Chapter 1

When Nebuchadnezzar was king of the Assyrians,
he fought a war with King Arphaxad and his supporting nations.

Nebuchadnezzar sent a message to the nations near Assyria
to help him fight Arphaxad.

But the peoples of those places ignored Nebuchadnezzar.
They thought victory was beyond him.

But Nebuchadnezzar was in fact victorious
and after his victory he set out to punish the nations which
had refused his call for help.

第 1 章  

当时拿步高是亚述王，
他与阿法撒得王及他的支持国交战。  

拿步高向亚述附近的国家发出信息，
帮助他打阿法撒得。

但是那些地方的人对拿步高不予理会。
他们认为胜利对他遥不可及。  

但实际上是拿步高获胜，
而胜利后，他开始惩罚那些拒绝了他的求助之国家。  

Dear God, please help all nations to live in peace with each other

亲爱的神，请帮助所有国家彼此和平共处

Chapters 2 - 4

Nebuchadnezzar summoned his top general Holofernes
and gave him a huge army to punish the nations
that had not joined him for the war against Arphaxad.

Nation after nation, people after people, fell to the sword of Holofernes.

Some places  made peace with Holofernes
by giving him all their possessions and then becoming slaves of Nebuchadnezzar, worshipping Nebuchadnezzar as a god.

As the army of Holofernes approached Israel,
the Israelites fasted and  prayed to God for help.
They also blocked the mountain passes to delay Holofernes' advance.

第 2-4 章  

拿步高召唤他的总司令敖罗斐乃，
然后给他一支庞大的军队，
去处罚那些没有加入战争对抗阿法撒得的国家。  

国家一个又一个，人一个接一个，被敖罗斐乃的刀击毙。  

一些地方把他们所有的财产给他，
此外还成为拿步高的奴隶，
视拿步高为神般崇拜，藉此与敖罗斐乃和解。    

当敖罗斐乃的部队靠近以色列，
以色列人斋戒和向神祈求帮助。
他们还封锁了山口来拖延敖罗斐乃的前进。  

Dear God, please help nations
 which have been invaded by other nations

亲爱的神，请帮助受到别国入侵的国家

Chapter 5

When Holofernes heard that the Israelites were resisting him
he was very angry.

He asked Achior, leader of the neighboring Ammonites, for information about the Israelites.

Achior told Holofernes of the Israelites' history: how God had freed them from Egypt, how they had conquered the land of Canaan, and how God protected them.

Holofernes ignored Achior's advice and decided to attack the Israelites.

第 5 章  

当敖罗斐乃听说以色列人在抵抗他时，
他很愤怒。  

他问邻国阿孟人的统帅阿希约尔，有关以色列人的资料。  

阿希约尔告诉敖罗斐乃以色列人的经历：
神怎样从埃及释放他们，他们怎样占领客纳罕之地，
神怎样保护他们。  

敖罗斐乃忽视阿希约尔的忠告，
并决定攻打以色列人。  

Dear God, please protect our country from war and strife

亲爱的神，请保护我们的国家免受战争和斗争之害

Chapter 6

Holofernes not only ignored Achior's advice, he ridiculed him for suggesting that the Israelites could resist his army.

Holofernes then handed Achior over to the Israelites "to suffer the same punishment as they would receive from Holofernes' army."

第 6 章  

敖罗斐乃不仅忽视阿希约尔的忠告，他嘲笑他，因他认为以色列人可以抵抗他的军队。  

敖罗斐乃其后将阿希约尔交给以色列人“遭受相同的处罚，如同他们将会从敖罗斐乃的部队所接受到的。”  

Dear God, when people ridicule us for speaking the truth,
 please give us strength and courage

亲爱的神，当人们嘲笑我们说真理时，
请给我们力量和勇气

Chapter 7

Holofernes laid siege against the Israelite mountain town of Bethulia.

Holofernes seized control of Bethulia's  water supply springs,
thinking that thirst would force the Israelites to surrender.

For 34 days the siege continued, until the people of Bethulia were weak from thirst.

The people of Bethulia prayed hard to God for help.

The leaders of Bethulia planned to hold out for 5 more days
before surrendering.

A feeling of hopelessness hung over the town.

第 7 章  

敖罗斐乃围攻以色列山城拜突里雅。  

敖罗斐乃强行占有拜突里雅的供水泉，
认为干渴将迫使以色列人投降。  

围攻持续了三十四天，直到拜突里雅居民因干渴而虚弱。  

拜突里雅居民努力地向神祈求帮助。  

拜突里雅的首長计划再坚持五天才投降。  

绝望笼罩着全城。  

God, help of the helpless,
 please help people who are in big trouble

神，帮助无助的人，
请帮助处于严重困境的人

Chapter 8

Judith lived in Bethulia.  She had been a widow for 3 years.
She loved God, prayed all the time, and often fasted.

When she heard about the situation of Bethulia
she encouraged the elders to keep on trusting God for help.

第 8 章  

友弟德住在拜突里雅。 她巳守寡三年。
她爱神，时刻祈祷，并经常斋戒。  

当她听说拜突里雅的处境时，
她鼓励长老们继续信赖神的救助。  

Dear God, when life gets tough, help us to keep trusting you

 亲爱的神，当生活变得艰巨时，帮助我们坚持信任你

Chapter 9

Judith put ashes on her head, bowed with her face to the ground,
and prayed urgently to God:

"Lord God, help of the oppressed, support of the weak,
please hear my prayer and protect your people Israel."

第 9 章

友弟德将灰撒在头上，俯伏在地， 
并向神迫切地祈求：

“主神，帮助受压迫者，支持弱者，
请俯听我的祈祷和保护你的以色列子民。”  

Dear God, help us to imitate Judith
and pray to you with faith when we are in trouble

 亲爱的神，帮助我们效法友弟德，
以及在我们陷入困境时以信心向你祈求

Chapter 10

Judith put on her most beautiful clothes and jewelry.
Then she and her maid headed for the Assyrian camp.

She told the Assyrian soldiers that she was fleeing from Bethulia since it would soon be attacked.

She said she wanted to give Holofernes some important information.

The soldiers took her to meet Holofernes.

第 10 章

友弟德穿上她最漂亮的衣服和首饰。
然后她和她的使女前往亚述营地。  

她告诉亚述士兵，她从拜突里雅逃离，
因它不久将受到攻击。  

她说她想给敖罗斐乃一些重要消息。  

军人带她会晤敖罗斐乃。   

Dear God, please give us the courage of Judith

 亲爱的神，请给我们友弟德的勇气

Chapter 11

Judith was very clever when she spoke to Holofernes.
She told him that the Jews would be abandoned by God
if they broke God's laws.

She said that the Jews planned to break God's laws
in a few days by eating consecrated foods.

She said she would monitor the situation each day and let Holofernes know when the Jews were abandoned by God and ready to be attacked by Holofernes.

Judith's words and beauty won over Holofernes and his staff
and they agreed to her suggestions.

第 11 章

友弟德非常机灵当她对敖罗斐乃说话时。
她告诉他犹太人将被神遗弃，
如果他们违反神的法律。  

她说几天后犹太人打算吃祝圣过的食物，
而触犯神的法律。

她说她将每天监察有关情况，
当犹太人被神离弃时和适当时候被敖罗斐乃攻击，
就让敖罗斐乃知道。  

友弟德的话和美丽说服了敖罗斐乃和他的同僚，
于是他们同意她的建议。   

Dear God, please give us wisdom and tact
for dealing with difficult people

 亲爱的神，请给我们智慧和思路以应付难缠人

Chapter 12

Holofernes allowed Judith and her maid to stay in a special tent each night, and each morning to go to a spring near Bethulia to wash and pray.

After 3 days, Holofernes held a banquet for his staff.
He invited Judith to the banquet with the aim of seducing her.

Holofernes was so captivated by Judith's beauty
that he kept on drinking wine until he was drunk.

All the while Judith kept praying to God for strength and help.

第 12 章  

敖罗斐乃允许友弟德和她的使女每晚住宿在一座专用的帐幕，而每早到靠近拜突里雅的一个水泉去沐浴和祈祷。  

三天后，敖罗斐乃为他的同僚设宴。
他邀请友弟德出席宴会，打算勾引她。  

敖罗斐乃是如此着迷友弟德之美丽，
以至他不断喝酒，直到他喝醉。  

那时，友弟德不断向神祈求力量和帮助。  

Dear God, please give me
a bit more of Judith's faith and courage

 亲爱的神，请给我多一点友弟德的信心和勇气

Chapter 13

When the banquet was over at a late hour,
Judith was alone with Holofernes in his tent.
Holofernes lay drunk on his bed.

After praying to God for strength,
Judith used Holofernes' sword to cut off his head.

She went outside and gave the head to her maid.
Her maid put the head in her  bag.

Judith and her maid then left the camp
as they usually did when they went to pray early in the morning.

They went straight to Bethulia and showed Holofernes' head to the people.

The people were overcome with joy
and praised God for what he had done by the hand of a woman.

第 13 章  

当宴会在深夜结束时，
友弟德单独与敖罗斐乃在他的帐幕里。
敖罗斐乃醉躺在他的床上。

向神祈求力量后，
友弟德用敖罗斐乃的剑割下他的头颅。  

她走到外面和将头颅给她的使女。
她的使女将头颅放在她的袋里。  

友弟德和她的使女那时离开营地，
就如他们往常于大清早去祈祷。  

他们直往拜突里雅，然后给民众看敖罗斐乃的头颅。  

民众充满喜悦，并为他借着一个女人的手所做的事而称赞神。  

Dear God, please give people the courage to confront injustice

 亲爱的神，请给人们勇气去对抗不正义

Chapters  14, 15, 16

At daybreak the Jews attacked the Assyrian camp.
When the Assyrians realized that Holofernes was dead,
they panicked and fled.

The Jews gave thanks to God for all that Judith had done.

Judith praised the God of Israel for rescuing the Jews:

"Lord you are great, you are glorious,
wonderfully strong, unconquerable.
May all peoples love and serve you."

第 14、15、16 章  

天亮时犹太人攻击亚述营地。
当亚述人知道敖罗斐乃死了，
他们惊慌失措和逃亡。  

犹太人为友弟德所做的事感谢神。  

友弟德赞扬以色列神拯救犹太人：  

“主你是伟大的，你是荣耀的，
极强大，不可征服。
愿所有人爱你和侍奉你。”  

Dear God, thank you for the story of Judith.
Please help me imitate her faith

 亲爱的神，谢谢你友弟德的故事。
请帮我效法她的信心