Judith
Chapter 4
1 When the Israelites who dwelt in Judea heard of all that Holofernes, commander-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had despoiled all their temples and destroyed them,
住在犹太的以色列子民听说亚述王拿步高的统帅敖罗斐乃对异民所行的一切，如何抢劫破坏了他们的一切庙宇，
2 they were in extreme dread of him, and greatly alarmed for Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord, their God.
就万分害怕，为耶路撒冷与上主他们的天主的圣殿十分担心，
3 1 Now, they had lately returned from exile, and only recently had all the people of Judea been gathered together, and the vessels, the altar, and the temple been purified from profanation.
因为他们才从充军之地归来，全犹太人民重新聚合不久，刚把器皿、祭坛、圣殿在经过亵读之后，从新祝圣。
4 So they sent word to the whole region of Samaria, to Kona, Beth-horon, Belmain, and Jericho, to Choba and Aesora, and to the valley of Salem.
因此，他们便打发使者撒玛黎雅全境，到科纳贝特曷龙、贝耳玛因、耶里哥、苛巴、爱索辣与撒冷山谷一带，
5 The people there posted guards on all the summits of the high mountains, fortified their villages, and since their fields had recently been harvested, stored up provisions in preparation for war.
嘱咐他们先要占据各高山的山顶，在山上的村庄修筑防御工事，储蓄粮食，准备应战，好在他们的田园才收获不久。
6 2 Joakim, who was high priest in Jerusalem in those days, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia (and Betomesthaim), which is on the way to Esdraelon, facing the plain near Dothan,
当时正在耶路撒冷当大司祭的约雅金，给在拜突里雅及位于厄斯得隆前，多堂附近平原对面的拜托默斯坦城的人民，
7 and instructed them to keep firm hold of the mountain passes, since these offered access to Judea. It would be easy to ward off the attacking forces, as the defile was only wide enough for two abreast.
写了一封信，吩咐他们应把守上山进入犹太的道路，因为这道路狭隘，只能通过两人，很容易阻止敌人进攻。
8 3 The Israelites carried out the orders given them by Joakim, the high priest, and the senate of the whole people of Israel, which met in Jerusalem.
以色列子民就遵照大司祭约雅金，以及位于耶路撒冷全以色列人民的长老院的吩咐办了。
9 All the men of Israel cried to God with great fervor and did penance—
全以色列人，都热切呼号上主，极力自卑自谦。
10 4 they, along with their wives, and children, and domestic animals. All their resident aliens, hired laborers, and slaves also girded themselves with sackcloth.
他们和妻子儿女，牲畜旅客，佣工奴婢，都腰里束着苦衣。
11 5 And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord.
凡住在以色在耶路撒冷的以色列男女及幼童，都俯伏在圣殿前，头上撒灰，在上主面前展开苦衣；
12 The altar, too, they draped in sackcloth; and with one accord they cried out fervently to the God of Israel not to allow their children to be seized, their wives to be taken captive, the cities of their inheritance to be ruined, or the sanctuary to be profaned and mocked for the nations to gloat over.
即是祭坛，也围上苦衣，诚心热切一同呼求以色列的天主，不让敌人来劫掠自己的幼童，掳掠自己的妇女，毁灭自己产业中的城邑，轻蔑污辱自己的圣所，而使异民得意欢腾。
13 The Lord heard their cry and had regard for their distress. For the people observed a fast of many days' duration throughout Judea, and before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem.
上主俯听了他们的哀声，怜视了他们的苦难。全犹太和耶路撒冷境内的百姓，在全能上主的圣所前，禁食多日。
14 The high priest Joakim, and all the priests in attendance on the Lord who served his altar, were also girded with sackcloth as they offered the daily holocaust, the votive offerings, and the freewill offerings of the people.
大司祭约雅金，以及一切侍立在上主面前的人，司祭与上主的仆役，都腰束苦衣，奉献恒常的全燔祭，奉献人民许愿和自愿献上的供物，
15 With ashes upon their turbans, they cried to the Lord with all their strength to look with favor on the whole house of Israel.
在头巾上撒灰，高声呼求上主，眷顾以色列全家。
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Footnotes（注解）
1 [3] Returned from exile . . . profanation: these allusions are variously attributed-to the Persian period (538-323 B.C.), or even to a condition in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.).
2 [6] Joakim, who was high priest: see Baruch 1:7 and the footnote on Baruch 1:8, 9; this name for a high priest cannot be used in dating the events in Jdth.
3 [8] The organization of the Jewish nation as subject to a high priest and a senate, or council of elders, was proper to the Greek period (after 323 B.C.), and is reflected in the coinage of John Hyrcanus (135-104 B.C.).
4 [10] Domestic animals: see note on Jonah 3:8.
5 [11] Prostrated themselves in front of the temple building: for a parallel to this ceremony of entreaty, see Joel 1:13, 14; 2:15-17, and the note on Joel 2:17.