UJudithi 15

₁Kwathi ukuba amadoda ayesemadlangaleni ezwe lokhu amangala ngokwakwenzekile. ₂Angenwa yingebhe aqhaqhazela ngenxa yokwesaba, akekho owalinda omunye, kodwa bonke babaleka kanye kanye bachitheka bagcwala amathafa, benqamula nasezintabeni. ₃Labo ababekanekise ngasezintabeni bezungeze iBhethuliya nabo babaleka. Ngakho-ke wonke amabutho akwa-Israyeli, aphuthuma abathelekela. ₄U-Uziya wathumela amadoda eBhayithomasithayimi, eBheyibhayi, eShoba, eKhoba naseKhola, nakuzo zonke izinhla zika-Israyeli, ukuzazisa ngokwenzekileyo nokubanxusa ukuba bonke baphuthume baxoshe isitha basibhubhise.

₅Lapho abakwa-Israyeli bekuzwa konke lokhu, baphuma kanye kanye basithelekela isitha, badicilela phansi ngenkemba abaningi kwaze kwaba seShoba. Ngokunjalo nababeseJerusalema nasezweni lezintaba baphuma, ngokuba babetsheliwe konke okwenzekileyo esikhungweni sempi yesitha sabo. Amadoda akwaGileyadi nawaseGalile abahlanganisela acekela phansi abaningi, ngisho nangaphesheya kweDamaseku nemingcele yalo. ₆Ezinye zezakhamuzi zaseBhethuliya zababela esikhungweni sempi yama-Asiriya zadla impango kuso, zathola nengcebo eningi kakhulu. ₇Abakwa-Israyeli, lapho bebuya ekubulaleni isitha, baphanga impahla yesitha eyayisele. Ngisho izigodi nemizi imbala zathola enkulu impango le, ngokuba yayiningi kakhulu.

₈Kwase kuthi uJowakimi umphristi omkhulu kanye nababusi bakwa-Israyeli ababakhe eJerusalema beza ukuzofakazisa izindaba ezinhle uNkulunkulu azenzele u-Israyeli, nokubona uJudithi bamfisele okuhle. ₉Lapho sebengenile bambona, bambusisa bonke ngazwilinye bathi: “Ungumqhele nodumo lweJerusalema, u-Israyeli uyazigqaja ngawe, isizwe sakithi siyaziqhenya kakhulu ngawe. ₁₀Ukwenzile konke lokhu ngesandla sakho; umenzele okuhle kakhulu u-Israyeli, uNkulunkulu uthokozile ngawe. Sengathi iNkosi uSomandla ingakubusisa kuze kube phakade!”

Bonke abantu bathi: “Amen.” ₁₁Bonke abantu baphanga isikhungo izinsuku ezingama-30. Bamnika uJudithi idlangala likaHolofernesi, nazo zonke izitsha zakhe zokudlela zesiliva, imibhede yakhe, izitsha zakhe ezifayo, nempahla yonke yakhe. Wakuthatha wakukhweza emnyuzini wakhe, wabophela inqola, walayisha kuyo impahla. ₁₂Bonke abesifazane bakwa-Israyeli bahlangana ndawonye ukuzombona, nokumbusisa, abanye babo bamsinela bemhlonipha. UJudithi wathatha okusamqhele okwakusesandleni sakhe wakunikeza abesifazane ababenaye; ₁₃kwase kuthi yena nalabo ababenaye bazethwesa imiqhele eyenziwe ngomnqumo, wabe esehamba esina phambi kwabantu bonke, ehola bonke abesifazane, onke amadoda akwa-Israyeli alandela ngemuva, ehlomile futhi ehlobe ngemigexo yezimbali ehuba amahubo.

₁₄UJudithi waqala ukuhlabelela le ngoma yokubonga phambi kuka-Israyeli wonkana, abantu bonke bahlokoma bevuma le ngoma yendumiso.