1UHolofernesi wayesethi kuye: “Yima isibindi nkosazane, ungesabi, ngokuba angizange ngilimaze muntu okhetha ukukhonza uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yomhlaba wonke. 2Namanje, uma abantu bakho abahlala ezweni elisezintabeni, bebengangidelelanga, bengingayikubaphakamisela mkhonto. Kodwa bazigwaze ngowabo. 3Ake ungitshele ukuthi ubalekeleni kubantu bakini weza kithi. Nokho-ke, uphephile uma ulapha. Yima isibindi! Uzakuphila kulobu busuku nangezinsuku ezizayo. 4Akukho noyedwa oyokulimaza, kunalokho, bonke bayakukuphatha kahle, njengoba zenza izisebenzi zenkosi yami uNebukhadinezari.”
5UJudithi wamphendula wathi: “Yizwa amazwi encekukazi yakho, uyivumele ukuba ikhulume kuwe, ngokuba ayinalutho oluyinkohliso engalusho enkosini yami ngalobu busuku. 6Uma uwalandela amazwi encekukazi yakho, kukhona okuthile uNkulunkulu ayakukufeza ngokuphelele ngawe, inkosi yami ayiyukwehluleka ukufeza izinjongo zayo. 7Kuphila kukaNebukhadinezari inkosi yomhlaba wonke, nangamandla akhe okuthumile lapha ukuqondisa bonke abaphilayo! Ngokuba akuyikho nje ukuthi abantu bamkhonza ngenxa yakho, kodwa nezilwane zasendle, izinkomo nezinyoni zezulu ziphila, ngenxa yamandla akhe, konke kuphila ngaphansi kwenkosi uNebukhadinezari nendlu yakhe yonke.
8“Ngokuba sizwile ngokuhlakanipha nangobuchule bakho, futhi kukhulunywa emhlabeni wonke ukuthi wena wedwa ulungile embusweni wonke, unokwazi nobuchule obumangalisayo kwezempi. 9Siwezwile namazwi owakhulume ku-Akhiyori emkhandlwini wakho, impela siwezwile amazwi akho, ngokuba abantu baseBhethuliya bamsindisa, wayesebatshela konke ayengahle akusho kubo. 10Ngakho-ke, nkosi, ungawabukeli phansi amazwi akhe, kodwa agcine enhliziyweni yakho, ngokuba ayiqiniso; akusilona iqiniso ukuthi isizwe sethu singejeziswe, nokuthi akukho nkemba enokuphakamiselwa sona, ngaphandle kokuba sonile kuNkulunkulu waso. 11Kepha manje, ukuze inkosi yami ingehlulwa bese izinjongo zayo ziphunza, ukufa kuzakubehlela, ngokuba benzile isono bamcunulile uNkulunkulu ngaso sonke isikhathi abenze ngaso okuphambeneyo. 12Njengokuba ukudla kwabo sekuphelile namanzi abo aseyingcosana, banqume ukubulala imfuyo yabo nokuba basebenzise konke lokho uNkulunkulu akwenqabile emthethweni wakhe ukuba bakudle.
13“Banqume ukudla ulibo lwezithelo oluyizinhlamvu, nokweshumi kwewayini namafutha, abakugcinile bakubusisa bakwehlukanisela abaphristi abakhonza uNkulunkulu eJerusalema, okuyizinto ezisahlulelo sazo singukufa ngokuba akuvunyelwe noma ngubani kubantu ukuba azithinte ngezandla zakhe. 14Ngakho bathumele izithunywa eJerusalema ukuba zithole imvume emkhandlwini wababusi njengokuba nezakhamuzi zalapho zikwenzile nazo lokhu.
15“Ngalolo lusuku abathola ngalo imvume nabayokwenza ngalo lokhu, bayakunikelwa kuwe ukuba ubabhubhise. 16Ngakho-ke mina ncekukazi yakho lapho ngizwa zonke lezi zinto, ngibalekile kubo. UNkulunkulu ungithumile ukuba ngifeze nawe lezo zinto eziyomangalisa umhlaba wonke, nomaphi lapho abantu beyozwa khona ngazo. 17Incekukazi yakho ingumuntu omesaba ngempela uNkulunkulu futhi emkhonza ubusuku nemini uNkulunkulu wezulu. Manje-ke nkosi yami, ngizakuhlala nawe, kodwa njalo kusihlwa incekukazi yakho iyakuya esigodini ukuyokhuleka kuNkulunkulu, futhi uyokungitshela nxa sebonile.
18“Mina-ke ngiyakubuya ngizokwazisa ukuze uphume nempi yakho yonke, akukho namunye oyomelana nani. 19Ngiyakunihola nidabula phakathi neJudiya nize nifike eJerusalema futhi ngiyakumisa isihlalo sakho phakathi nalo. Uyakubaxosha njengezimvu ezingenamelusi, akukho nanja eyokuvusela umhlwenga ngokuba lokhu ngikwazisiwe ngatshelwa khona ngaphambili, ngithunyelwe ukuba ngikwazise khona.”
20Amazwi kaJudithi amthokozisa uHolofernesi nezinceku zakhe futhi bamangaliswa ngubuhlani bakhe baze bathi: 21“Akukho namunye wesifazane kusukela kwenye ingxenye yomhlaba kuze kube kwenye omuhle kanje futhi okhuluma ngokuhlakanipha okungaka!”
22UHolofernesi wayesethi kuye: “UNkulunkulu wenze kahle ukukuthumela ngaphambi kwabantu ukuzoqinisa izandla zethu nokuletha incithakalo kulabo abangayihloniphanga inkosi yami. 23Awumuhle nje kuphela kodwa ukhuluma ubuhlakani bodwa. Uma wenze njengokuba ushilo, uNkulunkulu wakho uyakuba nguNkulunkulu wami, wena uyakuhlala esigodlweni senkosi uNebukhadinezari futhi uyokwaziwa emhlabeni wonke.”
