Judith 12

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Then he ordered them to lead her into the room where his silverware was kept, and bade them set a table for her with his own delicacies to eat and his own wine to drink.	1 Then 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.
2 But Judith said, "I will not partake of them, lest it be an occasion of sin; but I shall be amply supplied from the things I brought with me."	2 And 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.
3 Holofernes asked her: "But if your provisions give out, where shall we get more of the same to provide for you? None of your people are with us."	3 Then 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.
4 Judith answered him, "As surely as you, my lord, live, your handmaid will not use up her supplies till the Lord accomplishes by my hand what he has determined."	4 Then said Judith unto him As thy soul liveth, my lord, thine handmaid shall not spend those things that I have, before the Lord work by mine hand the things that he hath determined.
5 Then the servants of Holofernes led her into the tent, where she slept till midnight. In the night watch just before dawn, she rose	5 Then the servants of Holofernes brought her into the tent, and she slept till midnight, and she arose when it was toward the morning watch,
6 and sent this message to Holofernes, "Give orders, my lord, to let your handmaid go out for prayer."	6 And sent to Holofernes, saving, Let my lord now command that thine handmaid may go forth unto prayer.
7 So Holofernes ordered his bodyguard not to hinder her. Thus she stayed in the camp three days. Each night she went out to the ravine of Bethulia, where she washed herself at the spring of the camp.	7 Then Holofernes commanded his guard that they should not stay her: thus she abode in the camp three days, and went out in the night into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain of water by the camp.
8 After bathing, she besought the Lord, the God of Israel, to direct her way for the triumph of his people.	8 And when she came out, she besought the Lord God of Israel to direct her way to the raising up of the children of her people.
9 Then she returned purified to the tent, and remained there until her food was brought to her toward evening.	9 So she came in clean, and remained in the tent, until she did eat her meat at evening.
10 On the fourth day Holofernes gave a banquet for his servants alone, to which he did not invite any of the officers.	10 And in the fourth day Holofernes made a feast to his own servants only, and called none of the officers to the banquet.
11 And he said to Bagoas, the eunuch in charge of his household: "Go and persuade this Hebrew woman in your care to come and to eat and drink with us.	11 Then said he to Bagoas the eunuch, who had charge over all that he had, Go now, and persuade this Hebrew woman which is with thee, that she come unto us, and eat and drink with us.
12 It would be a disgrace for us to have such a woman with us without enjoying her company. If we do not entice her, she will laugh us to scorn."	12 For, lo, it will be a shame for our person, if we shall let such a woman go, not having had her company; for if we draw her not unto us, she will laugh us to scorn.
13 So Bagoas left the presence of Holofernes, and came to Judith and said, "So fair a maiden should not be reluctant to come to my lord to be honored by him, to enjoy drinking wine with us, and to be like one of the Assyrian women who live in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar."	13 Then went Bagoas from the presence of Holofernes, and came to her, and he said, Let not this fair damsel fear to come to my lord, and to be honoured in his presence, and drink wine, and be merry with us and be made this day as one of the daughters of the Assyrians, which serve in the house of Nabuchodonosor.
14 She replied, "Who am I to refuse my lord? Whatever is pleasing to him I will promptly do. This will be a joy for me till the day of my death."	14 Then said Judith unto him, Who am I now, that I should gainsay my lord? surely whatsoever pleaseth him I will do speedily, and it shall be my joy unto the day of my death.
15 Thereupon she proceeded to put on her festive garments and all her feminine adornments. Meanwhile her maid went ahead and spread out on the ground for her in front of Holofernes the fleece Bagoas had furnished for her daily use in reclining at her dinner.	15 So she arose, and decked herself with her apparel and all her woman's attire, and her maid went and laid soft skins on the ground for her over against Holofernes, which she had received of Bagoas far her daily use, that she might sit and eat upon them.
16 Then Judith came in and reclined on it. The heart of Holofernes was in rapture over her, and his spirit was shaken. He was burning with the desire to possess her, for he had been biding his time to seduce her from the day he saw her.	16 Now when Judith came in and sat down, Holofernes his heart was ravished with her, and his mind was moved, and he desired greatly her company; for he waited a time to deceive her, from the day that he had seen her.
17 Holofernes said to her, "Drink and be merry with us!"	17 Then said Holofernes unto her, Drink now, and be merry with us.
18 Judith replied, "I will gladly drink, my lord, for at no time since I was born have I ever enjoyed life as much as I do today."	18 So Judith said, I will drink now, my lord, because my life is magnified in me this day more than all the days since I was born.
19 She then took the things her maid had prepared, and ate and drank in his presence.	19 Then she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared.
20 Holofernes, charmed by her, drank a great quantity of wine, more than he had ever drunk on one single day in his life.	20 And Holofernes took great delight in her, and drank more wine than he had drunk at any time in one day since he was born.