Глава 6

1–9. Indignant speech of Holofernes in response to the speech of Achior. 10–17. Achior is taken to Bethulia and, captured by the Israelites, tells them everything that has just happened in the camp of Holofernes. 18–21. Affectionate welcome to Ahioru from the touched people. Judith 6:1 When the noise around the assembly had subsided, Holofernes, the commander of the army of Assyria, said to Ahior before all the foreign people and all the sons of Moab: Judith.6:2 Who are you, Achior, with the mercenaries of Ephraim, who prophesied to us today and said that we should not fight with the family of Israel, because God protects them? Who is God if not Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his power and wipe them out from the face of the earth, and their God will not deliver them. Judith.6:3 But we his servants will smite them as one man, and they will not be able to withstand the strength of our horses. Judith 6:4 We will trample them underfoot; Their mountains will be drunk with their blood, their plains will be filled with their corpses, and the sole of their feet will not stand against our face, but they will perish in destruction, says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of all the earth. For he has spoken, and the words of his commands will not be in vain. Judith 6:5 But you, Achior, hireling of Ammon, who spoke these words in the day of your iniquity, from this day forward you will not see my face again until I take vengeance on this people who came from Egypt. Judith 6:6 When I return, the sword of my army and the crowd of my servants will pass through your sides, and you will fall among their wounded. Judith 6:7 My servants will take you to the hill country and leave you in one of the cities on the high places, Judith 6:8 And you will not die there until you are destroyed with them. Judith 6:9 If you hope in your heart that they will not be taken, do not let your face fall. I said, and not one of my words will be lost. 1–9. Holofernes's response tries, firstly, to put his God, Nebuchadnezzar, in the place of the God of Israel; secondly, it expresses complete confidence in the success of the attack on the Israelis. The very method of punishing Achior was an expression of this conviction. Having sentenced him to death, Holofernes releases him freely to the enemy side, thereby showing the highest degree of confidence that he will not escape his fate and, together with this entire country, will again fall into their hands. “Let not your face fall,” i.e. from sorrow, doubt, cowardice (1 Samuel 17:32). These words must be understood, apparently, in an ironic sense. Holofernes presents Achior here as if he still wanted to conquer the Israelites, despite the doubts expressed about their victory and the fact that this conquest, which was supposed to decide the fate of Achior, could hardly please him particularly. Holofernes, who did not allow Achior to doubt, tries to “comfort” him with his confidence, and this consolation, given the above condition, which made the conquest of the Israelites by the execution of Achior, of course, could only sound like poisonous irony for the latter. How can we explain such an attitude towards Achior for his act, which did not reveal anything treasonous or unpatriotic in him, but, on the contrary, was even distinguished by such devoted truthfulness and prudence? This can only be explained by the painfully extreme arrogance of Holofernes and his accomplices, who placed their forces so highly that the very doubt of their success seemed insolence and an insult, especially given such extreme insignificance of the enemy’s forces. The same arrogance of Holofernes could only have come up with such a sensitive revenge on Achior, like surrender into the hands of his enemies - with the prospect of certain death, if not from them, then together with them, about whom he gave such a flattering description. Judith.6:10 And Holofernes ordered his servants who stood in his tent to take Achior, take him to Bethulia, and deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel. Judith 6:11 His servants seized him and took him outside the camp to the field, and from the middle of the plain they went up into the hill country and came to the springs that were near Bethulia. Judith.6:12 When the inhabitants of the city on the top of the mountain saw them, they took up their weapons and, going out of the city to the top of the mountain, all the slinger men guarded their sunrise and threw stones at them. 12. “When the people of the city on the top of the mountain saw them.” The last words “on the top of the mountain”, when reading this verse quickly, sound like an adverbial adverb of place to the verb “saw” (where?). In fact, these words form the definition of the word "cities" and should be read in conjunction with it ("cities on the top of a mountain"). As can be seen from the further verse 13, those accompanying Achior could hardly bring him only to the foot of the mountain, where they left him tied, and according to the Vulgate, barely tied to a tree with his hands and feet. Judith 6:13 And they, coming down the mountain, tied up Achior and, leaving him abandoned at the foot of the mountain, went to their master. Judith 6:14 And the children of Israel, coming out of their city, stood over him, and untying him, brought him to Bethulia, and presented him to the rulers of their city, Judith 6:15 which in those days were Uzziah the son of Micah of the tribe of Simeon, Chabri the son of Othniel, and Charmias the son of Melchiel. Judith 6:16 They called all the elders of the city, and all their young men and wives ran into the assembly, and they appointed Achior among all their people, and Uzziah asked him what had happened. Judith.6:17 He answered and related to them the words of the assembly of Holofernes, and all the words which he had spoken among the leaders of the children of Asshur, and all the arrogant speeches of Holofernes about the house of Israel. Judith 6:18 Then the people fell down, worshiped God and cried: Judith 6:19 Lord, God of Heaven! look at their pride and have mercy on the humility of our race, and look at the face of those sanctified by You on this day. 19. “Look upon the face of those who are sanctified by You” - By these “sanctified” (“You”) we must understand here not only the priests and Nazarenes, but also the entire Jewish people as the chosen people of God. Judith 6:20 And they comforted Achior and praised him. 20. The consolation of Achior and the praise of his behavior before Holofernes on the part of the people, instead of the torment of the captive supposed by Holofernes, gave, as it were, a foreshadowing of further disappointments that were about to befall the enemies of Israel. On the other hand, it is necessary to establish that the truthfulness of Achior, manifested in the assembly of Uzziah no less than in the assembly of Holofernes, was the result of his marked affection for the people of Jehovah - a affection later completed by a formal and convinced adherence to Judaism through circumcision. Judith 6:21 Then Uzziah took him from the congregation to his house and made a feast for the elders, and all that night they called on the God of Israel for help.