DENISON

[column A]

et revérsus est ad sóceros suos: invenítque eos incólumes in senectúte bona: et curam eórum gessit, et ipse clausit óculos eórum: et omnem hæreditátem domus Ráguelis ipse percépit: vidítque quintam generatiónem, fílios filiórum suórum. Et complétis annis nonagínta novem in timóre Dómini, cum gáudio sepeliérunt eum. Omnis autem cognátio ejus et omnis generátio ejus in bona vita et in sancta conversatióne permánsit, ita ut accépti essent tam Deo quam homínibus, et cunctis habitántibus in terra.

Explicit liber Tobit. Incipit prologus sancti Ieronime presbyterii in librum Iudith.

Apud Hebraeos liber Iudith inter Agiografa legitur; cuius auctoritas ad roboranda illa quae in contentione veniunt, minus idonea iudicatur. Chaldeo tamen sermone conscriptus inter historias conputatur. Sed quia hunc librum sinodus nicena in numero Sanctarum Scripturarum legitur conputasse, adquievi postulationi vestrae, immo exactioni, et sepositis occupationibus quibus vehementer artabar, huic unam lucubratiunculam dedi, magis sensum e sensu quam ex verbo verbum transferens. Multorum codicum varietatem vitiosissiraam amputavi; sola ea quae intellegentia integra in verbis chaldeis invenire potui, latinis expressi. Accipite Iudith viduam, castitatis exemplum, et triumphali laude perpetuis eam praeconiis declarate. Hanc enim non solum feminis, sed et viris imitabilem dedit, qui, castitatis eius remunerator, virtutem talem tribuit, ut invictum omnibus hominibus vinceret, insuperabilem superaret.

Explicit prologus. Incipit liber Iudith.

Arpháxad ítaque, rex Medórum, subjugáverat multas gentes império suo, et ipse ædificávit civitátem potentíssimam, quam appellávit Ecbatánis, ex lapídibus quadrátis et sectis: fecit muros ejus in altitúdinem cubitórum septuagínta, et in latitúdinem cubitórum trigínta: turres vero ejus pósuit in altitúdinem cubitórum centum. Per quadrum vero eárum latus utrúmque vicenórum pedum spátio tendebátur, posuítque portas ejus in altitúdinem túrrium: et gloriabátur quasi potens in poténtia exércitus sui, et in glória quadrigárum suárum. Anno ígitur duodécimo regni sui,

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Nabuchodonósor rex Assyriórum, qui regnábat in Nínive civitáte magna, pugnávit contra Arpháxad, et obtínuit eum in campo magno qui appellátur Rágau, circa Euphráten, et Tigrin, et Jadáson, in campo Érioch regis Elicórum. Tunc exaltátum est regnum Nabuchodonósor, et cor ejus elevátum est: et misit ad omnes qui habitábant in Cilícia, et Damásco, et Líbano, et ad gentes quæ sunt in Carmélo et Cedar, et inhabitántes Galilǽam in campo magno Ésdrelon, et ad omnes qui erant in Samaría, et trans flumen Jordánem usque ad Jerúsalem, et omnem terram Jesse quoúsque perveniátur ad términos Æthiópiæ. Ad hos omnes misit núntios Nabuchodonósor rex Assyriórum: qui omnes uno ánimo contradixérunt, et remisérunt eos vácuos, et sine honóre abjecérunt. Tunc indignátus Nabuchodonósor rex advérsus omnem terram illam, jurávit per thronum et regnum suum quod defénderet se de ómnibus regiónibus his. II. Anno tertiodécimo Nabuchodonósor regis, vigésima et secúnda die mensis primi, factum est verbum in domo Nabuchodonósor regis Assyriórum ut defénderet se. Vocavítque omnes majóres natu, omnésque duces et bellatóres suos, et hábuit cum eis mystérium consílii sui: dixítque cogitatiónem suam in eo esse, ut omnem terram suo subjugáret império. Quod dictum cum placuísset ómnibus, vocávit Nabuchodonósor rex Holoférnem príncipem milítiæ suæ, et dixit ei: Egrédere advérsus omne regnum occidéntis, et contra eos præcípue, qui contempsérunt impérium eum. Non parcet óculus tuus ulli regno, omnémque urbem munítam subjugábis mihi. Tunc Holoférnes vocávit duces et magistrátus virtútis Assyriórum, et dinumerávit viros in expeditiónem sicut præcépit ei rex, centum vigínti míllia péditum pugnatórum, et équitum sagittariórum duódecim míllia. Omnémque expeditiónem suam fecit præíre in multitúdine innumerabílium camelórum, cum his quæ exercítibus suffícerent copióse, boum quoque arménta, gregésque óvium, quorum non erat númerus. Fruméntum ex omni Sýria in transítu suo parári constítuit. Aurum vero et argéntum de domo regis assúmpsit multum nimis. Et proféctus est ipse, et omnis exércitus cum quadrígis, et equítibus, et sagittáriis: qui cooperuérunt fáciem terræ sicut locústæ. Cumque pertransísset fines Assyriórum, venit ad magnos montes Ange, qui sunt a sinístro Cilíciæ: ascendítque ómnia castélla eórum, et obtínuit omnem munitiónem. Éffregit

[Tobit 14:14-17]

...and returned to his father and mother in law. 15 And he found them in health in a good old age: and he took care of them, and he closed their eyes: and all the inheritance of Raguel's house came to him: and he saw his children's children to the fifth generation. 16 And after he had lived ninety-nine years in the fear of the Lord, with joy they buried him. 17 And all his kindred, and all his generation continued in good life, and in holy conversation, so that they were acceptable both to God, and to men, and to all that dwelt in the land.

Here ends the book of Tobit. Here begins the prologue of St. Jerome the Presbyter to the book of Judith.

Among the Hebrews the Book of Judith is found among the Hagiographa, the authority of which toward confirming those which have come into contention is judged less appropriate. Yet having been written in Chaldean words, it is counted among the histories. But because this book is found by the Nicene Council to have been counted among the number of the Sacred Scriptures, I have acquiesced to your request, indeed a demand, and works having been set aside from which I was forcibly curtailed, I have given to this (book) one short night’s work translating more sense from sense than word from word. I have removed the extremely faulty variety of the many books; only those which I was able to find in the Chaldean words with understanding intact did I express in Latin ones. Receive the widow Judith, an example of chastity, and declare triumphal honor with perpetual praises for her. For this one has the Rewarder of her chastity given as imitable not only for women but also for men, Who granted her such strength, that she conquered the one unconquered by all men, she surpassed the insurpassable.

Here ends the prologue. Here begins the book of Judith.

[Judith 1:1-2:13]

1 Now Arphaxad king of the Medes had brought many nations under his dominions, and he built a very strong city, which he called Ecbatana, 2 Of stones squared and hewed: he made the walls thereof seventy cubits broad, and thirty cubits high, and the towers thereof he made a hundred cubits high. But on the square of them, each side was extended the space of twenty feet. 3 And he made the gates thereof according to the height of the towers: 4 And he gloried as a mighty one in the force of his army and in the glory of his chariots. 5 Now in the twelfth year of his reign, Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, who reigned in Ninive the great city, fought against Arphaxad and overcame him, 6 In the great plain which is called Ragua, about the Euphrates, and the Tigris, and the Jadason, in the plain of Erioch the king of the Elicians. 7 Then was the kingdom of Nabuchodonosor exalted, and his heart was elevated: and he sent to all that dwelt in Cilicia and Damascus, and Libanus, 8 And to the nations that are in Carmelus, and Cedar, and to the inhabitants of Galilee in the great plain of Asdrelon, 9 And to all that were in Samaria, and beyond the river Jordan even to Jerusalem, and all the land of Jesse till you come to the borders of Ethiopia. 10 To all these Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, sent messengers: 11 But they all with one mind refused, and sent them back empty, and rejected them without honour. 12 Then king Nabuchodonosor being angry against all that land, swore by his throne and kingdom that he would revenge himself of all those countries.

1 In the thirteenth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, the two and twentieth day of the first month, the word was given out in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, that he would revenge himself. 2 And he called all the ancients, and all the governors, and his officers of war, and communicated to them the secret of his counsel: 3 And he said that his thoughts were to bring all the earth under his empire. 4 And when this saying pleased them all, Nabuchodonosor, the king, called Holofernes the general of his armies, 5 And said to him: Go out against all the kingdoms of the west, and against them especially that despised my commandment. 6 Thy eye shall not spare any kingdom, and all the strong cities thou shalt bring under my yoke. 7 Then Holofernes called the captains, and officers of the power of the Assyrians: and he mustered men for the expedition, as the king commanded him, a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men on foot, and twelve thousand archers, horsemen. 8 And he made all his warlike preparations to go before with a multitude of innumerable camels, with all provisions sufficient for the armies in abundance, and herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep, without number. 9 He appointed corn to be prepared out of all Syria in his passage. 10 But gold and silver he took out of the king's house in great abundance. 11 And he went forth he and all the army, with the chariots, and horsemen, and archers, who covered the face of the earth, like locusts. 12 And when he had passed through the borders of the Assyrians, he came to the great mountains of Ange, which are on the left of Cilicia: and he went up to all their castles, and took all the strong places. 13 And he took by assault...