Book of Judith Reader

"Let not this fair gentlewoman fear to approach my lord and to be honored in his presence, and to drink wine and be merry with us,

and to become this day like one of the daughters of the Assyrians, who serve in the house of Nebuchadnezzar."

Then Judith said to him, "Who am I now, that I should contradict my lord? Surely whatever pleases him I will do without hesitation, and it will be my joy until the day of my death."

So she arose, and she decked herself out with her apparel and all her woman's attire.

And her maid went and laid soft skins on the ground for her opposite Holofernes, which she had received from Bagoas for her daily use, so that she might sit and eat upon them.

Now when Judith came in and sat down with Holofernes, his heart was inflamed with her, and his mind was stirred up, and he greatly desired her company; for he had been waiting for sometime to deceive her, even from the day that he had first seen her. Then Holofernes said to her, "Drink now and be merry with us."

So Judith said, "I will drink now, my lord, because my life is exalted in me this day more than all the days since I was born." Then she took and ate and drank before him the things which her maid had prepared.

And Holofernes took great delight in her, and he drank more wine than he had drunk at any time in one day since he was born.

Now when evening had arrived, his servants hurried to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent from the outside 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.

And Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes lying by himself on his bed, for he was filled with wine.

Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand outside her bedroom and to wait for her to go forth, as she did daily; for she said she would go forth to her prayers,

So everyone left and no one was left in the bedroom, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart:

"O Lord God of all power, look at this time upon the works of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.

For now is the time to help your inheritance and to execute your purposes for the destruction of the enemies who have risen against us."

Then she went to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes' head, and took down his broadsword from there.

And she approached his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, "Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day."

And she twice struck his neck with all her might, and she took his head away from him. And she tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and, soon after, she went out

and gave the head of Holofernes to her maid. And she put it in her bag of meat,

so these two went together, according to their custom, to prayer; and when they passed the camp, they circled the valley and went up the mountain of Bethulia and came to its gates.

Then Judith said, from far off to the watchmen at the gate,

"Open, open the gate now! God, our God, is with us to show his power yet in Jerusalem and his forces against the enemy, as he has truly done on this day!"

Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they hurried down to the gate of their city and they called the elders of the city.

And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was surprising to them that she had returned. So they opened the gate and received them;

and they made a fire for a light, and they stood all around them.

"Praise, praise God, praise God, I say, for he has not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by my hands this night."

So she took the head out of the bag and showed it and said to them,

"Behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, and behold the canopy where he had lain in his drunkenness; and the Lord has struck him by the hand of a woman.

As the Lord lives, who has preserved me in the path that I took, my attractiveness has deceived him to his destruction, and yet he did not commit sin with me, to defile and shame me."

Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God,

and said with one accord, "Blessed are you, O our God, who has this day brought to nothing the enemies of your people!"

Then Uzziah said to her, "O daughter, blessed are you of the most high God above all the women upon the earth;

and blessed is the Lord God, who has created the heavens and the earth, who guided you in cutting off the head of the chief of our enemies.

Because of this, your resoluteness will not depart from the heart of men, who will remember the power of God for ever.

And may God turn these things to your benefit as a perpetual praise, to assist you in good things because you have not withheld your life during the affliction of our nation, but have revenged our ruin, walking a straight path before our God."

Then Judith said to them, "Hear me now, my brethren! Take this head and hang it on the highest place of your walls!

And so, as soon as morning appears and the sun shines upon the earth, everyone must take his weapons and go forth, every valiant man out of the city, and with a captain set over them, as though you were going down into the field toward the watch of the Assyrians; but do not go down.

Then they will take their armour and go into their camp and call for the captains of the army of Assur;

and they will run to the tent of Holofernes, but will not find him; then fear will fall upon them, and they will flee before your face.

So then you, and all who inhabit the coast of Israel, will pursue them and overthrow them as they go.

But before you do these things, call Achior the Ammonite to me, so that he may see and know him who despised the house of Israel and who sent him to us as if to his death."

Then they called Achior out of the house of Uzziah; and when he arrived and saw the head of Holofernes in a man's hand in the assembly of the people, he fell down on his face and fainted.

But when they had revived him, he fell at Judith's feet and reverenced her and said,

"Blessed are you in all the tents of Judah and in all nations, who when they hear your name will be astonished.

Now therefore tell me all the things which you have done in these days."

Then Judith declared to him in the midst of the people all that she had done, from the day that she went forth until that hour when she spoke to them.

And when she had finished speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice and made a joyful noise in their city.

And when Achior had seen all that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God greatly; and he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin and was joined to the house of Israel unto this day.

And as soon as morning arose, they hung the head of Holofernes on the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by bands to the straits of the mountain.

But when the Assyrians saw them, they sent word to their leaders, who went to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers. So they came to Holofernes' tent,

and said to him who had the charge of all his things, "Awaken our lord now, for the slaves have been so bold as to come down against us in battle, so that they may be utterly destroyed."

Then Bagoas went in and knocked at the door of the tent; for he thought that he had slept with Judith.

But, because no one answered, he opened it and went into the bedroom;

and he found him cast upon the floor dead, and his head had been taken from him. Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping and sighing and a mighty cry, and he tore his garments.

After this, he went into the tent where Judith lodged, and when he did not find her, he dashed out to the people and cried,

These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews has brought shame on the house of king Nebuchadnezzar;

for, behold, Holofernes lies on the ground without a head!

When the captains of the Assyrians' army heard these words, they tore their coats, and their minds were exceptionally troubled;

and there was a cry and a very great noise throughout the camp.

And when those who were in the tents heard, they were astonished at what had happened. And fear and trembling fell upon them,

so that there was no man who dared to remain in the sight of his neighbor, but rushing out all together, they fled in every direction of the plain and of the hill country. Those who had camped in the mountains surrounding Bethulia also fled away. Then the children of Israel, every one who was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them.

Then Uzziah sent to Betomasthem and to Bebai and Chobai and Cola and to all the coasts of Israel, to declare all that had happened and to tell them that all should rush forth upon their enemies to destroy them.

Now when the children of Israel heard it, they all fell upon them with one consent and slew them all the way to Chobai;

and those who came from Jerusalem and from all the hill country did likewise, for men had told them what had happened in the camp of their enemies, and those who were in Galaad and in Galilee chased them with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and its borders.

And the remnant who lived at Bethulia fell upon the camp of Assur and pillaged them, and they were greatly enriched.

And the children of Israel who had returned from the slaughter took what remained; and the villages and the cities, which were in the mountains and on the plain, obtained many spoils, for their number was very great.

Then Joacim the high priest and the elders of the children of Israel who lived in Jerusalem came to behold the good things that God had done for Israel, and to see Judith and greet her.

And when they came to her, they blessed her with one accord and said to her,

"You are the exaltation of Jerusalem, you are the great glory of Israel, you are the great rejoicing of our nation.

You have done all these things by your hand. You have done much good to Israel, and God is pleased with it;

you will be blessed by the Almighty Lord for evermore." And all the people said, "Amen!"

And the people despoiled the camp for the space of thirty days.

And they gave the tent of Holofernes to Judith, and all his plates and beds and vessels and all his belongings; and she took it and laid it on her mule; and she prepared her cart and laid them on it.

Then all the women of Israel ran together to see her, and they blessed her and made a dance among them for her;

and she took branches in her hand and gave some also to the women who were with her. And they put a garland of olive upon her and on her maid who was with her;

and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women; and all the men of Israel followed in their amour with garlands, and with songs in their mouths.

Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving for all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise. And Judith said,

"Begin to my God with timbrels; sing to my Lord with cymbals; tune to him a new psalm; exalt him and call upon his name.

For God breaks the battles. For among the camps, in the midst of the people, he has delivered me out of the hands of those who persecuted me.

Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, their great number stopped the torrents and their horsemen covered the hills.

He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the infants against the ground, and make my young children as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil.

But the Almighty Lord has disappointed them by the hand of a woman.

For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans strike him, nor did lofty giants set upon him; but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance.

For she put off the garment of her widowhood, for the exaltation of those who were oppressed in Israel,

and anointed her face with ointment, and bound her hair in a headdress, and put on a linen garment, to deceive him.

Her sandals ravished his eyes; her beauty took his mind prisoner; and the broadsword passed through his neck.

The Persians quaked at her boldness; and the Medes were daunted by her hardiness. Then my afflicted shouted for joy and my weak ones cried aloud. But they were astonished; these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.

The sons of the gentlewomen have pierced them through and wounded them as fugitives' children; they perished by the battle of the Lord.

I will sing to the Lord a new song. O Lord, you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.

Let all creatures serve you. For you spoke and they were made; you sent forth your spirit and it created them; and there is none who can resist your voice.

For the mountains will be moved from their foundations with the waters; the rocks will melt like wax at your presence. Yet you are merciful to those who fear you.

For all sacrifice is too little to be a sweet fragrance for you and all the fat is not sufficient for your burnt offering, but he who fears the Lord is great at all times.

Woe to the nations who rise up against my kindred! The Lord Almighty will take vengeance upon them on the Day of Judgment

by putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they will feel them and will weep for ever."

Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings and their free offerings and their gifts.

Judith also dedicated all the belongings of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and she gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedroom, as a gift to the Lord.

So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months; and Judith remained with them.

After this time, every one returned to his own inheritance. And Judith went to Bethulia and remained in her own possession; and during her time she was held in honor throughout the country.

And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after Manasseh her husband was dead and was gathered to his people.

But she increased more and more in honor; and she grew old in her husband's house, reaching the age of one hundred five years;

and she made her woman servant free. So she died in Bethulia, and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasseh.