Judith 12

1He then gave the order to have her brought into where his silver service was kept, and he commanded them to prepare some of his own delicacies for her and his wine to drink.

καὶ ἐκέλευσεν εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτὴν οὗ ἐτίθετο τὰ ἀργυρώματα αὐτοῦ καὶ συνέταξεν καταστρῶσαι αὐτῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀψοποιημάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴνου αὐτοῦ πίνειν

2'I will not eat any of this,' Judith said, 'lest it cause offense. But I will be supplied by the provisions I brought with me.'

καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδιθ οὐ φάγομαι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἵνα μὴ γένηται σκάνδαλον ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν ἠκολουθηκότων μοι χορηγηθήσεται

3Then Holofernes told her, 'If your provisions run out, where do we obtain more of the same? For no one from your people is with us.'

καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν Ολοφέρνης ἐὰν δὲ ἐκλίπῃ τὰ ὄντα μετὰ σοῦ πόθεν ἐξοίσομέν σοι δοῦναι ὅμοια αὐτοῖς οὐ γάρ ἐστιν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ γένους σου

4Then Judith answered him, 'My lord, even as you live, your handmaid will not use up what I brought with me until the Lord completes by my hand what He has purposed.'

καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδιθ πρὸς αὐτόν ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου κύριέ μου ὅτι οὐ δαπανήσει ἡ δούλη σου τὰ ὄντα μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἕως ἂν ποιήσῃ κύριος ἐν χειρί μου ἃ ἐβουλεύσατο

5Then Holofernes' servants led her into the tent, where she slept until midnight. She rose as the morning watch approached,

καὶ ἠγάγοσαν αὐτὴν οἱ θεράποντες Ολοφέρνου εἰς τὴν σκηνήν καὶ ὕπνωσεν μέχρι μεσούσης τῆς νυκτός καὶ ἀνέστη πρὸς τὴν ἑωθινὴν φυλακήν

6and sent a message to Holofernes, saying, 'My lord, let the command be given to allow your handmaid to go out and pray.'

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς Ολοφέρνην λέγουσα ἐπιταξάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ἐᾶσαι τὴν δούλην σου ἐπὶ προσευχὴν ἐξελθεῖν

7So Holofernes ordered his guards not to detain her. So she stayed in the camp for three days, but each night she went out into the valley of Bethulia and washed in the water from the spring of the camp.

καὶ προσέταξεν Ολοφέρνης τοῖς σωματοφύλαξιν μὴ διακωλύειν αὐτήν καὶ παρέμεινεν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ ἡμέρας τρεῖς καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο κατὰ νύκτα εἰς τὴν φάραγγα Βαιτυλουα καὶ ἐβαπτίζετο ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος

8When she came up out of the water, she prayed to the Lord God of Israel to guide her way for the victory of His people.

καὶ ὡς ἀνέβη ἐδέετο τοῦ κυρίου θεοῦ Ισραηλ κατευθῦναι τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῆς εἰς ἀνάστημα τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ

9So, returning cleansed, she remained in the tent until her evening meal was offered to her.

καὶ εἰσπορευομένη καθαρὰ παρέμενεν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ μέχρι οὗ προσηνέγκατο τὴν τροφὴν αὐτῆς πρὸς ἑσπέραν

10It came to be on the fourth day that Holofernes hosted a banquet just for his personal staff. None of the officers were invited.

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τετάρτῃ ἐποίησεν Ολοφέρνης πότον τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ μόνοις καὶ οὐκ ἐκάλεσεν εἰς τὴν κλῆσιν οὐδένα τῶν πρὸς ταῖς χρείαις

11He spoke to Bagoas, a eunuch who was in charge of his private affairs, saying, 'Now go and persuade the Hebrew woman you care for to join us to eat and drink.

καὶ εἶπεν Βαγώᾳ τῷ εὐνούχῳ ὃς ἦν ἐφεστηκὼς ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ πεῖσον δὴ πορευθεὶς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν Εβραίαν ἥ ἐστιν παρὰ σοί τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν

12It would be disgraceful to us if we allowed such a woman to be neglected, for if we do not seduce her she will laugh at us.'

ἰδοὺ γὰρ αἰσχρὸν τῷ προσώπῳ ἡμῶν εἰ γυναῖκα τοιαύτην παρήσομεν οὐχ ὁμιλήσαντες αὐτῇ ὅτι ἐὰν ταύτην μὴ ἐπισπασώμεθα καταγελάσεται ἡμῶν

13Then Bagoas departed from Holofernes' presence and came to her and said, 'Let not this beautiful handmaiden hesitate to come to my lord in the honor of his presence, and to drink wine with us in merriment. On this day you will be like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who serve in the house of Nebuchadnezzar.'

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Βαγώας ἀπὸ προσώπου Ολοφέρνου καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν μὴ ὀκνησάτω δὴ ἡ παιδίσκη ἡ καλὴ αὕτη ἐλθοῦσα πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου δοξασθῆναι κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ πίεσαι μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν εἰς εὐφροσύνην οἶνον καὶ γενηθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ ὡς θυγάτηρ μία τῶν υἱῶν Ασσουρ αἳ παρεστήκασιν ἐν οἴκῳ Ναβουχοδονοσορ

14Then Judith answered, 'Why would I refuse my lord? For whatever is pleasing to him I will do immediately, and this will be a delight to me until the day I die.'

καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ιουδιθ καὶ τίς εἰμι ἐγὼ ἀντεροῦσα τῷ κυρίῳ μου ὅτι πᾶν ὃ ἔσται ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀρεστόν σπεύσασα ποιήσω καὶ ἔσται τοῦτό μοι ἀγαλλίαμα ἕως ἡμέρας θανάτου μου

15So she arose and dressed herself in all her womanly finery. Her maid went on ahead to spread out the lambskins on the ground for her in front of Holofernes, which she had received from Bagoas for her use to recline on each day when she ate.

καὶ διαναστᾶσα ἐκοσμήθη τῷ ἱματισμῷ καὶ παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ τῷ γυναικείῳ καὶ προσῆλθεν ἡ δούλη αὐτῆς καὶ ἔστρωσεν αὐτῇ κατέναντι Ολοφέρνου χαμαὶ τὰ κώδια ἃ ἔλαβεν παρὰ Βαγώου εἰς τὴν καθημερινὴν δίαιταν αὐτῆς εἰς τὸ ἐσθίειν κατακλινομένην ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν

16Now when Judith came in and reclined, the very heart of Holofernes was ravished by her, and his deepest feelings were aroused. He was exceedingly desirous of her, and had been waiting for the moment to seduce her since the first time he saw her.

καὶ εἰσελθοῦσα ἀνέπεσεν Ιουδιθ καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ καρδία Ολοφέρνου ἐπ᾿ αὐτήν καὶ ἐσαλεύθη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἦν κατεπίθυμος σφόδρα τοῦ συγγενέσθαι μετ᾿ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐτήρει καιρὸν τοῦ ἀπατῆσαι αὐτὴν ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας εἶδεν αὐτήν

17Then Holofernes said to her, 'Drink and be merry with us.'

καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν Ολοφέρνης πίε δὴ καὶ γενήθητι μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν εἰς εὐφροσύνην

18Judith replied, 'Indeed, my lord, I will happily drink now, for this is the best day of my entire life.'

καὶ εἶπεν Ιουδιθ πίομαι δή κύριε ὅτι ἐμεγαλύνθη τὸ ζῆν μου ἐν ἐμοὶ σήμερον παρὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς γενέσεώς μου

19Then taking what her maid prepared, she ate and drank before him.

καὶ λαβοῦσα ἔφαγεν καὶ ἔπιεν κατέναντι αὐτοῦ ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ἡ δούλη αὐτῆς

20Holofernes was delighted because of her, and he drank more wine than in any one day since birth.

καὶ ηὐφράνθη Ολοφέρνης ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς καὶ ἔπιεν οἶνον πολὺν σφόδρα ὅσον οὐκ ἔπιεν πώποτε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἐγεννήθη