And it came to pass when they had left off speaking, that Holofernes being in a violent passion, said to Achior:

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

When their talk had died down, Holofernes himself, in a transport of rage, said to Achior,

Because thou hast prophesied unto us, saying: That the nation of Israel is defended by their God, to shew thee that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor:

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

This, then, is thy prophecy, that the race of Israel will find protection in their God? Thou hast a lesson still to learn; that Nabuchodonosor is god, and he only.

When we shall slay them all as one man, then thou also shalt die with them by the sword of the Assyrians, and all Israel shall perish with thee:

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

So be it; when the Israelites fall like one man, thou too shalt feel the sword of Assyria, and share their utter ruin.

And thou shalt find that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth: and then the sword of my soldiers shall pass through thy sides, and thou shalt be stabbed and fall among the wounded of Israel, and thou shalt breathe no more till thou be destroyed with them.

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.

Proof thou shalt have first, that Nabuchodonosor is the world’s supreme lord; then, no more breathing-space given thee, thou shalt perish with the rest, shalt lie where Israel lies, with Assyrian steel between thy ribs.

But if thou think thy prophecy true, let not thy countenance sink, and let the paleness that is in thy face, depart from thee, if thou imaginest these my words cannot be accomplished.

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.

What, does thy face fall, sir Oracle? Why those pale cheeks, if thou knowest all my threats are vain?

And that thou mayst know that thou shalt experience these things together with them, behold from this hour thou shalt be associated to their people, that when they shall receive the punishment they deserve from my sword, thou mayst fall under the same vengeance.

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.

Nay, be assured thou shalt learn the truth when the Israelites learn it, no sooner. Henceforth thy lot shall be thrown in with theirs; only when my sword falls on them shalt thou feel my vengeance.

Then Holofernes commanded his servants to take Achior, and to lead him to Bethulia, and to deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel.

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

With that, Holofernes bade his men lay hold of Achior and bear him off to Bethulia, and so hand him over to the men of Israel.

And the servants of Holofernes taking him, went through the plains: but when they came near the mountains, the slingers came out against them.

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

Lay hold of him they did, and set out on their journey across the plain, but when they reached the mountain spurs, out came slingers to meet them.

Then turning out of the way by the side of the mountain, they tied Achior to a tree hand and foot, and so left him bound with ropes, and returned to their master.

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.

So they let the mountains alone, tied Achior hand and foot to a tree, and went back to their master, leaving Achior there with the ropes round him.

And the children of Israel coming down from Bethulia, came to him, and loosing him they brought him to Bethulia, and setting him in the midst of the people, asked him what was the matter, that the Assyrians had left him bound.

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.

But now the men of Israel ventured down from Bethulia, and came to his side; he was set free and taken back to the town with them. There he must stand up before the general assembly of the people and satisfy their questioning: what moved the Assyrians to leave him thus bound?

In those days the rulers there, were Ozias the son of Micha of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, called also Gothoniel.

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

The chieftains there at this time were the Simeonite, Ozias son of Micha, and Charmi, who was also called Gothoniel.

And Achior related in the midst of the ancients, and in the presence of all the people, all that he had said being asked by Holofernes: and how the people of Holofernes would have killed him for this word,

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,

Before these and all the elders, in full view of the people, Achior told them what answer he had made to Holofernes’ question; how the bystanders had been for killing him outright;

And how Holofernes himself being angry had commanded him to be delivered for this cause to the Israelites: that when he should overcome the children of Israel, then he might command Achior also himself to be put to death by diverse torments, for having said: The God of heaven is their defender.

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.

in what angry fashion Holofernes had given orders for his surrender to Israel, only so that he too, in the hour of their defeat, might be doomed to execution; and of all the punishments he was threatened with, only for saying, They have the God of heaven to defend them.

And when Achior had declared all these things, all the people fell upon their faces, adoring the Lord, and all of them together mourning and weeping poured out their prayers with one accord to the Lord,

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

When Achior had finished his story, the people bowed down with one accord, face to earth, offering the Lord worship and entreaty; all was weeping and lament.

Saying: O Lord God of heaven and earth, behold their pride, and look on our low condition, and have regard to the face of thy saints, and shew that thou forsakest not them that trust on thee, and that thou humblest them that presume of themselves, and glory in their own strength.

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.

Lord, they cried, God of heaven and earth, leave not this insolence unregarded, our distress unrelieved, the prayer of thy chosen servants unheeded! Give proof, now, that those who trust in thee are never forsaken, that the presumptuous, who boast of their own strength, are ever brought low!

So when their weeping was ended, and the people’s prayer, in which they continued all the day, was concluded, they comforted Achior,

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

So they made an end of weeping; and now, their day of public prayer over, they offered Achior consolation.

Saying: The God of our fathers, whose power thou hast set forth, will make this return to thee, that thou rather shalt see their destruction.

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

The God of our fathers, they told him, will give thee thy reward. Thou hast been the herald of his great deeds, and thou shalt live to see the downfall of thy enemies.

And when the Lord our God shall give this liberty to his servants, let God be with thee also in the midst of us: that as it shall please thee, so thou with all thine mayst converse with us.

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.

Then, when the Lord our God has granted his servants deliverance, may he still be with thee, thy own God, here in our midst; thou and thine shall be made free of our company.

Then Ozias, after the assembly was broken up, received him into his house, and made him a great supper.

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

And now Ozias, dismissing the assembly, bade Achior to his house and made a great feast for him;

And all the ancients were invited, and they refreshed themselves together after their fast was over.

Et vocatis omnibus presbyteris, simul expleto jejunio refecerunt.

all the elders, too, were bidden, and together they refreshed themselves, now the fast was over.

And afterwards all the people were called together, and they prayed all the night long within the church, desiring help of the God of Israel.

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

But afterwards all the people were summoned from their homes anew; and in solemn assembly, the whole night long, they prayed to the God of Israel, to win deliverance.