Judit 10
Dios Habla Hoy
Judit va al campamento de Holofernes
10 En cuanto Judit terminó de orar en voz alta al Dios de Israel y de decir todas estas palabras, 2 se puso de pie, llamó a su criada y bajó al piso inferior de su casa, donde acostumbraba pasar los sábados y las fiestas. 3 Se quitó las ropas ásperas que llevaba puestas y los vestidos de viuda, se bañó, se untó perfumes, se peinó y se puso una diadema, y se vistió con ropa de fiesta, como lo hacía cuando vivía su esposo Manasés. 4 Luego se puso sandalias, brazaletes, collares, anillos, aretes y, en fin, todas sus joyas; se arregló lo mejor que pudo, como para llamar la atención de cualquier hombre que la viera. 5 Le dio a su criada una garrafa de vino y una botella de aceite, llenó un costal con harina de cebada, tortas de higos y pan puro, lo empaquetó todo en el costal, y se lo entregó a su criada para que lo llevara.
6 Salieron hacia la puerta de Betulia y encontraron allí a Ozías y a los ancianos de la ciudad, Cabris y Carmis. 7 Al verla, tan transformada en su aspecto y vestida de manera tan diferente, se quedaron sumamente admirados de su belleza, y le dijeron:
8 —El Dios de nuestros antepasados haga que seas bien recibida y te ayude a realizar tus planes, para orgullo de los israelitas y gloria de Jerusalén.
9 Ella se inclinó para adorar a Dios, y les dijo:
—Manden que me abran la puerta de la ciudad, y yo iré a hacer lo que ustedes han dicho.
Ellos ordenaron a los guardias que le abrieran la puerta, como había pedido. 10 Así lo hicieron, y Judit salió acompañada de su criada. Los hombres de la ciudad la vieron bajar el monte y atravesar el valle, y luego la perdieron de vista.
11 Ellas fueron derecho a través del valle, hasta que se encontraron con un puesto de avanzada de los asirios. 12 Los soldados detuvieron a Judit y le preguntaron:
—¿De qué nación eres? ¿De dónde vienes, y a dónde vas?
—Soy hebrea —respondió ella—, pero estoy huyendo de los de mi nación, porque pronto caerán en poder de ustedes y serán destruidos. 13 Quiero ver a Holofernes, el comandante del ejército de ustedes, para darle informes seguros. Quiero indicarle por dónde puede penetrar y apoderarse de toda la región montañosa sin perder un solo soldado.
14 Al oír los soldados su respuesta y fijarse en su aspecto, se quedaron maravillados de su belleza. Entonces le dijeron:
15 —Te has salvado al darte prisa en venir a ver a nuestro comandante. Acércate hasta su tienda de campaña; algunos de nosotros te escoltaremos hasta dejarte con él. 16 Cuando estés en su presencia, no te asustes; dale la información que traes, y él te tratará bien.
17 Entonces escogieron a cien hombres para que acompañaran a Judit y a su criada y las llevaran hasta la tienda de Holofernes.
18 Apenas la noticia de su llegada se extendió por el campamento, los soldados corrieron de todas partes a reunirse alrededor de ella, que, frente a la tienda de Holofernes, esperaba que le anunciaran a éste su llegada. 19 Maravillados de la belleza de Judit, pensaban que los israelitas debían de ser gente admirable, y se decían unos a otros: «¿Quién va a menospreciar a un pueblo que tiene mujeres así? No hay que dejar con vida ni a uno solo de sus hombres, pues los que queden son capaces de dominar con engaños a todo el mundo.»
20 La guardia privada de Holofernes y los demás oficiales a su servicio salieron e hicieron entrar a Judit en la tienda. 21 Holofernes estaba recostado en su cama, debajo de un pabellón de púrpura bordado en oro y adornado con esmeraldas y piedras preciosas. 22 Cuando le dijeron que ella estaba allí, salió a la entrada de la tienda. Delante de él llevaban lámparas de plata. 23 Cuando Judit se presentó delante de él y de sus oficiales de servicio, todos se quedaron maravillados de su belleza. Ella se inclinó ante él en señal de reverencia, pero los criados la levantaron.
Judith 10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 10
Judith Prepares to Depart. 1 As soon as Judith had ceased her prayer to the God of Israel and finished all these words, 2 she rose from the ground. She called her maid and they went down into the house, which she used only on sabbaths and feast days. 3 She took off the sackcloth she had on, laid aside the garments of her widowhood, washed her body with water, and anointed herself with rich ointment. She arranged her hair, put on a diadem, and dressed in the festive attire she had worn while her husband, Manasseh, was living.(A) 4 She chose sandals for her feet, and put on her anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her other jewelry.(B) Thus she made herself very beautiful, to entice the eyes of all the men who should see her.[a]
5 She gave her maid a skin of wine and a jug of oil. She filled a bag with roasted grain, dried fig cakes, and pure bread.[b](C) She wrapped all her dishes and gave them to the maid to carry.(D)
6 Then they went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia and found Uzziah and the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis, standing there. 7 When they saw Judith transformed in looks and differently dressed, they were very much astounded at her beauty and said to her, 8 “May the God of our ancestors grant you favor and make your design successful, for the glory of the Israelites and the exaltation of Jerusalem.” 9 Judith bowed down to God.
Judith and Her Maid Leave Bethulia. Then she said to them, “Order the gate of the city opened for me, that I may go to accomplish the matters we discussed.” So they ordered the young men to open the gate for her, as she had requested, 10 and they did so. Then Judith and her maidservant went out. The men of the city kept her in view as she went down the mountain and crossed the valley; then they lost sight of her.
IV. Judith Goes out to War[c]
11 As Judith and her maid walked directly across the valley, they encountered the Assyrian patrol. 12 The men took her in custody and asked her, “To what people do you belong? Where do you come from, and where are you going?”(E) She replied: “I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from them, because they are about to be delivered up to you as prey. 13 I have come to see Holofernes, the ranking general of your forces, to give him a trustworthy report; in his presence I will show him the way by which he can ascend and take possession of the whole hill country without a single one of his men suffering injury or loss of life.”(F)
14 When the men heard her words and gazed upon her face, which appeared marvelously beautiful to them, they said to her, 15 “By hastening down to see our master, you have saved your life. Now go to his tent; some of us will accompany you to hand you over to him. 16 When you stand before him, have no fear in your heart; give him the report you have given us, and he will treat you well.” 17 So they selected a hundred of their men as an escort for her and her maid, and these conducted them to the tent of Holofernes.
18 As the news of her arrival spread among the tents, a crowd gathered in the camp. They came and stood around her as she waited outside the tent of Holofernes, while he was being informed about her. 19 They marveled at her beauty, regarding the Israelites with wonder because of her, and they said to one another, “Who can despise this people who have such women among them? It is not good to leave one of their men alive, for if any were to be spared they could beguile the whole earth.”
Judith Meets Holofernes. 20 Then the guards of Holofernes and all his attendants came out and ushered her into the tent. 21 Holofernes was reclining on his bed under a canopy[d] woven of purple, gold, emeralds, and other precious stones. 22 When they announced her to him, he came out to the front part of the tent, preceded by silver lamps. 23 When Judith came before Holofernes and his attendants, they all marveled at the beauty of her face. She fell prostrate and paid homage to him, but his servants raised her up.(G)
Footnotes
- 10:4 Judith’s beauty overcomes all who meet her (8:7; 10:7, 14, 19, 23; 11:21, 23; 12:13).
- 10:5 Concern for Israel’s dietary laws, reflected in her selection of wine, roasted grain, and bread, emphasizes Judith’s religious fidelity (cf. 1 Sm 25:18 and Dn 1:8–16).
- 10:11–13:20 In this section Judith and her maid arrive in the Assyrian camp (10:11–19), where Judith meets (10:20–12:9) and triumphs over Holofernes (12:10–13:10a). Then she and her maid return to Bethulia and announce the victory (13:10b–20).
- 10:21 Canopy: netting for protection against insects. A prized possession in this story (cf. 13:15; 16:19).
Dios habla hoy ®, © Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas, 1966, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1996.
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