Tunc Holofernes dixit ei: Æquo animo esto, et noli pavere in corde tuo: quoniam ego numquam nocui viro qui voluit servire Nabuchodonosor regi:

Then Holofernes said to her: Be of good comfort, and fear not in thy heart: for I have never hurt a man that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor the king.

Compose thyself, Holofernes said; no need thy heart should misgive thee. None ever yet came to harm through me, that would do homage to my lord Nabuchodonosor;

populus autem tuus, si non contempsisset me, non levassem lanceam meam super eum.

And if thy people had not despised me, I would never have lifted up my spear against them.

never had lance of mine been raised against thy own people, if they had not defied me.

Nunc autem dic mihi, qua ex causa recessisti ab illis, et placuit tibi ut venires ad nos?

But now tell me, for what cause hast thou left them, and why it hath pleased thee to come to us?

Tell me, what moved thee to part from their company and betake thyself to us?

Et dixit illi Judith: Sume verba ancillæ tuæ, quoniam si secutus fueris verba ancillæ tuæ, perfectam rem faciet Dominus tecum.

And Judith said to him: Receive the words of thy handmaid, for if thou wilt follow the words of thy handmaid, the Lord will do with thee a perfect thing.

My lord, said Judith, I have counsel for thee; do but take the advice this handmaid of thine offers, and the Lord shall do great things with thee.

Vivit enim Nabuchodonosor rex terræ, et vivit virtus ejus, quæ est in te ad correptionem omnium animarum errantium: quoniam non solum homines serviunt illi per te, sed et bestiæ agri obtemperant illi.

For as Nabuchodonosor the king of the earth liveth, and his power liveth which is in thee for chastising of all straying souls: not only men serve him through thee, but also the beasts of the field obey him.

By the life of Nabuchodonosor I swear it, by the power of Nabuchodonosor, committed to thee here and now for the punishment of rebellious spirits! All men, nay, the brute beasts themselves, thou tamest to his will;

Nuntiatur enim animi tui industria universis gentibus, et indicatum est omni sæculo quoniam tu solus bonus et potens es in omni regno ejus: et disciplina tua omnibus provinciis prædicatur.

For the industry of thy mind is spoken of among all nations, and it is told through the whole world, that thou only art excellent, and mighty in all his kingdom, and thy discipline is cried up in all provinces.

of thy unwearied labours all nations know; a world acclaims thee for the best and greatest of his subjects; no province but speaks of thy wise government.

Nec hoc latet, quod locutus est Achior, nec illud ignoratur, quod ei jusseris evenire.

It is known also what Achior said, nor are we ignorant of what thou hast commanded to be done to him.

It is common knowledge among us what Achior said to thee, and what doom thou hast pronounced in return.

Constat enim Deum nostrum sic peccatis offensum, ut mandaverit per prophetas suos ad populum quod tradat eum pro peccatis suis.

For it is certain that our God is so offended with sins, that he hath sent word by his prophets to the people, that he will deliver them up for their sins.

His words have come true; God is indeed angered by our sins, so angered that he has sent warning through his prophets, he means to put our guilty race in thy power,

Et quoniam sciunt se offendisse Deum suum filii Israël, tremor tuus super ipsos est.

And because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, thy dread is upon them.

and if the Israelites tremble at thy coming, it is because they know they have lost their God’s favour.

Insuper etiam fames invasit eos, et ab ariditate aquæ jam inter mortuos computantur.

Moreover also a famine hath come upon them, and for drought of water they are already to be counted among the dead.

And now, with famine threatening them, doomed to perish from lack of water,

Denique hoc ordinant, ut interficient pecora sua, et bibant sanguinem eorum:

And they have a design even to kill their cattle, and to drink the blood of them.

they have taken a worse resolve. They mean to kill their cattle and drink the blood;

et sancta Domini Dei sui, quæ præcepit Deus non contingi, in frumento, vino, et oleo, hæc cogitaverunt impendere, et volunt consumere quæ nec manibus deberent contingere: ergo quoniam hæc faciunt, certum est quod in perditionem dabuntur.

And the consecrated things of the Lord their God which God forbade them to touch, in corn, wine, and oil, these have they purposed to make use of, and they design to consume the things which they ought not to touch with their hands: therefore because they do these things, it is certain they will be given up to destruction.

they mean to satisfy their own needs with the hallowed corn, wine, and oil offered to the Lord their God, tasting what they are forbidden to touch. This done, it is certain they will involve themselves in ruin.

Quod ego ancilla tua cognoscens, fugi ab illis, et misit me Dominus hæc ipsa nuntiare tibi.

And I thy handmaid knowing this, am fled from them, and the Lord hath sent me to tell thee these very things.

Hearing such news, what marvel if I shun their fellowship? Thy handmaid now; the Lord has sent me to tell thee of all this.

Ego enim ancilla tua Deum colo, etiam nunc apud te: et exiet ancilla tua, et orabo Deum,

For I thy handmaid worship God even now that I am with thee, and thy handmaid will go out, and I will pray to God,

Thy handmaid, but my own God I must still worship, though I be dwelling in thy camp. Suffer me, my lord, to go beyond its bounds, and offer prayer to God;

et dicet mihi quando eis reddat peccatum suum, et veniens nuntiabo tibi, ita ut ego adducam te per mediam Jerusalem, et habebis omnem populum Israël, sicut oves quibus non est pastor, et non latrabit vel unus canis contra te:

And he will tell me when he will repay them for their sins, and I will come and tell thee, so that I may bring thee through the midst of Jerusalem, and thou shalt have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no shepherd, and there shall not so much as one dog bark against thee:

so he will make it known to me, when he means to punish their guilt, and I will come and tell thee. Then I will take thee into the heart of Jerusalem, and thou wilt find the whole people of Israel defenceless as strayed sheep, not a dog to bark at thee.

quoniam hæc mihi dicta sunt per providentiam Dei,

Because these things are told me by the providence of God.

It is God’s providence has advised me of all this;

et quoniam iratus est illis Deus, hæc ipsa missa sum nuntiare tibi.

And because God is angry with them, I am sent to tell these very things to thee.

his vengeance that has sent me to warn thee of it.

Placuerunt autem omnia verba hæc coram Holoferne, et coram pueris ejus, et mirabantur sapientiam ejus, et dicebant alter ad alterum:

And all these words pleased Holofernes, and his servants, and they admired her wisdom, and they said one to another:

This was welcome hearing for Holofernes and all that served under him; what prudence was hers! They told one another,

Non est talis mulier super terram in aspectu, in pulchritudine, et in sensu verborum.

There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.

Never was a woman such as this, so fair to look upon, so wise to listen to.

Et dixit ad illam Holofernes: Benefecit Deus, qui misit te ante populum, ut des illum tu in manibus nostris:

And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well who sent thee before the people, that thou mightest give them into our hands:

And Holofernes said to her, God has been good indeed, sending thee here in advance of thy people, so as to give them up into our hands.

et quoniam bona est promissio tua, si fecerit mihi hoc Deus tuus, erit et Deus meus, et tu in domo Nabuchodonosor magna eris, et nomen tuum nominabitur in universa terra.

And because thy promise is good, if thy God shall do this for me, he shall also be my God, and thou shalt be great in the house of Nabuchodonosor, and thy name shall be renowned through all the earth.

These are fair promises thou makest; will he but bring them to fulfilment, thy God shall be my God too, and thou thyself, at Nabuchodonosor’s court, shalt be held in high honour; wide as the world shall be thy renown.