UJudithi Namantombazane Akhe Baya Lapho Kukanise Khona UHolofernesi
1Lapho uJudithi eseqedile ukukhala kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli futhi esekhulume konke, 2waphakama lapho ayelele khona ethe cu ngesisu, wayesebiza incekukazi yakhe ethembekile, behla babuyela endlini ayehlala kuyo ngezinsuku zesabatha kanye nezemikhosi. 3Wazikhumula izingubo zamasaka ayezigqokile, wakhumula nenzilo, wayesegeza umzimba wakhe ngamanzi, wazigcoba ngamafutha amahle, wacwala izinwele zekhanda lakhe, wafaka ibande lokubamba izinwele, wayesegqoka ezenjabulo ayezigqoka umyeni wakhe uManase esaphila. 4Wafaka izicathulo ezinyaweni zakhe, wagqiza imigexo emaqakaleni nasezingalweni zakhe, wafaka izindandatho namacici, nakho konke okunye ayevunula ngakho futhi wazenza wakhangisa kakhulu ukuheha noma yiyiphi indoda engahle imbone.
5Wanika incekukazi yakhe ethembekile imbizana yewayini kanye nojeke wamafutha, wagcwalisa isaka ngezinhlamvu ezigazingiwe, ngamakhiwane omisiwe, ngesinkwa esicolekile; wayesesonga zonke izitsha zakhe wazinikeza yona. 6Base bephuma ngesango lomuzi waseBhethuliya bamfica u-Uziya emi lapho ekanye nezikhulu zomuzi, oKhabhirini kanye noKharimini. 7Lapho bembona, sesiguquliwe isimo sobuso bakhe futhi egqoke ngokwehlukile, bamangala kakhulu ngobuhle bakhe obukhulu, bathi kuye: 8“Sengathi uNkulunkulu wokhokho bethu angakwenzela umusa, futhi alifeze icebo lakho, ukuze abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathokoze neJerusalema liphakanyiswe.”
9UJudithi wakhothama phambi kukaNkulunkulu wayesethi kubo: “Yalani ukuba isango lomuzi livulwe ukuze ngiphume ngifeze lezi zinto enizikhulume nami.”
Ngakho-ke bayala izinsizwa ukuba zimvulele njengokucela kwakhe. 10Sebemvulele, uJudithi waphuma ephelekezelwa incekukazi yakhe ethembekile. Amadoda omuzi ambuka ehla waze wayofinyelela phansi nentaba, wedlula esigodini waze wayosithela.
UJudithi Uyabanjwa
11Kwathi besadabula isigodi bazithela ezinhlolini zama-Asiriya, 12zambamba zamvalela, zase zimbuza zathi: “Ungowasiphi isizwe, uqhamukaphi, uyaphi futhi?”
Wathi: “Ngiyindodakazi yamaHebheru, kodwa ngiyabaleka kubo ngokuba sekuseduze ukuba banikelwe kini nibabhubhise. 13Ngisendleleni ngiyobona uHolofernesi umkhuzi wempi yenu enamandla, ukuba ngimnikeze umbiko oyiqiniso futhi ngiyakumkhombisa indlela angahamba ngayo alidle lonke elisezintabeni, kungabikho noyedwa kubantu bakhe ofayo, noma oyosala enkundleni.”
14Lapho la madoda esezwile amazwi akhe futhi ebona ubuso bakhe amangala, phela wayemuhle ngokumangalisayo emehlweni awo, athi kuye: 15“Uyisindisile impilo yakho ngokushesha wehle ukuzobona inkosi yethu. Hamba njengamanje uye edlangaleni layo, abanye phakathi kwethu bazokuphelezela bakunikele esandleni sayo. 16Lapho usumi phambi kwayo ungabi naluvalo, kodwa yitshele lokho okukhulume kithi, iyokuphatha kahle.”
17Bakhetha amadoda ayikhulu phakathi kwabo ukuba amphelekezele yena kanye nencekukazi yakhe, babayisa edlangaleni likaHolofernesi. 18Kwaba khona ukuthokoza okukhulu esikhungweni sonke, ngokuba ukufika kwakhe kwabikwa idlangala ngedlangala. Beza bafika bamzungeza esemi ngaphandle kwedlangala likaHolofernesi, njengoba ayelinde ukuba baze bambike. 19Bamangaliswa ngubuhle bakhe, bancoma abakwa-Israyeli ngenxa yobuhle bakhe. Bafakana imilomo bathi: “Ubani ongabukela phansi laba bantu, abanabafazi abafana nalona? Akufanele ukuba sishiye neyodwa indoda phakathi kwabo iphila, ngokuba uma sibayeka, bayakudida umhlaba wonke!”
20Base bephuma abaqaphi bakaHolofernesi nazo zonke izinceku zakhe, base bemusa edlangaleni. 21UHolofernesi wayephumule embhedeni wakhe ngaphansi kompheme owawelukwe ngezibubende nezegolide, nge-emeraldi namanye amatshe amahle. 22Lapho sebemtshelile ngoJudithi, weza phambi kwedlangala, eholwa ngabaphethe izibani zesiliva. 23Lapho uJudithi efika phambi kukaHolofernesi nezinceku zakhe, bamangala bonke ngobuhle bakhe. Wawa phansi ngobuso bakhe ekhombisa inhlonipho, kodwa izinceku zikaHolofernesi zamphakamisa.
