Judith Chapter 15

Other Translations

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

1 Cumque omnis exercitus decollatum Holofernem audisset, fugit mens et consilium ab eis, et solo tremore et metu agitati, fugæ præsidium sumunt,

2 ita ut nullus loqueretur cum proximo suo, sed inclinato capite, relictis omnibus, evadere festinabant Hebræos, quos armatos super se venire audiebant, fugientes per vias camporum et semitas collium.

3 Videntes itaque filii Israel fugientes, secuti sunt illos. Descenderuntque clangentes tubis, et ululantes post ipsos.

4 Et quoniam Assyrii non adunati, in fugam ibant præcipites: filii autem Israel uno agmine persequentes, debilitabant omnes, quos invenire potuissent.

5 Misit itaque Ozias nuncios per omnes civitates et regiones Israel.

6 Omnis itaque regio, omnisque urbs electam iuventutem armatam misit post eos, et persecuti sunt eos in ore gladii, quousque pervenirent ad extremitatem finium suorum.

7 Reliqui autem, qui erant in Bethulia, ingressi sunt castra Assyriorum, et prædam, quam fugientes Assyrii reliquerant, abstulerunt, et onustati sunt valde.

8 Hi vero, qui victores reversi sunt ad Bethuliam, omnia quæ erant illorum attulerunt secum, ita ut non esset numerus in pecoribus, et iumentis, et universis mobilibus eorum, ut a minimo usque ad maximum omnes divites fierent de prædationibus eorum.

9 Ioacim autem summus pontifex de Ierusalem venit in Bethuliam cum universis presbyteris suis ut videret Iudith.

10 Quæ cum exisset ad illum, benedixerunt eam omnes una voce, dicentes: Tu gloria Ierusalem, tu lætitia Israel, tu honorificentia populi nostri:

11 quia fecisti viriliter, et confortatum est cor tuum, eo quod castitatem amaveris, et post virum tuum, alterum nescieris: ideo et manus Domini confortavit te, et ideo eris benedicta in æternum.

12 Et dixit omnis populus: Fiat, fiat.

13 Per dies autem triginta, vix collecta sunt spolia Assyriorum a populo Israel.

14 Porro autem universa, quæ Holofernis peculiaria fuisse probata sunt, dederunt Iudith in auro, et argento, et vestibus, et gemmis, et omni supellectili, et tradita sunt omnia illi a populo.

15 Et omnes populi gaudebant cum mulieribus, et virginibus, et iuvenibus, in organis, et citharis.

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).