Holofernes autem altera die præcepit exercitibus suis ut ascenderent contra Bethuliam.

Next day, Holofernes ordered his troops to march on Bethulia.

But Holofernes on the next day gave orders to his army, to go up against Bethulia.

Erant autem pedites bellatorum centum viginti millia, et equites viginti duo millia, præter præparationes virorum illorum quos occupaverat captivitas, et abducti fuerant de provinciis et urbibus universæ juventutis.

He had a hundred and twenty thousand foot and twenty-two thousand horse under his command, besides forced levies from the manhood of all the regions and cities he had overrun.

Now there were in his troops a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two and twenty thousand horsemen, besides the preparations of those men who had been taken, and who had been brought away out of the provinces and cities of all the youth.

Omnes paraverunt se pariter ad pugnam contra filios Israël, et venerunt per crepidinem montis usque ad apicem, qui respicit super Dothain, a loco qui dicitur Belma usque ad Chelmon, qui est contra Esdrelon.

This whole army now prepared to attack the Israelites, advancing up the mountain-slopes to a height which commands the Dothian plain, all the way from Belma to Chelmon, near Esdrelon.

All these prepared themselves together to fight against the children of Israel, and they came by the hillside to the top, which looketh toward Dothain, from the place which is called Belma, unto Chelmon, which is over against Esdrelon.

Filii autem Israël, ut viderunt multitudinem illorum, prostraverunt se super terram, mittentes cinerem super capita sua, unanimes orantes ut Deus Israël misericordiam suam ostenderet super populum suum.

Face to earth the men of Israel bowed down, and threw dust on their heads, as they saw the enemy’s numbers, beseeching God with one accord to grant his people deliverance;

But the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, prostrated themselves upon the ground, putting ashes upon their heads, praying with one accord, that the God of Israel would shew his mercy upon his people.

Et assumentes arma sua bellica, sederunt per loca quæ ad angusti itineris tramitem dirigunt inter montosa, et erant custodientes ea tota die et nocte.

then, taking up their arms, they mounted guard over the approaches of the narrow defile that leads between the mountains, where they kept watch day and night.

And taking their arms of war, they posted themselves at the places, which by a narrow pathway lead directly between the mountains, and they guarded them all day and night.

Porro Holofernes, dum circuit per gyrum, reperit quod fons qui influebat, aquæductum illorum a parte australi extra civitatem dirigeret: et incidi præcepit aquæductum illorum.

Holofernes, looking for a devious path to circumvent them, came upon the springs which fed their aqueduct, south of the city and beyond its enclosure; so he gave orders that their supply of water should be cut off.

Now Holofernes, in going round about, found that the fountain which supplied them with water, ran through an aqueduct without the city on the south side: and he commanded their aqueduct to be cut off.

Erant tamen non longe a muris fontes, ex quibus furtim videbantur haurire aquam ad refocillandum potius quam ad potandum.

A few springs remained, not far from the wall, from which they still drew water, enough to revive their spirits but scarce enough to quench their thirst. This they did by stealth, but not unobserved;

Nevertheless there were springs not far from the walls, out of which they were seen secretly to draw water, to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill.

Sed filii Ammon et Moab accesserunt ad Holofernem, dicentes: Filii Israël non in lancea nec in sagitta confidunt, sed montes defendunt illos, et muniunt illos colles in præcipitio constituti.

and now the men of Ammon and Moab offered their advice to Holofernes. Not in bow or lance, said they, do the Israelites put their trust; it is the hill-country that befriends them; these mountains with their headlong slopes are all the defence they need.

But the children of Ammon and Moab came to Holofernes, saying: The children of Israel trust not in their spears, nor in their arrows, but the mountains are their defence, and the steep hills and precipices guard them.

Ut ergo sine congressione pugnæ possis superare eos, pone custodes fontium, ut non hauriant aquam ex eis, et sine gladio interficies eos, vel certe fatigati tradent civitatem suam, quam putant in montibus positam superari non posse.

Wouldst thou defeat them without battle joined? Then set a guard over these springs of theirs, and let them draw water no longer. Either thou wilt compass their deaths, and no blood shed, or, worn down at last, they will yield into thy hands the city they think impregnable.

Wherefore that thou mayst overcome them without joining battle, set guards at the springs that they may not draw water out of them, and thou shalt destroy them without sword, or at least being wearied out they will yield up their city, which they suppose, because it is situate in the mountains, to be impregnable.

Et placuerunt verba hæc coram Holoferne et coram satellitibus ejus, et constituit per gyrum centenarios per singulos fontes.

This advice commended itself to Holofernes and his lords, and he set a hundred men to guard each of the wells all about.

And these words pleased Holofernes, and his officers, and he placed all round about a hundred men at every spring.

Cumque ista custodia per dies viginti fuisset expleta, defecerunt cisternæ et collectiones aquarum omnibus habitantibus Bethuliam, ita ut non esset intra civitatem unde satiarentur vel una die, quoniam ad mensuram dabatur populis aqua quotidie.

When this watch had been kept for twenty days together, the people of Bethulia had no water left in tank or cistern, not a full supply for one day; for now a daily allowance was made to each.

And when they had kept this watch for full twenty days, the cisterns, and the reserve of waters failed among all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was not within the city, enough to satisfy them, no not for one day, for water was daily given out to the people by measure.

Tunc ad Oziam congregati omnes viri feminæque, juvenes et parvuli, omnes simul una voce

Thereupon all of them, husbands and wives, young men and children, gathered about Ozias, all uttering a single cry of complaint.

Then all the men and women, young men, and children, gathering themselves together to Ozias, all together with one voice,

dixerunt: Judicet Deus inter nos et te, quoniam fecisti in nos mala, nolens loqui pacifice cum Assyriis, et propter hoc vendidit nos Deus in manibus eorum.

God give judgement, they said, between us and thee; an ill turn thou hast done us, in refusing to come to terms with the Assyrians. Now God has given them the mastery over us;

Said: God be judge between us and thee, for thou hast done evil against us, in that thou wouldst not speak peaceably with the Assyrians, and for this cause God hath sold us into their hands.

Et ideo non est qui adjuvet, cum prosternamur ante oculos eorum in siti, et perditione magna.

none brings aid; we lie at their mercy, cruelly undone by thirst.

And therefore there is no one to help us, while we are cast down before their eyes in thirst, and sad destruction.

Et nunc congregate universos qui in civitate sunt, ut sponte tradamus nos omnes populo Holofernis.

Come, muster all the citizens, and let us all surrender at discretion to the army of Holofernes.

And now assemble ye all that are in the city, that we may of our own accord yield ourselves all up to the people of Holofernes.

Melius est enim ut captivi benedicamus Dominum viventes, quam moriamur, et simus opprobrium omni carni, cum viderimus uxores nostras et infantes nostros mori ante oculos nostros.

Better we should be prisoners, still thanking the Lord for our lives spared, than ourselves be slaughtered, first winning the whole world’s reproaches by letting our wives and little ones be slaughtered before our very eyes.

For it is better, that being captives we should live and bless the Lord, than that we should die, and be a reproach to all flesh, after we have seen our wives and our infants die before our eyes.

Contestamur hodie cælum et terram, et Deum patrum nostrorum, qui ulciscitur nos secundum peccata nostra, ut jam tradatis civitatem in manu militiæ Holofernis, et sit finis noster brevis in ore gladii, qui longior efficitur in ariditate sitis.

We adjure you by heaven and earth, and by the God of our fathers, who now takes such vengeance on us for our sins, to surrender the town to Holofernes’ army. If we must die, let it be a swift death at the sword’s point, not a lingering death from this parching thirst.

We call to witness this day heaven and earth, and the God of our fathers, who taketh vengeance upon us according to our sins, conjuring you to deliver now the city into the hand of the army of Holofernes, that our end may be short by the edge of the sword, which is made longer by the drought of thirst.

Et cum hæc dixissent, factus est fletus et ululatus magnus in ecclesia ab omnibus, et per multas horas una voce clamaverunt ad Deum, dicentes:

All this was said, and with that the whole throng fell to weeping and lamenting bitterly; and for many hours together they cried out to God as with a single voice:

And when they had said these things, there was great weeping and lamentation of all in the assembly, and for many hours with one voice they cried to God, saying:

Peccavimus cum patribus nostris: injuste egimus, iniquitatem fecimus.

We have taken part in our fathers’ sins; we are guilty men, rebels against thee.

We have sinned with our fathers, we have done unjustly, we have committed iniquity:

Tu, quia pius es, miserere nostri, aut in tuo flagello vindica iniquitates nostras, et noli tradere confitentes te populo qui ignorat te,

Do thou, in thy great love, take pity on us; or if punished we must be, let it be under thy own rod; do not abandon us, that still acknowledge thy name, to the mercy of men who never knew thee!

Have thou mercy on us, because thou art good, or punish our iniquities by chastising us thyself, and deliver not them that trust in thee to a people that knoweth not thee,

ut non dicant inter gentes: Ubi est Deus eorum?

Wouldst thou have the heathen asking, What has become of their God?

That they may not say among the Gentiles: Where is their God?

Et cum fatigati ex his clamoribus et his fletibus lassati siluissent,

At last they grew weary of their clamour; they had wept enough; and when silence was restored,

And when being wearied with these cries, and tired with these weepings, they held their peace,

exsurgens Ozias infusus lacrimis, dixit: Æquo animo estote, fratres, et hos quinque dies expectemus a Domino misericordiam.

Ozias rose from his place, bathed in tears, and spoke to them. Brethren, said he, be calm and patient. These five next days, let us still look to the Lord for deliverance;

Ozias rising up all in tears, said: Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.

Forsitan enim indignationem suam abscindet, et dabit gloriam nomini suo.

perhaps his anger will relent, perhaps he means to win himself fresh renown.

For perhaps he will put a stop to his indignation, and will give glory to his own name.

Si autem transactis quinque diebus non venerit adjutorium, faciemus hæc verba quæ locuti estis.

If at the end of those five days no help has reached us, rest assured we will act on the counsel you have given.

But if after five days be past there come no aid, we will do the things which you have spoken.