Judith Chapter 14

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Dixit autem Iudith ad omnem populum: Audite me fratres, suspendite caput hoc super muros nostros:

2 Et erit, cum exierit Sol, accipiat unusquisque arma sua, et exite cum impetu, non ut descendatis deorsum, sed quasi impetum facientes.

3 Tunc exploratores necesse erit ut fugiant ad principem suum excitandum ad pugnam.

4 Cumque duces eorum cucurrerint ad tabernaculum Holofernis, et invenerint eum truncum in suo sanguine volutatum, decidet super eos timor.

5 Cumque cognoveritis fugere eos, ite post illos securi, quoniam Dominus conteret eos sub pedibus vestris.

6 Tunc Achior videns virtutem, quam fecit Deus Israel, relicto gentilitatis ritu, credidit Deo, et circumcidit carnem præputii sui, et appositus est ad populum Israel, et omnis successio generis eius usque in hodiernum diem.

7 Mox autem ut ortus est dies, suspenderunt super muros caput Holofernis, accepitque unusquisque vir arma sua, et egressi sunt cum grandi strepitu et ululatu.

8 Quod videntes exploratores, ad tabernaculum Holofernis cucurrerunt.

9 Porro hi, qui in tabernaculo erant, venientes, et ante ingressum cubiculi perstrepentes, excitandi gratia, inquietudinem arte moliebantur, ut non ab excitantibus, sed a sonantibus Holofernes evigilaret.

10 Nullus enim audebat cubiculum virtutis Assyriorum pulsando aut intrando aperire.

11 Sed cum venissent eius duces ac tribuni, et universi maiores exercitus regis Assyriorum, dixerunt cubiculariis:

12 Intrate, et excitate illum, quoniam egressi mures de cavernis suis, ausi sunt provocare nos ad prælium.

13 Tunc ingressus Vagao cubiculum eius, stetit ante cortinam, et plausum fecit manibus suis: suspicabatur enim illum cum Iudith dormire.

14 Sed cum nullum motum iacentis sensu aurium caperet, accessit proximans ad cortinam, et elevans eam, vidensque cadaver absque capite Holofernis in suo sanguine tabefactum iacere super terram, exclamavit voce magna cum fletu, et scidit vestimenta sua.

15 Et ingressus tabernaculum Iudith, non invenit eam, et exiliit foras ad populum,

16 et dixit: Una mulier Hebræa fecit confusionem in domo regis Nabuchodonosor: ecce enim Holofernes iacet in terra, et caput eius non est in illo.

17 Quod cum audissent principes virtutis Assyriorum, sciderunt omnes vestimenta sua, et intolerabilis timor et tremor cecidit super eos, et turbati sunt animi eorum valde.

18 Et factus est clamor incomparabilis in medio castrorum eorum.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).