DENISON

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contra nos, et fáciet illas sine honóre Dóminus Deus noster. Et nunc fratres, quóniam vos estis presbýteri in pópulo Dei, et ex vobis pendet ánima illórum, ad elóquium vestrum corda eórum erígite, ut mémores sint quia tentáti sunt patres nostri, ut probaréntur si vere cólerent Deum suum. Mémores esse debent quómodo pater noster Ábraham tentátus est, et per multas tribulatiónes probátus, Dei amícus efféctus est. Sic Ísaac, sic Jacob, sic Móyses, et omnes qui placuérunt Deo, per multas tribulatiónes transiérunt fidéles. Illi autem qui tentatiónes non suscepérunt cum timóre Dómini, et impatiéntiam suam et impropérium murmuratiónis suæ contra Dóminum protulérunt, extermináti sunt ab exterminatóre, et a serpéntibus periérunt. Et nos ergo non ulciscámur nos pro his quæ pátimur, sed reputántes peccátis nostris hæc ipsa supplícia minóra esse flagélla Dómini, quibus quasi servi corrípimur ad emendatiónem, et non ad perditiónem nostram evenísse credámus. Et dixérunt illi Ozías et presbýteri: Ómnia quæ locúta es, vera sunt, et non est in sermónibus tuis ulla reprehénsio. Nunc ergo ora pro nobis, quóniam múlier sancta es, et timens Deum. Et dixit illis Judith: Sicut quod pótui loqui, Dei esse cognoscítis, ita quod fácere dispósui, probáte si ex Deo est, et oráte ut firmum fáciat Deus consílium meum. Stábitis vos ad portam nocte ista, et ego éxeam cum abra mea: et oráte, ut sicut dixístis, in diébus quinque respíciat Dóminus pópulum suum Israël. Vos autem nolo ut scrutémini actum meum, et usque dum renúntiem vobis, nihil áliud fiat, nisi orátio pro me ad Dóminum Deum nostrum. Et dixit ad eam Ozías princeps Juda: Vade in pace, et Dóminus sit tecum in ultiónem inimicórum nostrórum. Et reverténtes abiérunt. IX. Quibus ascendéntibus, Judith ingréssa est oratórium suum: et índuens se cilício, pósuit cínerem super caput suum: et prostérnens se Dómino, clamábat ad Dóminum, dicens: Dómine Deus patris mei Símeon, qui dedísti illi gládium in defensiónem alienigenárum, qui violatóres extitérunt in coinquinatióne sua, et denudavérunt femur vírginis in confusiónem: et dedísti mu-

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-líeres illórum in prædam, et fílias illórum in captivitátem: et omnem prædam in divisiónem servis tuis, qui zelavérunt zelum tuum: subvéni, quæso te, Dómine Deus meus, mihi víduæ. Tu enim fecísti prióra, et illa post illa cogitásti: et hoc factum est quod ipse voluísti. Omnes enim viæ tuæ parátæ sunt, et tua judícia in tua providéntia posuísti. Réspice castra Assyriórum nunc, sicut tunc castra Ægyptiórum vidére dignátus es, quando post servos tuos armáti currébant, confidéntes in quadrígis, et in equitátu suo, et in multitúdine bellatórum. Sed aspexísti super castra eórum, et ténebræ fatigavérunt eos. Ténuit pedes eórum abýssus, et aquæ operuérunt eos. Sic fiant et isti, Dómine, qui confídunt in multitúdine sua, et in cúrribus suis, et in contis, et in scutis, et in sagíttis suis, et in lánceis gloriántur, et nésciunt quia tu ipse es Deus noster, qui cónteris bella ab inítio, et Dóminus nomen est tibi. Érige bráchium tuum sicut ab inítio, et allíde virtútem illórum in virtúte tua: cadat virtus eórum in iracúndia tua, qui promíttunt se violáre sancta tua, et pollúere tabernáculum nóminis tui, et dejícere gládio suo cornu altáris tui. Fac, Dómine, ut gládio próprio ejus supérbia amputétur: capiátur láqueo oculórum suórum in me, et percúties eum ex lábiis caritátis meæ. Da mihi in ánimo constántiam ut contémnam illum, et virtútem, ut evértam illum. Erit enim hoc memoriále nóminis tui, cum manus féminæ dejécerit eum. Non enim in multitúdine est virtus tua, Dómine, neque in equórum víribus volúntas tua est, nec supérbi ab inítio placuérunt tibi: sed humílium et mansuetórum semper tibi plácuit deprecátio. Deus cælórum, creátor aquárum, et Dóminus tótius creatúræ, exáudi me míseram deprecántem, et de tua misericórdia præsuméntem. Meménto, Dómine, testaménti tui, et da verbum in ore meo, et in corde meo consílium corrobóra, ut domus tua in sanctificatióne tua permáneat: et omnes gentes agnóscant quia tu es Deus, et non est álius præter te. X. Factum est autem, cum cessásset clamáre ad Dóminum, surréxit de loco in quo jacúerat prostráta ad Dóminum. Vocavítque abram suam, et descéndens in domum suam, ábstulit a se cilícium, et éxuit se vestiméntis viduitátis suæ

[Judith 8:20-10:1]

20 Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and the Lord our God will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the nations that shall rise up against us, and bring them to disgrace. 21 And now, brethren, as you are the ancients among the people of God, and their very soul resteth upon you: comfort their hearts by your speech, that they may be mindful how our fathers were tempted that they might be proved, whether they worshipped their God truly. 22 They must remember how our father Abraham was tempted, and being proved by many tribulations, was made the friend of God. 23 So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that have pleased God, passed through many tribulations, remaining faithful. 24 But they that did not receive the trials with the fear of the Lord, but uttered their impatience and the reproach of their murmuring against the Lord, 25 Were destroyed by the destroyer, and perished by serpents. 26 As for us therefore let us not revenge ourselves for these things which we suffer. 27 But esteeming these very punishments to be less than our sins deserve, let us believe that these scourges of the Lord, with which like servants we are chastised, have happened for our amendment, and not for our destruction. 28 And Ozias and the ancients said to her: All things which thou hast spoken are true, and there is nothing to be reprehended in thy words. 29 Now therefore pray for us, for thou art a holy woman, and one fearing God. 30 And Judith said to them: As you know that what I have been able to say is of God: 31 So that which I intend to do prove ye if it be of God, and pray that God may strengthen my design. 32 You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with my maidservant: and pray ye, that as you have said, in five days the Lord may look down upon his people Israel. 33 But I desire that you search not into what I am doing, and till I bring you word let nothing else be done but to pray for me to the Lord our God. 34 And Ozias the prince of Juda said to her: Go in peace, and the Lord be with thee to take revenge of our enemies. So returning they departed.

1 And when they were gone, Judith went into her oratory: and putting on haircloth, laid ashes on her head: and falling down prostrate before the Lord, she cried to the Lord, saying: 2 O Lord God of my father Simeon, who gavest him a sword to execute vengeance against strangers, who had defiled by their uncleanness, and uncovered the virgin unto confusion: 3 And who gavest their wives to be made a prey, and their daughters into captivity: and all their spoils to be divided to thy servants, who were zealous with thy zeal: assist, I beseech thee, O Lord God, me a widow. 4 For thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised one thing after another: and what thou hast designed hath been done. 5 For all thy ways are prepared, and in thy providence thou hast placed thy judgments. 6 Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, as thou wast pleased to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued armed after thy servants, trusting in their chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors. 7 But thou lookedst over their camp, and darkness wearied them. 8 The deep held their feet, and the waters overwhelmed them. 9 So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and glory in their spears, 10 And know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the beginning, and the Lord is thy name. 11 Lift up thy arm as from the beginning, and crush their power with thy power: let their power fall in their wrath, who promise themselves to violate thy sanctuary, and defile the dwelling place of thy name, and to beat down with their sword the horn of thy altar. 12 Bring to pass, O Lord, that his pride may be cut off with his own sword. 13 Let him be caught in the net of his own eyes in my regard, and do thou strike him by the graces of the words of my lips. 14 Give me constancy in my mind, that I may despise him: and fortitude that I may overthrow him. 15 For this will be a glorious monument for thy name, when he shall fall by the hand of a woman. 16 For thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee. 17 O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy. 18 Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness: 19 And all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee.

1 And it came to pass, when she had ceased to cry to the Lord, that she rose from the place wherein she lay prostrate before the Lord...