Judith
16:1 Khona-ke uJudith waqala ukuhlabelela lokhu ukubonga ku-Israyeli wonke, futhi bonke
abantu bacula emva kwakhe le ngoma yokudumisa.
16:2 UJudith wathi: “Qalani kuNkulunkulu wami ngezigubhu, nihubele iNkosi yami ngezigubhu.
amasimbali: mdumiseni ihubo elisha; mphakamiseni, nibize igama lakhe.
16:3 Ngoba uNkulunkulu udiliza izimpi, phakathi kwamakamu phakathi kwezizwe
abantu wangikhulula esandleni sabangizingelayo.
16:4 U-Asiriya waphuma ezintabeni enyakatho, weza nabayishumi
izinkulungwane zebutho lakhe, uquqaba olwavimba izifufula, futhi
abamahhashi babo basibekele amagquma.
16:5 Waqhosha ngokuthi uzoshisa imingcele yami, futhi abulale izinsizwa zami nge
inkemba, uphahlaze phansi abantwana abancelayo, wenze
abantwana bami babe yimpango, nezintombi zami njengempango.
16:6 Kodwa iNkosi uMninimandla onke ibadumazile ngesandla sowesifazane.
16:7 Ngoba iqhawe akazange awele izinsizwa, noma amadodana
amaTitans amshaya, noma iziqhwaga zemuka phezu kwakhe; kepha uJudith the
indodakazi kaMerari yamenza buthakathaka ngobuhle bobuso bakhe.
16:8 Ngoba wakhumula ingubo yobufelokazi bakhe ukuze aphakanyiswe labo
ababecindezelwe kwa-Israyeli, bagcoba ubuso bakhe ngamafutha, futhi
wabopha izinwele zakhe ngethayi, wathatha ingubo yelineni ukumkhohlisa.
16:9 Izimbadada zakhe zadla amehlo akhe, ubuhle bakhe bathatha ingqondo yakhe isiboshwa, futhi
umfene wadlula entanyeni yakhe.
16:10 AmaPheresiya athuthumela ngenxa yesibindi salo, namaMede esaba ngalo.
ubunzima.
16:11 Khona abahluphekayo bami bakhamuluka ngokujabula, futhi ababuthakathaka bami bakhamuluka ngokuzwakalayo. kodwa
bamangala; baphakamisa amazwi abo, kepha babe
egumbuqelwa.
16:12 Amadodana amantombazane baye bababhoboza, futhi balimaza kubo njengoba
abantwana bababaleki: babhubha ngempi yeNkosi.
16:13 Ngizohlabelela eNkosini ingoma entsha: O Nkosi, wena mkhulu futhi
elikhazimulayo, elimangalisayo emandleni, nelingenakunqotshwa.
16:14 Zonke izidalwa makube kuwe, ngoba wena wakhuluma, futhi zadalwa, wena
wathuma umoya wakho, wazidala, akakho lowo
ingamelana nezwi lakho.
16:15 Ngokuba izintaba ziyakunyakaziswa emanzini ezisekelweni zazo.
amadwala ayakuncibilika njengengcina ebusweni bakho, kepha wena unomusa
abakwesabayo.
16:16 Ngoba yonke imihlatshelo mincane kakhulu, ukuze ibe yiphunga elimnandi kuwe, futhi bonke
amanoni awaneli umnikelo wakho wokushiswa, kepha owesabayo
uJehova mkhulu ngezikhathi zonke.
16:17 Maye kuzo izizwe ezivukela umkhaya wami! iNkosi uSomandla
uyophindisela kubo ngosuku lokwahlulela, ngokubeka umlilo futhi
izibungu enyameni yabo; bayakuziphatha, bakhale kuze kube phakade.
16:18 Manje lapho nje bengena eJerusalema, bakhuleka eNkosini;
kwathi nje lapho abantu sebehlanziwe, banikela ngokushiswa kwabo
iminikelo yabo, neminikelo yabo yesihle, neminikelo yabo.
16:19 UJudith naye wangcwelisa zonke izinto zikaHolofernes, abantu ababenazo
wamnika, wamnika umbhede ayewuthathe kweyakhe
ikamelo lokulala, libe yisipho eNkosini.
16:20 Ngakho abantu baqhubeka bedla eJerusalema phambi kwendlu engcwele
isikhathi esingangezinyanga ezintathu uJudith wahlala nabo.
16:21 Ngemva kwalesi sikhathi, ngamunye wabuyela efeni lakhe siqu, futhi Judith
waya eBethulia, wahlala kweyakhe, ehlala kuyo
isikhathi esihloniphekile ezweni lonke.
16:22 Futhi abaningi babefisa wakhe, kodwa akekho owamazi zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe, ngemva kwalokho
ukuthi uManase umyeni wakhe wayefile, wabuthelwa kubantu bakubo.
16:23 Kodwa yena wakhula kakhulu udumo, futhi waguga kuye
endlini yomyeni, eneminyaka eyikhulu nanhlanu, wamenza incekukazi
mahhala; wafela eBethuliya; bammbela emhumeni wakhe
umyeni Manase.
16:24 Indlu ka-Israyeli yamlilela izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, engakafi.
wababela impahla yakhe bonke abayizihlobo eziseduze
UManase umyeni wakhe, nalabo ababeseduze kwezihlobo zakhe.
16:25 Futhi kwakungekho noyedwa owayesabisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli
izinsuku zikaJudith, noma isikhathi eside ngemva kokufa kwakhe.