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chapter 13
1
And
when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings, and Vagao
shut the chamber doors, and went his way.
2 And they were all overcharged with wine.
3 And Judith was alone in the chamber.
4 But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being
exceedingly drunk.
5 And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before
the chamber, and to watch:
6 And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears,
and the motion of her lips in silence,
7 Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in
this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst
raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have
purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.
8 And when she had said this, she went to the pillar
that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.
9 And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the
hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour.
10 And she struck twice upon his neck, and out off his
head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless
body.
11 And after a while she went out, and delivered the
head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.
12 And they two went out according to their custom, as
it were to prayer, and they passed the camp, and having compassed the valley,
they came to the gate of the city.
13 And Judith from afar off cried to the watchmen upon
the walls: Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shewn his power in
Israel.
14 And it came to pass, when the men had heard her
voice, that they called the ancients of the city.
15 And all ran to meet her from the least to the
greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come.
16 And lighting up lights they all gathered round about
her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And
when all had held their peace,
17 Judith said: Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath
not forsaken them that hope in him.
18 And by me his handmaid he hath fulfilled his mercy,
which he promised to the house of Israel: and he hath killed the enemy of his
people by my hand this night.
19 Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of
the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes the
general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in
his drunkenness, where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman.
20 But as the same Lord liveth, his angel hath been my
keeper both going hence, and abiding there, and returning from thence hither:
and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought
me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory, for my
escape, and for your deliverance.
21 Give all of you glory to him, because he is good,
because his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And they all adored the Lord, and said to her: The
Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath brought our
enemies to nought.
23 And Ozias the prince of the people of Israel, said
to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all
women upon the earth.
24 Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who
hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies.
25 Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that
thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the
power of the Lord for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason
of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in
the presence of our God.
26 And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
27 And Achior being called for came, and Judith said to
him: The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that he revengeth
himself of his enemies, he hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this
night by my hand.
28 And that thou mayst find that it is so, behold the
head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of
Israel: and threatened thee with death, saying: When the people of Israel shall
be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.
29 Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being
seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul
swooned away.
30 But after he had recovered his spirits he fell down
at her feet, and reverenced her and said:
31 Blessed art thou by thy God in every tabernacle of
Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall
be magnified on occasion of thee.
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