Judith
13:1 Kwathi sekuhlwile, izinceku zakhe zashesha ukumuka
U-Bagoas wavala itende lakhe ngaphandle, waxosha abalindi
ubukhona benkosi yakhe; balala emibhedeni yabo, ngokuba babephelele
ediniwe, ngokuba umkhosi wawusumude.
13:2 Futhi uJudith wasala eduze etendeni, futhi Holofernes elele phezu
umbhede wakhe: ngokuba wayegcwele iwayini.
13:3 Manje uJudith wayeyalile incekukazi yakhe ukuba ime ngaphandle kwekamelo lakhe lokulala, futhi
ukumlinda. ephuma njengokwenza imihla ngemihla, ngokuba wayeshilo
aphume aye emithandazweni yakhe, wakhuluma kanjalo kuBagoas
inhloso.
13:4 Ngakho bonke baphuma, futhi akekho owasala ekamelweni lokulala, noma kancane
noma mkhulu. Khona uJudith wema eduze kombhede wakhe, wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: O Nkosi
Nkulunkulu wamandla onke, bheka lesi sikhathi phezu kwemisebenzi yezandla zami ngoba
ukuphakanyiswa kweJerusalema.
13:5 Ngoba manje yisikhathi sokusiza ifa lakho, futhi akhiphe eyakho
ibhizinisi ekubhujisweni kwezitha ezivukele
thina.
13:6 Khona-ke wafika ensikeni yombhede eyayisekhanda likaHolofernes.
wehlisa umphini wakhe lapho;
13:7 Wasondela embhedeni wakhe, wabamba izinwele zekhanda lakhe, futhi
wathi: “Ngiqinise, Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, namuhla.
13:8 Futhi wamshaya kabili entanyeni yakhe ngawo wonke amandla akhe, futhi wamuka
ikhanda lakhe kuye.
13:9 Futhi wawisa umzimba wakhe phansi embhedeni, futhi wadiliza umbhede kusukela
izinsika; masinyane waphuma, wamnika uHoloferne ikhanda lakhe
encekwini yakhe;
13:10 Wakufaka esikhwameni sakhe sokudla, bahamba bobabili kanyekanye
ngokwenkambiso yabo yokukhuleka; sebedlulile ekamu, basuka
wazungeza isigodi, wakhuphuka intaba yaseBethuliya, wafika
amasango alo.
13:11 Wathi uJudith ekude kubalindi esangweni, Vulani, vulani manje.
isango: UNkulunkulu, yebo, uNkulunkulu wethu, unathi ukubonakalisa amandla akhe phakathi
iJerusalema, namabutho ayo ngokumelene nesitha, njengoba yenzile lokhu
usuku.
13:12 Manje lapho amadoda omuzi wakhe ezwa izwi lakhe, bashesha ukwehla
esangweni lomuzi wabo, babiza amalunga omuzi.
13:13 Khona-ke bagijima bonke ndawonye, kokubili abancane nabakhulu, ngoba kwakungavamile
kubo ukuthi ifikile: ngakho bavula isango, futhi babamukela.
waphemba umlilo wokukhanyisa, wema ebazungeza.
13:14 Wayesethi kubo ngezwi elikhulu, Dumisani, dumisani uNkulunkulu, dumisani uNkulunkulu.
Ngithi, ngokuba akawususanga umusa wakhe endlini ka-Israyeli;
kodwa uzibhubhise izitha zethu ngezandla zami ngalobubusuku.
13:15 Ngakho wakhipha ikhanda esikhwameni, futhi wababonisa, futhi wathi kubo.
bheka, inhloko kaHolofene, induna yempi yase-Asiriya;
futhi bheka umbhede ayelele kuwo edakiwe; kanye ne
INkosi imshayile ngesandla sowesifazane.
13:16 Kuphila kukaJehova, ongigcinile endleleni yami engangihamba ngayo, mina
ubuso bumkhohlisile kwaze kwaba sekubhujisweni kwakhe, nokho akabanga nalutho
wenza isono nami, ukungingcolisa nokungijabhisa.
13:17 Khona-ke bonke abantu bamangala ngokumangalisayo, futhi bakhothama
bakhuleka kuNkulunkulu, bathi nganhliziyonye: “Mawubongwe wena wethu
Nkulunkulu, namuhla owenze ize izitha zabantu bakho.
13:18 U-Oziya wayesethi kuye: "O ndodakazi, ubusisiwe wena oPhezukonke
UNkulunkulu phezu kwabo bonke abesifazane emhlabeni; futhi kayibusiswe iNkosi uNkulunkulu,
owadala izulu nomhlaba, okuqondisayo
ekuqunyweni kwekhanda lenduna yezitha zethu.
13:19 Ngoba lokhu ithemba lakho ngeke lisuke enhliziyweni yabantu, okuyinto
khumbulani amandla kaNkulunkulu kuze kube phakade.
13:20 Futhi uNkulunkulu uziphendulele lezi zinto kuwe, kube udumo oluphakade, ukukuvakashela
ezintweni ezinhle, ngoba ungagodlanga impilo yakho ngenxa yokuhlupheka
wesizwe sakithi, kodwa uphindisele incithakalo yethu, ehamba ngendlela eqondile ngaphambili
uNkulunkulu wethu. Basebesithi bonke abantu; Makube njalo, makube njalo.