Judith

1Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise. 2And Judith said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name. 3For God breaketh the battles: for among the camps in the midst of the people he hath delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me. 4Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents,…

1And when they that were in the tents heard, they were astonished at the thing that was done. 2And fear and trembling fell upon them, so that there was no man that durst abide in the sight of his neighbour, but rushing out all together, they fled into every way of the plain, and of the hill country. 3They also that had camped in the mountains round about Bethulia fled away. Then the children of Israel, every one that was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them. 4Then sent Ozias to Betomasthem, and to Bebai, and Chobai, and Cola…

1Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the highest place of your walls. 2And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out of the city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into the field toward the watch of the Assyrians; but go not down. 3Then they shall take their armour, and shall go into their camp, and raise up the captains…

1Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long. 2And Judith was left alone in the tent, and Holofernes lying alone upon his bed: for he was filled with wine. 3Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and to wait for her. coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she…

1Then he commanded to bring her in where his plate was set; and bade that they should prepare for her of his own meats, and that she should drink of his own wine. 2And Judith said, I will not eat thereof, lest there be an offence: but provision shall be made for me of the things that I have brought. 3Then Holofernes said unto her, If thy provision should fail, how should we give thee the like? for there be none with us of thy nation. 4Then said Judith unto him As thy soul liveth, my lord, thine handmaid shall…

1Then said Holofernes unto her, Woman, be of good comfort, fear not in thine heart: for I never hurt any that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor, the king of all the earth. 2Now therefore, if thy people that dwelleth in the mountains had not set light by me, I would not have lifted up my spear against them: but they have done these things to themselves. 3But now tell me wherefore thou art fled from them, and art come unto us: for thou art come for safeguard; be of good comfort, thou shalt live this night, and hereafter: 4For none…

1Now after that she had ceased to cry unto the God of Israel, and had made an end of all these words. 2She rose where she had fallen down, and called her maid, and went down into the house in the which she abode in the sabbath days, and in her feast days, 3And pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her body all over with water, and anointed herself with precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tire upon it, and put…

1Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and uncovered the sackcloth wherewith she was clothed; and about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord Judith cried with a loud voice, and said, 2O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gavest a sword to take vengeance of the strangers, who loosened the girdle of a maid to defile her, and discovered the thigh to her shame, and polluted her virginity to her reproach; for thou saidst, It shall not be so; and yet…

1Now at that time Judith heard thereof, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozel, the son of Elcia, the son of Ananias, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Acitho, the son of Eliu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Samael, the son of Salasadal, the son of Israel. 2And Manasses was her husband, of her tribe and kindred, who died in the barley harvest. 3For as he stood overseeing them that bound sheaves in the field, the heat came…

1The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel. 2Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude. 3And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the…