UJudithi 13

₁Sekuhlwile izinceku zakhe zashesha zayophumula. UBhagowasi wayesevala itende ngaphandle, wazivalela ngaphandle zonke izikhonzi zenkosi yakhe. Bahamba bayolala ngokuba bonke babekhathele phela idili lalithathe isikhathi eside kakhulu. ₂Kepha uJudithi wasala yedwa edlangaleni kanye noHolofernesi owayelele ethe mbo ngobuso embhedeni wakhe, ngokuba lalimdake kakhulu iwayini. ₃UJudithi wayeyitshelile incekukazi yakhe ukuba ime ngaphandle kwegumbi lokulala imlinde aze aphume, njengokujwayelekile; ngokuba wayethe, uzakuhamba ayokwenza imikhuleko yakhe njengoba wayemtshele kanjalo noBhagowasi.

₄Ngakho-ke sebephumile bonke abancane nabakhulu akwasala noyedwa egumbini lokulala, uJudithi emile ngasembhedeni kaHolofernesi wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Awu! Nkosi Nkulunkulu Somandla, ngibheke ngaleli hora, ubone umsebenzi wezandla zami wokuphakamisa iJerusalema. ₅Manje sekuyisikhathi sokuba usize ifa lakho nesokufeza umsebenzi wami wokubhubhisa izitha ezisivukeleyo.”

₆UJudithi waya ngasensikeni yombhede eyayiseduze kwekhanda likaHolofernesi, wethula inkemba yakhe eyayiphanyekwe lapho. ₇Wasondela eduze kombhede, wabamba izinwele zekhanda lakhe, wathi: “Nginike amandla namuhla, Nkosi Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli!”

₈Wayesemgenca kabili entanyeni ngenkemba ngamandla akhe wonke, wanquma ikhanda lakhe. ₉Wayesesiginqa isidumbu sakhe esiwisa embhedeni, wahenqa umpheme kusuka ezinsikeni zawo. Waphuma masinyane emveni kwalokho wanikeza incekukazi yakhe ikhanda likaHolofernesi, ₁₀yona-ke yalifaka esikhwameni sayo sokuphatha ukudla; base bephuma bobabili njengenhlalayenza baya kokhuleka.

Badabula esigodini, bagudla izindonga bekhuphuka, baze bafika eBhethuliya esezintabeni, kwathi lapho besondela esangweni, ₁₁uJudithi wamemeza abaqaphi bomuzi ekude ethi: “Vulani! Vulani amasango! UNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wethu usenathi, uwabonakalisile amandla akhe ku-Israyeli, naphezu kwezitha zethu; ukwenzile lokhu ngalolu suku.”

₁₂Lapho amadoda omuzi ezwa izwi lakhe, ehla ngokushesha aphuthuma esangweni lomuzi ayesebiza nezikhulu zomuzi. ₁₃Bagijima bonke abancane nabadala, ngokuba kwakungakholakali ukuthi ubuyile, bavula isango ukuba bamemukele. Base bekhanyisa umlilo ukuze kube nokukhanya, babazungeza. ₁₄UJudithi wayesethi kubo ngezwi elikhulu: “Makadunyiswe uNkulunkulu! Makadunyiswe uNkulunkulu! ongawudedisile umusa wakhe endlini ka-Israyeli, ngokuba uzibhubhisile izitha zethu ngesandla sami kulobu busuku!”

₁₅Wayesekhipha ikhanda esikhwameni sakhe wabakhombisa lona, wathi kubo: “Bonani, nanti ikhanda likaHolofernesi, umkhuzi wempi yama-Asiriya, futhi nanku umpheme abelele ngaphansi kwawo edakwe ephelile. UNkulunkulu umdilizile wambhubhisa ngesandla sowesifazane. ₁₆Kuphila kukaNkulunkulu, ongivikele endleleni ebengiyihambile, ngiyafunga ngithi ngubuso bami obumyengele ekufeni, nokuthi akenzanga sono kimi, sokungingcolisa nokungithela ngehlazo.”

₁₇Bonke abantu bamangala kakhulu base bekhothama bamkhonza uNkulunkulu, bethi ngazwi linye: “Uyabongeka wena Nkulunkulu wethu, okuthe ngalolu lusuku wazithela ngehlazo izitha zabantu bakho.”

₁₈U-Uziya wayesethi kuye: “Ndodakazi, ubusisiwe nguNkulunkulu Ophezukonke ngaphezu kwesifazane sonke emhlabeni, futhi mayibongwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu, uMdali wezulu nomhlaba, okuqondisile ukuba unqume ikhanda lomholi wezitha zethu. ₁₉Ukholo lwakho alunakukhohlakala ezinhliziyweni zalabo abakhumbula amandla kaNkulunkulu kuze kube phakade. ₂₀Sengathi uNkulunkulu ngalesi senzo angakupha ukuhlonishwa okungapheliyo, akuvuze ngezibusiso, ngokuba udele ukuphila kwakho lapho isizwe sethu sidelelwa, futhi wakuvika ukubhujiswa kwethu, uhamba ngokukholeka phambi kukaNkulunkulu.”

Bonke abantu bathi: “Amen! Amen!”