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1 And it came to pass when they had left
off speaking, that Holofernes being in a violent
passion, said to Achior:
2 Because thou hast prophesied unto us,
saying: That the nation of Israel is defended by their God, to shew thee that there is no God, but Nabuehodonosor:
3 When we shall slay them all as one man,
then thou also shalt die with them by the sword of
the Assyrians, and all Israel shall perish with thee:
4 And thou shalt
find that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole
earth: and then the sword of my soldiers shall pass through thy sides, and
thou shalt be stabbed and fall among the wounded of
Israel, and thou shalt breathe no more till thou be
destroyed with them.
5 But if thou think thy prophecy true, let
not thy countenance sink, and let the paleness that is in thy face, depart
from thee, if thou imaginest these my words cannot
be accomplished.
6 And that thou mayst
know that thou shalt experience these things
together with them, behold from this hour thou shalt
be associated to their people, that when they shall receive the punishment
they deserve from my sword, thou mayst fall under
the same vengeance.
7 Then Holofernes
commanded his servants to take Achior, and to lead
him to Bethulia, and to deliver him into the hands
of the children of Israel.
8 And the servants of Holofernes
taking him, went through the plains: but when they came near the mountains,
the slingers came out against them.
9 Then turning out of the way by the side of
the mountain, they tied Achior to a tree hand and
foot, and so left him bound with ropes, and returned to their master.
10 And the children of Israel coming down
from Bethulia, came to him, and loosing
him they brought him to Bethulia, and setting him
in the midst of the people, asked him what was the matter, that the Assyrians
had left him bound.
11 In those days the rulers there, were Ozias the son of Micha of the
tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, called also Gothoniel.
12 And Achior related
in the midst of the ancients, and in the presence of all the people, all that
he had said being asked by Holofernes: and how the
people of Holofernes would have killed him for this
word,
13 And how Holofernes
himself being angry had commanded him to be delivered for this cause to the
Israelites: that when he should overcome the children of Israel, then he
might command Achior also himself to be put to
death by diverse torments, for having said: The God of heaven is their
defender.
14 And when Achior
had declared all these things, all the people fell upon their faces, adoring
the Lord, and all of them together mourning and weeping poured out their
prayers with one accord to the Lord,
15 Saying: O Lord God of heaven and earth,
behold their pride, and look on our low condition, and have regard to the
face of thy saints, and shew that thou forsakes not
them that trust on thee, and that thou humblest them that presume of
themselves, and glory in their own strength.
16 So when their weeping was ended, and the
peoples prayer, in which they continued all the day, was concluded, they
comforted Achior,
17 Saying: the God of our fathers, whose
power thou hast set forth, will make this return to thee, that thou rather shalt see their destruction.
18 And when the Lord our God shall give this
liberty to his servants, let God be with thee also in the midst of us: that
as it shall please thee, so thou with all thine mayst converse with us.
19 Then Ozias, after
the assembly was broken up, received him into his house, and made him a great
supper.
20 And all the ancients were invited, and they
refreshed themselves together after their fast was over.
21 And afterwards all the people were called
together, and they prayed all the night long within the church, desiring help
of the God of Israel.
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1- فلما فرغوا من كلامهم اشتد
غضب اليفانا جدا و قال لاحيور.
2- بما انك تنبات لنا قائلا ان شعب اسرائيل
يدافع عنه الهه فلكي اريك ان لا اله الا نبوكد نصر.
3- فانا اذا ضربناهم كلهم كرجل واحد فحينئذ
انت ايضا تهلك بسيف الاشوريين و جميع اسرائيل يهلكون معك.
4- فتعلم عن خبرة ان نبوكد نصر هو رب الارض
كلها و حينئذ سيف جيشي يخترق جنبيك فتسقط طعينا بين جرحى اسرائيل و لا يبقى فيك
نسمة الا ريثما تستاصل معهم.
5- و ان كنت تخال ان نبوتك صادقة فلا يسقط
وجهك و ليفارقك الاصفرار الذي علا وجهك ان كنت تظن ان كلامي هذا لا يمكن ان يتم.
6- و لكي تعلم انك تختبر هذا معهم فها انك من
هذه الساعة تنضم الى شعبهم و اذا نالهم من سيفي عقوبة ما استحقوه فانك تكون معهم
تحت طائلة الانتقام.
7- ثم امر اليفانا عبيده ان يقبضوا على احيور
و ياخذوه الى بيت فلوى و يسلموه الى ايدي بني اسرائيل.
8- فاخذه عبيد اليفانا و ساروا في الصحراء و
لما دنوا من الجبال خرج عليهم الرماة بالمقاليع.
9- فانحازوا الى جانب الجبل و ربطوا احيور الى
شجرة بيديه و رجليه و بعد ان ربطوه هكذا بالحبال تركوه و رجعوا الى سيدهم.
10- فنزل بنو اسرائيل من بيت فلوى و اتوه
فحلوه و اخذوه الى بيت فلوى و اقاموه في وسط الشعب و سالوه لم تركه الاشوريون
مربوطا.
11- و كان في تلك عزيا بن ميخا من سبط شمعون و
كرمي الذي هو عتنيئيل اميرين هناك.
12- فتكلم احيور بين ايدي الشيوخ و بحضرة
الجميع بكل ما ذكره عن سؤال اليفانا و كيف هم قوم اليفانا ان يقتلوه بسبب هذا
الكلام.
13- و كيف امرهم اليفانا و هو مغضب ان يدفعوه
الى ايدي الاسرائيليين و في قصده انه انه متى ظفر ببني اسرائيل يامر بقتل احيور
بضروب مختلفة من العذاب لاجل انه قال ان اله السماء هو المدافع عنهم.
14- فلما قص عليهم احيور جميع ذلك خر الشعب
كلهم على وجوههم ساجدين للرب و رفعوا صلواتهم الى الرب بالبكاء و العويل عامة
بقلب واحد.
15- قائلين ايها الرب اله السماء و الارض انظر
الى عتوهم و التفت الى تذللنا و لا تغفل وجوه قديسيك و اعلن انك لم تترك
المتوكلين عليك و انك تذل المتوكلين على انفسهم و المفتخرين بقوتهم.
16- و بعد هذا البكاء و انقضاء صلاة الشعب ذلك
اليوم كله عزوا احيور.
17- قائلين اله ابائنا الذي انذرت بقوته يمن
عليك بهذه المنية ان تنظر انت هلاكهم.
18- و اذا اتى الرب الهنا عبيده هذا الخلاص
فليكن هو الها لك فيما بيننا ان احببت ان تكون معنا باهلك كلهم.
19- و لما انتهت المشورة اخذوا عزيا الى بيته
و صنع له عشاء عظيما.
20- و دعا الشيوخ كلهم فاكلوا بعد انقضاء
الصوم.
21- ثم دعوا كل الشعب و باتوا في موضع
الاجتماع يصلون و يستغيثون باله اسرائيل ذلك الليل كله
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