Judith
11:1 Wayesethi uHolofernes kuye: "Mame, induduzo, ungesabi
inhliziyo yakho: ngokuba angizange ngizwise muntu othanda ukukhonza
uNebukadinesari, inkosi yomhlaba wonke.
11:2 Ngakho-ke, uma abantu bakho abahlala ezintabeni bebengazange babeke
ukukhanya ngami, bengingeke ngibaphakamisele umkhonto wami, kepha bona
bazenzele lezi zinto bona.
11:3 Kodwa manje ngitshele ukuthi kungani wena ubalekele kubo, futhi uze kithi.
ngoba uze ukulondwa; khululeka, uzophila
ngalobu busuku, nangemva kwalokhu:
11:4 Ngoba akekho oyokulimaza, kodwa bancenge kahle, njengoba benza izinceku
wenkosi uNebukadinesari inkosi yami.
11:5 Khona-ke uJudith wathi kuye: "Yamukela amazwi nceku yakho, futhi uhlupheke
incekukazi yakho ukuba ikhulume phambi kwakho, futhi angiyikukhuluma amanga kimi
nkosi kulobubusuku.
11:6 Futhi uma uzolandela amazwi encekukazi yakho, uNkulunkulu uyoletha
into ngokuphelele ukudlula kuwe; nenkosi yami ayiyikuswela eyakhe
izinjongo.
11:7 Kuphila kukaNebukadinesari, inkosi yomhlaba wonke, nokuphila kwamandla akhe.
okuthumileyo ukuba usekele konke okuphilayo, kungesikho kuphela
abantu bayakumkhonza ngawe, kepha nezilwane zasendle, nezilwane
izinkomo nezinyoni zezulu ziyakuphila ngamandla akho ngaphansi
uNebukadinesari nendlu yakhe yonke.
11:8 Ngoba sizwile ngokuhlakanipha kwakho kanye nezinqubomgomo zakho, futhi kubikiwe kuyo
emhlabeni wonke, ukuthi wena wedwa uphakeme embusweni wonke, futhi
abanamandla ngokwazi, nezimangaliso zempi.
11:9 Manje mayelana nendaba, u-Achiyori akhuluma ngayo emkhandlwini wakho, thina
ngiwezwile amazwi akhe; ngoba amadoda kaBhethuliya amsindisile, wamemezela
kubo konke akukhulume kuwe.
11:10 Ngakho, O nkosi futhi mbusi, ungahloniphi izwi lakhe; kodwa beka phakathi
inhliziyo yakho, ngokuba iqinisile, ngokuba isizwe sakithi asiyikujeziswa,
futhi inkemba ngeke ibehlule, ngaphandle kokuthi bone kubo
uNkulunkulu.
11:11 Futhi manje, ukuze inkosi yami unganqotshwa futhi ukhungatheke injongo yakhe, ngisho
ukufa sekubehlele, isono sabo sibafihlile;
abayothukuthelisa ngakho uNkulunkulu wabo noma nini lapho besenza
lokho okungafanele ukwenziwa:
11:12 Ngoba ukudla kwabo kuphelile kubo, futhi wonke amanzi abo mancane, futhi bona
sebenqumile ukubeka izandla phezu kwezinkomo zabo, bahlose ukuyidla
zonke lezo zinto uNkulunkulu abenqabele ukuba bazidle ngemithetho yakhe;
11:13 Futhi uzimisele ukuchitha lokuqala izithelo kweshumi kwewayini kanye
amafutha ababewangcwelisile, bawagcinela abapristi abakhonzayo
eJerusalema phambi kobuso bukaNkulunkulu wethu; okuyizinto ezingekho
kusemthethweni kunoma yimuphi kubantu ngisho nokuthinta izandla zabo.
11:14 Ngoba baye bathumela abanye eJerusalema, ngoba nalabo abahlala khona
benze okufana nalokhu, ukubalethela ilayisensi evela kuthimba lezigele.
11:15 Manje lapho beyobaletha kubo izwi, bayokwenza ngokushesha, futhi bona
uyakunikelwa kuwe ukuba ubhujiswe ngalolo suku.
11:16 Ngakho mina, incekukazi yakho, ukwazi konke lokhu, ngibalekele kubo
ubukhona; uNkulunkulu ungithumile ukuba ngisebenze nawe, kukho konke
umhlaba uyomangala, futhi noma ubani ozwayo.
11:17 Ngoba inceku yakho ithembekile, futhi ikhonza uNkulunkulu wezulu ngosuku futhi
Ngalokho, nkosi yami, ngiyakuhlala nawe nenceku yakho
ngiyakuphumela esigodini ebusuku, ngikhuleke kuNkulunkulu, yena
bayongitshela lapho bonile izono zabo.
11:18 Futhi ngizofika futhi ngikubonise yona, khona-ke uzophuma kanye nazo zonke
impi yakho, futhi akuyikubakho noyedwa owamelana nawe.
11:19 Futhi ngizokuhola phakathi kweJudiya, uze ufike ngaphambi
iJerusalema; ngiyakubeka isihlalo sakho sobukhosi phakathi kwawo; nawe
uyakubaxosha njengezimvu ezingenamalusi, nenja ayiyikuba njalo
njengoba evula umlomo wakhe ngawe, ngokuba ngitshelwe lokho njengalokho engikushilo
ngokwazi kwami ngaphambili, futhi kwamenyezelwa kimi, futhi ngathunyelwa khona
ngikutshele.
11:20 Khona-ke amazwi akhe aba mahle kuHolofernes nezinceku zakhe zonke. futhi bona
wamangala ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, wathi:
11:21 Akekho owesifazane onjalo kusukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba kuya komunye, kokubili
ngenxa yobuhle bobuso, nokuhlakanipha kwamazwi.
11:22 Ngokufanayo Holofernes wathi kuye. uNkulunkulu wenze kahle ngokukuthuma
phambi kwabantu, ukuze amandla abe sezandleni zethu kanye nokubhujiswa
phezu kwalabo abangayinakiyo inkosi yami.
11:23 Manje wena muhle ebusweni bakho, futhi uhlakaniphile emehlweni akho
amazwi: Impela uma wenza njengokusho kwakho uNkulunkulu wakho uyakuba nguNkulunkulu wami,
uyakuhlala endlini yenkosi uNebukadinesari, ube khona
idume emhlabeni wonke.