν Ολοφέρνης εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ισραηλ

18 καὶ πεσόντες ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐβόησαν λέγοντες

19 κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κάτιδε ἐπὶ τὰς ὑπερηφανίας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐλέησον τὴν ταπείνωσιν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν καὶ ἐπίβλεψον ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τῶν ἡγιασμένων σοι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ

20 καὶ παρεκάλεσαν τὸν Αχιωρ καὶ ἐπῄνεσαν αὐτὸν σφόδρα

21 καὶ παρέλαβεν αὐτὸν Οζιας ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν πότον τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντο τὸν θεὸν Ισραηλ εἰς βοήθειαν ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην

Vul

1 Factum est autem cum cessassent loqui, indignatus Holofernes vehementer, dixit ad Achior:

2 Quoniam prophetasti nobis, dicens quod gens Israël defendatur a Deo suo, ut ostendam tibi quoniam non est deus nisi Nabuchodonosor,

3 cum percusserimus eos omnes, sicut hominem unum, tunc et ipse cum illis Assyriorum gladio interibis, et omnis Israël tecum perditione disperiet:

4 et probabis quoniam Nabuchodonosor dominus sit universæ terræ: tuncque gladius militiæ meæ transiet per latera tua, et confixus cades inter vulneratos Israël, et non respirabis ultra, donec extermineris cum illis.

5 Porro autem si prophetiam tuam veram existimas, non concidat vultus tuus: et pallor qui faciem tuam obtinet abscedat a te, si verba mea hæc putas impleri non posse.

6 Ut autem noveris quia simul cum illis hæc experieris, ecce ex hac hora illorum populo sociaberis, ut, dum dignas mei gladii pœnas exceperint, ipse simul ultioni subjaceas.

7 Tunc Holofernes præcepit servis suis ut comprehenderent Achior, et perducerent eum in Bethuliam, et traderent eum in manus filiorum Israël.

8 Et accipientes eum servi Holofernis, profecti sunt per campestria: sed cum appropinquassent ad montana, exierunt contra eos fundibularii.

9 Illi autem divertentes a latere montis, ligaverunt Achior ad arborem manibus et pedibus, et sic vinctum restibus dimiserunt eum, et reversi sunt ad dominum suum.

10 Porro filii Israël descendentes de Bethulia, venerunt ad eum: quem solventes, duxerunt ad Bethuliam, atque in medium populi illum statuentes, percunctati sunt quid rerum esset quod illum vinctum Assyrii reliquissent.

11 In diebus illis erant illic principes Ozias filius Micha de tribu Simeon, et Charmi, qui et Gothoniel.

12 In medio itaque seniorum, et in conspectu omnium, Achior dixit omnia quæ locutus ipse fuerat ab Holoferne interrogatus: et qualiter populus Holofernis voluisset propter hoc verbum interficere eum,

13 et quemadmodum ipse Holofernes iratus jusserit eum Israëlitis hac de causa tradi, ut dum vicerit filios Israël, tunc et ipsum Achior diversis jubeat interire suppliciis, propter hoc quod dixisset: Deus cæli defensor eorum est.

14 Cumque Achior universa hæc exposuisset, omnis populus cecidit in faciem, adorantes Dominum, et communi lamentatione et fletu unanimes preces suas Domino effuderunt,

15 dicentes: Domine Deus cæli et terræ, intuere superbiam eorum, et respice ad nostram humilitatem, et faciem sanctorum tuorum attende, et ostende quoniam non derelinquis præsumentes de te: et præsumentes de se, et de sua virtute gloriantes, humilias.

16 Finito itaque fletu, et per totam diem oratione populorum completa, consolati sunt Achior,

17 dicentes: Deus patrum nostrorum, cujus tu virtutem prædicasti, ipse tibi hanc dabit vicissitudinem, ut eorum magis tu interitum videas.

18 Cum vero Dominus Deus noster dederit hanc libertatem servis suis, sit et tecum Deus in medio nostri: ut sicut placuerit tibi, ita cum tuis omnibus converseris nobiscum.

19 Tunc Ozias, finito consilio, suscepit eum in domum suam, et fecit ei cœnam magnam.

20 Et vocatis omnibus presbyteris, simul expleto jejunio refecerunt.

21 Postea vero convocatus est omnis populus, et per totam noctem intra ecclesiam oraverunt, petentes auxilium a Deo Israël.