UJudithi Uzigcina Ekholekile Okholweni Lwakhe
1UHolofernesi wayala ukuba bamlethe uJudithi lapho izitsha zakhe zesiliva zazigcinwe khona, wabatshela ukuba bamlungisele itafula babeke kulo izibondlo zokudla nenyama kanye newayini lakhe ukuba baliphuze. 2Kepha uJudithi wathi: “Angisoze ngakudla, hleze ngingene ehlazweni ngone, kodwa ngizokweneliswa yizinto engiziphathele zona.”
3UHolofernesi wathi kuye: “Uma sekuphelile okwakho ukudla, singakutholela kuphi okunye okufana nakho na? Ngokuba akukho namunye wesizwe sakini lapha.”
4UJudithi waphendula wathi: “Kuphila kwenkosi yami, incekukazi yakho ayinakukuqeda lokho enakho ize ifeze lokho iNkosi emise ukukwenza ngesandla sami.”
5Izinceku zikaHolofernesi zase zimusa edlangaleni, walala lapho kwaze kwaphakathi kwamabili. Wavuka entathakusa, 6wathumela lo myalezo kuHolofernesi: “Inkosi yami mayiyale manje ukuba ngivunyelwe ukuhamba ngiyokhuleka.”
7UHolofernesi wayala abaqaphi bakhe ukuba bangamvimbeli. Wahlala esikhungweni izinsuku ezintathu. UJudithi wayephuma njalo ebusuku aye esigodini saseBhethuliya, ageze esiphethwini samanzi esasilapho. 8Esegezile, wakhuleka eNkosini uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba imqondise ukuze banqobe abantu bakhe. 9Wayebuya esehlanzekile, ahlale edlangaleni lakhe kuze kulethwe ukudla kwakhe kwakusihlwa.
Owesifazane Omuhle Ebhekene Nendoda Enamandla, Idili LikaHolofernesi
10Ngosuku lwesine uHolofernesi wenza idili elenzela izinceku zakhe, akaze azibiza ezinye izikhulu zempi asebenza nazo. 11Wathi kuBhagowasi, umthenwa owayephethe izindaba zakhe: “Hamba unxuse lo wesifazane wamaHeberu ogcinwe nguwe ukuba ahlanganyele nathi, azodla aphuze nathi; 12ngokuba kuyakuba yihlazo uma sivumela lo wesifazane ofana nalona ahambe singazange silale naye. Ngokuba uma singamyengeli ocansini uyakusihleka usulu.”
13Ngakho uBhagowasi waphuma phambi kukaHolofernesi waya kuJudithi wathi kuye: “Sengathi le ntombi enhle kangaka ingengabaze ukuya enkosini yami ukuze ihlonishwe phambi kwayo; ukuba ithokoze iphuze iwayini nathi, nokuba namuhla nje ibe njengomunye wabesifazane bama-Asiriya abakhonza esigodlweni sikaNebukhadinezari.”
14Kepha uJudithi wathi kuye: “Ngingubani nje nempela mina ukuba ngingenqaba isicelo senkosi yami na? Lokho okuthokozisayo emehlweni ayo, ngiyakukwenza masinyane, futhi kuyakuba intokozo kimi kuze kube usuku lokufa kwami.”
15Ngakho-ke waphakama wavunula ngezinothonotho zabesifazane. Incekukazi yakhe yahamba naye, yafike yamendlalela phambi kukaHolofernesi izikhumba zamawundlu ayezinikwe nguBhagowasi ukuba ahlale kuzo nsuku zonke lapho edla noma elala. 16Wayesengena uJudithi wahlala phansi. Inhliziyo kaHolofernesi yathunjwa ngubuhle bakhe kwaze kwavuka izinkanuko kuye, ngokuba wayevele elilindele ithuba lokumyengela ocansini kusukela ngosuku lokuqala ambona ngalo. 17Ngakho-ke uHolofernesi wathi kuye: “Thola okuphuzwayo, ujabule nathi manje!”
18UJudithi wathi: “Ngiyakuphuza ngokujabula, nkosi yami, ngokuba namuhla lusuku olukhulu kunazo zonke empilweni yami selokhu ngazalwa.”
19Ngakho-ke wathatha, wadla futhi waphuza phambi kwakhe, lokho incekukazi yakhe eyayimlungisele khona. 20UHolofernesi wathokoza kakhulu ngaye, waphuza iwayini eliningi ngendlela ayengakaze aliphuze ngayo selokhu azalwa.
