Judith 12

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 ordered her to enter where his valuables were stored, and he ordered her wait there, and he appointed what should be given to her from his own feast.
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 responded to him, and she said: “Now, I am not able to eat from these things which you instructed to be allotted to me, lest an offense come upon me. But I will eat from that which 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 And Holofernes said to her, “If these things that you have brought with you should fail you, what shall we do for you?”
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 And Judith said, “As your soul lives, my lord, your maidservant will not expend all these things, until God accomplishes by my hand what I have in mind.” And his servants led her into the tabernacle, as he instructed.
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 And, as she was entering, she requested that it be permitted to her to go outside at night, before daylight, in order to pray and to petition the Lord.
6 and sent this message to Holofernes, "Give orders, my lord, to let your handmaid go out for prayer."	6 And he instructed his chamberlains that she may exit and enter, just as it may please her, to adore her God, for three days.
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 And she went out in the nights into the valley of Bethulia, and she washed herself in a fountain of water.
8 After bathing, she besought the Lord, the God of Israel, to direct her way for the triumph of his people.	8 And, as she climbed up, she prayed to the Lord God of Israel that he would direct her way, to the liberation of his people.
9 Then she returned purified to the tent, and remained there until her food was brought to her toward evening.	9 And entering, she remained pure in the tabernacle, until she received her own food in the 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 it happened on the fourth day that Holofernes made a supper for his servants, and he said to Vagao his eunuch: “Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman to willingly consent to live with me.
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 For it is disgraceful among the Assyrians, if a woman mocks a man, acting so as to pass through with immunity from him.”
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 Then Vagao entered toward Judith, and he said, “May she not dread, my good young woman, to enter to my lord, so that she may be honored before his face, so that she may eat with him and drink wine with cheerfulness.”
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 Judith answered him: “Who am I, that I should contradict my lord?
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 All that will be good and best before his eyes, I will do. Moreover, whatever will please him, to me, that will be what is best, all the days of my life.”
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 And she arose and dressed herself with her garments, and entering, she stood before his face.
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 But the heart of Holofernes was struck. For he was burning with desire for her.
17 Holofernes said to her, "Drink and be merry with us!"	17 And Holofernes said to her, “Drink now, and recline with cheerfulness, for you have found favor before me.”
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 And Judith said, “I will drink, my lord, because my soul has been magnified this day, beyond all my days.”
19 She then took the things her maid had prepared, and ate and drank in his presence.	19 And she accepted and ate and drank in his sight what her handmaid had prepared for her.
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 became pleased with her, and he drank very much wine, more than he had ever drunk in his life.