Judith
Chapter 11
1 Then Holofernes said to her:＂Take courage, lady; have no fear in your heart! Never have I harmed anyone who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth.
敖罗斐乃向她说：“女人，放心，不要害怕，因为凡愿意服侍全世界之王拿步高的，我没有加害过。
2 Nor would I have raised my spear against your people who dwell in the mountain region, had they not despised me and brought this upon themselves.
现在，你那住在山地的人民，若没有轻视我，我也不会举起我的戈矛攻击他们，这是他们自作自受。
3 But now tell me why you fled from them and came to us. In any case, you have come to safety. Take courage! Your life is spared tonight and for the future.
现在，你告诉我，为什么你逃开他们来到这里？你来若是为救你自己，你可放心！今夜以及将来，你必获得生存！
4 No one at all will harm you. Rather, you will be well treated, as are all the servants of my lord, King Nebuchadnezzar."
因为没有人加害你，反而优待你，如同优待我主拿步高王的臣仆一样。
5 Judith answered him:＂Listen to the words of your servant, and let your handmaid speak in your presence! I will tell no lie to my lord this night,
友弟德回答说：“愿你听取你奴婢的话，恩准你婢女在你面前说话。我今夜决不向我主说一句谎话。
6 and if you follow out the words of your handmaid, God will give you complete success, and my lord will not fail in any of his undertakings.
你若顺从了你婢女的话，天主必借着你顺利完成你的事业；我主的计划，必不至于失败。
7 By the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth, and by the power of him who has sent you to set all creatures aright! not only do men serve him through you; but even the wild beasts and the cattle and the birds of the air, because of your strength, will live for Nebuchadnezzar and his whole house.
全世界之王拿步高万岁！他的德能万岁！他打发你来是为谋众生的福利，你不但叫人都服侍他，也叫野兽、家畜和空中的飞鸟，都借着你的威权，因服侍拿步高及他的全家而生存。
8 Indeed, we have heard of your wisdom and sagacity, and all the world is aware that throughout the kingdom you alone are competent, rich in experience, and distinguished in military strategy.
我们早听说你的智慧和雄才大略，全世界都知道你是举世无双，能干多谋，战略如神的人。
9＂As for Achior's speech in your council, we have heard of it. When the men of Bethulia spared him, he told them all he had said to you.
阿希约尔在你会议席上说的话，我们已听到了，因为拜突里雅人救了他，他就将自己在你面前说的话，都告诉了他们。
10 So then, my lord and master, do not disregard his word, but bear it in mind, for it is true. For our people are not punished, nor does the sword prevail against them, except when they sin against their God.
所以主帅，不要忽视他的话，反应把那些话记在心里，因为都是真情实话：除非我们的民族犯罪得罪了自己的天主，是不会受罚的，刀剑也无能为力。
11 But now their guilt has caught up with them, by which they bring the wrath of their God upon them whenever they do wrong; so that my lord will not be repulsed and fail, but death will overtake them.
但几时行了越轨的事，就激起自己的天主发怒；现在可巧，他们又犯了罪，丧亡必要临头，所以我主不致谋事不成，出师不利。
12 Since their food gave out and all their water ran low, they decided to kill their animals, and determined to consume all the things which God in his laws forbade them to eat.
自从他们缺少食粮，饮水不敷以来，就决意要宰杀牲畜。凡天主用法律禁止吃的一切。他们也决定要吃，
13 They decreed that they would use up the first fruits of grain and the tithes of wine and oil which they had sanctified and reserved for the priests who minister in the presence of our God in Jerusalem: things which no layman should even touch with his hands.
连那些祝圣过的，为给在耶路撒冷于我们天主面前供职的司祭所保留下的初熟麦子，和十分之一的酒油，也决意要动用。这些东西，平民连手触摸，也是不许的。
14 They have sent messengers to Jerusalem to bring back to them authorization from the council of the elders; for the inhabitants there have also done these things.
他们已打发使者到耶路撒冷去——因为那里的居民也作了同样的事——要他们向长老院要求豁免。
15 On the very day when the response reaches them and they act upon it, they will be handed over to you for destruction.
他们一得到答复，就必实行：就在同一天内他们必落在你手里，而沦于灭亡。
16＂As soon as I, your handmaid, learned all this, I fled from them. God has sent me to perform with you such deeds that people throughout the world will be astonished on hearing of them.
因此，你的婢女，我一知道这一切，就暗暗离开了他们。天主打发我来，好与你完成这件全世界一听到，无不惊奇的事。
17 Your handmaid is, indeed, a God-fearing woman, serving the God of heaven night and day. Now I will remain with you, my lord; but each night your handmaid will go out to the ravine and pray to God. He will tell me when the Israelites have committed their crimes.
你的婢女原是敬畏天主的人，日夜都要服侍天上的大主。我主！如今我愿住在你这里，但是夜间你的婢女却要出去，到山谷中去祈求天主。几时他们做出了犯罪的事，他必会告诉我；
18 Then I will come and let you know, so that you may go out with your whole force, and not one of them will be able to withstand you.
然后我来通知你，你便率领大军出发，他们没有一个敢抵抗你的。
19 I will lead you through Judea, till you come to Jerusalem, and there I will set up your judgment seat. You will drive them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will growl at you. This was told me, and announced to me in advance, and I in turn have been sent to tell you."
那时我要领你取道犹太，直取耶路撒冷，在那里建立你的宝座；你率领他们如无牧之羊，连狗也不敢向你张口吠叫。这些事，我已先知，早已说给我，通知我了。故此受命前来，转告给你。”
20 Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; they marveled at her wisdom and exclaimed,
她的话使敖罗斐乃和他的众仆从很是喜悦，都惊讶她的智慧说：
21＂No other woman from one end of the world to the other looks so beautiful and speaks so wisely!"
“大地两极间，再没有一个容貌如此美丽，出言如此明智的女人！
22 Then Holofernes said to her:＂God has done well in sending you ahead of your people, to bring victory to our arms, and destruction to those who have despised my lord.
敖罗斐乃对她说：“天主在这个民族以先打发你来，使胜利属于我军，使灭亡归于轻视我主的人，实在做得好！
23 You are fair to behold, and your words are well spoken. If you do as you have said, your God will be my God; you shall dwell in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, and shall be renowned throughout the earth."
现在你的容貌既如此美丽，说话又如此中肯，如果你按照你所说的去行，那么你的天主将是我的天主，你将住在拿步高王的宫殿里，成为全世界上出名的人物。