Motse oa Bethulia oa thibeloa
1Ka letsatsi le hlahlamang, Holofernese a laela lebotho lohle la hae le batlatsani bohle ba hae ba bangata-ngata, ba neng ba ikopantse le eena, ho tsamaea ho leba Bethulia, ho hapa likhoro tsa lithaba le ho simolla tlhaselo ea Baiseraele. 2Banna bohle ba shahlileng ba kena tseleng mohlang oo. Lebotho la bahlabani le ne le etsa lekholo le mashome a supileng a likete a ba litaaso, le likete tse leshome le metso e 'meli tsa bapalami, re se re sa re letho ka palohali ea ba lithoto le ba litaaso ba li hlokometseng. 3Ba lara phuleng e haufi le Bethulia, pel'a seliba, 'me liahelo tsa bona li ne li le sephara ba ho tloha Dotane ho ea Belemaine, le bolelele ba ho tloha Bethulia ho ea Kiamone, e shebaneng le Jesereele.
4Ha Baiseraele ba bona letšoelehali lena, ba tšoha haholo; ba buisana ba re: “Joale ba tla phoqola naha eohle; ha ho lithaba tse telele, likhohlo kapa maralla, a tla tseba ho jara boima bo joalo.” 5Monna e mong le e mong a tšoara lihlomo tsa hae; ba besa mello holim'a litora, 'me ba lala ba lebetse bosiu bohle. 6Ka letsatsi la bobeli Holofernese a betsa ka lebotho lohle la bapalami, hore le bonoe ke Baiseraele ba Bethulia. 7A hloela matsoapo a nyolohelang ka motseng, a hlahloba liliba moo metsi a ka fumanoang teng; a li hapa, a ba a bea bahlabani pel'a tsona, 'me a khutlela lebothong le leholo.
8Eaba mahosana 'ohle a Baedomo, baetapele bohle ba sechaba sa Moabe, le balaoli seterekeng se lebopong la leoatle, ba tla ho eena, 'me ba re: 9“Mong'a rona ha a ka mamela keletso ea rona, lebotho la hae ha le na ho bolaeloa batho. 10Baiseraele ha baa tšepa hakaalo-kaalo marumo, empa ba tšepile haholo bophahamo ba lithaba, moo ba ahileng teng; hobane ha ho bonolo ho hloella litlhorong tseo tsa habo bona. 11Taba ha li le tjena, monghali, u se ke ua e hlanaka ka ho otloloha le bona, 'me u ke ke ua lahleheloa le ke ea mong oa bahlabani ba hao. 12Sala mona liahelong, le bahlabani bohle ba lebotho la hao, ha ba bang ba bahlanka ba hao ba il'o hapa seliba se kollang mosikong oa thaba; 13hobane ke sona se fepelang baahi ba Bethulia metsi ao ba a hlokang. Lenyora le tla ba qobella ho neelana ka motse oa bona. Ha e le rona le bahlabani ba habo rona, re tla hloella lihlorong tsa lithaba tse haufi-ufi, 'me re tla lara teng ho ba thibella hore ho se be le ea mong ea ka tsoang motseng. 14Ba tla bolaoa ke tlala, bona le basali ba bona le bana ba bona; 'me le pele sabole e ba thetsa, ba tla be ba se ba rapaletse mapatlelong a motse ka thoko ho matlo a bona. 15Ebe u tla ba lefisa haboima ka baka la ho u tella, le ho hana ho u khahlametsa ka khotso.”
16Mantsoe ana a khahla Holofernese 'moho le batlatsi ba hae, 'me a laela hore ho etsoe kamoo ba boletseng kateng. 17Ka hona lebotho la Bamoabe la hatela pele 'moho le Baasiria ba likete tse hlano. Ba ea lara sekhutlong 'me ba hapa metsi le liliba tsa Baiseraele. 18Baedomo le Baamone bona ba nyoloha, ba lara lihlabeng tse shebaneng le Dotane, 'me ba romela ba bang ba bona nq'a boroa le bochabela ho ella ho Ekrebele, e haufi le Kuse, lebopong la molatsoana oa Mokemure. Lebotho le setseng la Baasiria la lara phuleng, 'me la aparela lefatše leo lohle, litente le thoto ea bona li tletse sebaka seo; e ne e le boieane bo tšabehang.
19Baiseraele ba ile ba hooa ho Morena Molimo oa bona, ba nyahame lipelo hobane sera se ne se ba likalikelitse, se ba khaotse mecha eohle. 20Ka matsatsi a mashome a mararo a metso e mene, lebotho la Baasiria, ba litaaso le ba likariki le bapalami, le ne le ba thibeletse. Baahi ba Bethulia ba qetella ba se ba se na metsi le letho linkhong tsa bona. 21Matamo a motse a e-psha, ba haelloa ke metsi a nooang, ba sitoa ho tlosa lenyora leha e le ka letsatsi le le leng, kaha metsi a bona a ne a laoloa. 22Bana ba bona ba fokola, basali le bahlankana ba ilibana ke lenyora; ba akheha mapatlelong le pel'a likhoro tsa motse, ba feletsoe ke matla.
23Sechaba sohle, bahlankana le basali le bana, ba khobokanela Usiea le beng ba motse ba hlabile mekhosi ka pele ho baholo bohle ba motse, ba re: 24“Molimo e ke e be moahloli pakeng tsa rona le lona, hobane le re sitetsoe ka ho se kope khotso ho Baasiria. 25Joale, ha ho mang kapa mang ea ka re thusang; Molimo o re neetse matsohong a bona, hore re bolaoe ke lenyora re rapaletse pel'a bona re shoele. 26Ba bitseng hang-hang; neelanang ka motse oohle hore o haptjoe ke batho ba Holofernese le ke lebotho la hae. 27Ho molemo ho rona ho ba khapo ea bona, le ho fetoha makhoba a bona, ha feela re ntse re phela, ho e-na le ho bona ka mahlo a rona ha masea a rona a e-shoa, le basali le bana ba rona ba neela moea. 28Ka leholimo le lefatše, ka Molimo oa rona le Morena oa bo-ntat'a rona, ea re otlang ka baka la libe tsa rona le libe tsa bo-ntat'a rona, rea le rapela hore le nke bohato bona hona kajeno.”
29Eaba phutheho kaofela e lla sello se hlomolang, 'me bohle ba hooa ho Morena Molimo ka mantsoe a phefa. 30Usiea a re ho bona: “Betang lipelo, bana beso. A re tiisetseng matsatsi a mahlano hape. Ka nako eo Morena Molimo oa rona o tla re hauhela, a ke ke a re furalla tu! 31Ha nako eo e fetile ho sa bonahale thuso e re hlahelang, ke tla etsa kamoo le boletseng kateng.” 32Joale a qhala batho ho ea libakeng tse fapakaneng tsa bona. Banna ba ea lebela marako le litora tsa motse; basali le bana ba romeloa malapeng. Motse o ne o aparetsoe ke mosarelo o tšabehang.
