Judith
7:1 Kwathi ngangomuso uHolofernesi wayala yonke impi yakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe
babeze ukuthatha isabelo sakhe, ukuze basuse ikamu labo ngokumelene
iBethulia, ukuthatha ngaphambili imimango yezintaba, nokwenza
ukulwa nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
7:2 Khona-ke amadoda abo anamandla wasusa amakamu abo ngalolo suku, futhi ibutho
amadoda empi ayeyikhulu namashumi ayisikhombisa ezinkulungwane eziyimigundatshani, neshumi nambili
abamahhashi abayizinkulungwane, ngaphandle kwempahla, nabanye abantu ababehamba ngezinyawo
phakathi kwabo, isixuku esikhulu kakhulu.
7:3 Futhi bamisa esigodini eduze Bethulia, ngasemthonjeni, futhi
basakaza ububanzi phezu kweDothayimi kuze kufike eBelmayimi nase
kusukela eBethuliya kuze kufike eSinamoni eliqondene ne-Esdraeloni.
7:4 Manje abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, lapho bebona uquqaba lwabo, base
bakhathazeka kakhulu, bathi, ngulowo lalowo kumakhelwane wakhe: Khathesi-ke laba
abantu bakhotha ubuso bomhlaba; noma izintaba eziphakemeyo, noma
izigodi, namagquma, ayakwazi ukuthwala isisindo sawo.
7:5 Khona-ke, yilowo nalowo wathatha izikhali zakhe zempi, futhi lapho base okhele
imililo phezu kwemibhoshongo yabo, bahlala balinda ubusuku bonke.
7:6 Kodwa ngosuku lwesibili, uHolofernes wakhipha bonke abamahhashi bakhe
emehlweni abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababeseBethuliya,
7:7 Futhi wabheka amachweba phezulu emzini, futhi wafika emithonjeni
amanzi abo, bawathatha, babeka izikaniso zamabutho amadoda empi phezu kwabo;
yena wasuka waya kubantu bakhe.
7:8 Khona-ke zonke izikhulu zabantwana bakwa-Esawu beza kuye
nezinduna zabantwana bakwaMowabi, nezinduna zasogwini lolwandle, kanye
wathi,
7:9 Ake izwe inkosi yethu izwi, ukuze kungabikho ukuchithwa kuwe
ibutho.
7:10 Ngoba laba bantu babantwana bakwa-Israyeli abathembi imikhonto yabo.
kodwa ekuphakameni kwezintaba abahlala kuzo, ngokuba akunjalo
kulula ukukhuphukela eziqongweni zezintaba zabo.
7:11 Manje, nkosi yami, ungalwi ngokumelene nabo ngohlelo lwempi, futhi
akuyikubhubha muntu kubantu bakho.
7:12 Hlala ekamu lakho, futhi ugcine wonke amadoda empi yakho, futhi ake wakho
izinceku zingena esandleni sazo umthombo wamanzi ophumayo
phansi kwentaba:
7:13 Ngokuba bonke abakhileyo Bethulia amanzi abo kusukela lapho; kanjalo
ukoma babulale, futhi bayonikela umuzi wabo, futhi thina kanye yethu
abantu bayakukhuphukela eziqongweni zezintaba eziseduze, futhi bayokwenza
Kanisa phezu kwabo, ukuze kungaphumi muntu emzini.
7:14 Ngakho bona kanye nawomkabo nabantwana babo bayoqedwa ngomlilo.
futhi ingakafiki phezu kwabo inkemba, bayochithwa phakathi
imigwaqo lapho behlala khona.
7:15 Kanjalo uyobuyisela kubo umvuzo omubi; ngoba bahlubuka, futhi
ungahlangani nomuntu wakho ngokuthula.
7:16 Futhi la mazwi amjabulisa uHolofernes nazo zonke izinceku zakhe, futhi yena
ababemiselwe ukwenza njengokutsho kwabo.
7:17 Ngakho ikamu labantwana bakwa-Amoni lasuka, futhi kanye nabo ezinhlanu
kwabase-Asiriya abayizinkulungwane, bamisa esigodini, bathumba
amanzi, nemithombo yamanzi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
7:18 Khona-ke abantwana bakwa-Esawu bakhuphuka kanye nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, futhi bamisa
entabeni malungana neDothayimi; bathuma abanye kubo
ngaseningizimu, nangasempumalanga malungana ne-Ekrebeli, okuyilo
eduze kwaseKushi, emfuleni iMokmuri; kanye nezinye
impi yase-Asiriya yamisa emathafeni, yasibekela ubuso bukaJehova
umhlaba wonke; amatende abo nezinqola zabo kwakugxunyekwe kwaba kukhulu kakhulu
isixuku.
7:19 Khona-ke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhala eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo, ngenxa yabo
inhliziyo yaphela amandla, ngokuba zonke izitha zabo zazibahaqile
yayingekho indlela yokuphuma phakathi kwabo.
7:20 Ngakho lonke ibandla lase-Asiriya lasala libazungezile, imigundatshani yalo.
izinqola, nabamahhashi, izinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu nane, ukuze zonke izitsha zabo
amanzi ahluleka zonke inhibitants of Bethulia.
7:21 Futhi imithombo wathululwa, futhi babengenamanzi okuphuza
gcwalisa usuku olulodwa; ngoba babebaphuzisa ngesilinganiso.
7:22 Ngakho-ke abantwana babo abancane base enhliziyweni, futhi abesifazane babo futhi
izinsizwa zaphela amandla ngokoma, zawa ezitaladini zomuzi;
nasezintubeni zamasango, kwakungasekho mandla
kuzo.
7:23 Khona-ke bonke abantu babuthana ku-Oziya, futhi induna yomuzi.
izinsizwa, nezintombi, nabantwana, bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu;
wathi phambi kwabadala bonke.
7:24 UNkulunkulu makabe ngumahluleli phakathi kwethu nani, ngoba nisenzele okubi okukhulu
ukuthi anifunanga ukuthula kubantwana bakwa-Asiriya.
7:25 Ngoba manje asinaye umsizi, kodwa uNkulunkulu uthengise ngathi ezandleni zabo
kufanele siphonswe phansi phambi kwabo ngokoma nokubhujiswa okukhulu.
7:26 Manje, babizele kuwe, futhi ukhulule wonke umuzi ube yimpango
kubantwana bakwaHoloferne, nakuyo yonke impi yakhe.
7:27 Ngoba kungcono kithi ukuba sibe yimpango kubo, kunokuba sife
ngokuba siyakuba yizigqila zakhe, ukuze umphefumulo wethu uphile, hhayi
ubone ukufa kwezingane zethu phambi kwamehlo ethu, nomkathu, noma wethu
izingane zifa.
7:28 Sifakaza ngawe izulu nomhlaba, noNkulunkulu wethu kanye
INkosi yokhokho bethu, esijezisa ngokwezono zethu nangokwezono zethu
izono zawobaba, ukuze angenzi njengalokhu sishilo namuhla.
7:29 Khona-ke kwaba khona ukukhala okukhulu ngokuvumelana phakathi
umhlangano; bakhala eNkosini uNkulunkulu ngezwi elikhulu.
7:30 U-Oziya wathi kubo: "Yimani isibindi, bazalwane, sibekezele
izinsuku ezinhlanu, lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ingaphendulela isihawu sayo
thina; ngoba kayikusilahla ngokupheleleyo.
7:31 Futhi uma lezi zinsuku zidlula, futhi lungekho usizo kithi, Ngizokwenza
ngokwezwi lakho.
7:32 Wabahlakaza abantu, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe; futhi bona
waya ezindongeni nasemibhoshongweni yomuzi wabo, wathuma abesifazane kanye
abantwana ezindlini zabo, bangeniswa emzini.