Judith 16

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 "Strike up the instruments, a song to my God with timbrels, chant to the Lord with cymbals; Sing to him a new song, exalt and acclaim his name.	1 Break into song for my God, to the tambourine, sing in honour of the Lord, to the cymbal, let psalm andcanticle mingle for him, extol his name, invoke it!
2 For the Lord is God; he crushes warfare, and sets his encampment among his people; he snatched me from the hands of my presecutors.	2 For the Lord is a God who breaks battle-lines; he has pitched his camp in the middle of his people todeliver me from the hands of my oppressors.
3 "The Assyrian came from the mountains of the north, with the myriads of his forces he came; Their numbers blocked the torrents, their horses covered the hills.	3 Assyria came down from the mountains of the north, came with tens of thousands of his army. Theirmultitude blocked the ravines, their horses covered the hil s.
4 He threatened to burn my land, put my youths to the sword, Dash my babes to the ground, make my children a prey, and seize my virgins as spoil.	4 He threatened to burn up my country, destroy my young men with the sword, dash my sucklings to theground, make prey of my little ones, carry off my maidens;
5 "But the Lord Almighty thwarted them, by a woman's hand he confounded them.	5 but the Lord Almighty has thwarted them by a woman's hand.
6 Not by youths was their mighty one struck down, nor did titans bring him low, nor huge giants attack him; But Judith, the daughter of Merari, by the beauty of her countenance disabled him.	6 For their hero did not fall at the young men's hands, it was not the sons of Titans struck him down, noproud giants made that attack, but Judith, the daughter of Merari, who disarmed him with the beauty of her face.
7 She took off her widow's garb to raise up the afflicted in Israel. She anointed her face with fragrant oil;	7 She laid aside her widow's dress to raise up those who were oppressed in Israel; she anointed her facewith perfume,
8 with a fillet she fastened her tresses, and put on a linen robe to beguile him.	8 bound her hair under a turban, put on a linen gown to seduce him.
9 Her sandals caught his eyes, and her beauty captivated his mind. The sword cut through his neck.	9 Her sandal ravished his eye, her beauty took his soul prisoner and the scimitar cut through his neck!
10 "The Persians were dismayed at her daring, the Medes appalled at her boldness.	10 The Persians trembled at her boldness, the Medes were daunted by her daring.
11 When my lowly ones shouted, they were terrified; when my weaklings cried out, they trembled; at the sound of their war cry, they took to flight.	11 These were struck with fear when my lowly ones raised the war cry, these were seized with terrorwhen my weak ones shouted, and when they raised their voices these gave ground.
12 Sons of slave girls pierced them through; the supposed sons of rebel mothers cut them down; they perished before the ranks of my Lord.	12 The children of mere girls ran them through, pierced them like the offspring of deserters. Theyperished in the battle of my Lord!
13 "A new hymn I will sing to my God. O Lord, great are you and glorious, wonderful in power and unsurpassable.	13 I shal sing a new song to my God. Lord, you are great, you are glorious, wonderful y strong,unconquerable.
14 Let your every creature serve you; for you spoke, and they were made, You sent forth your spirit, and they were created; no one can resist your word.	14 May your whole creation serve you! For you spoke and things came into being, you sent your breathand they were put together, and no one can resist your voice.
15 The mountains to their bases, and the seas, are shaken; the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance. "But to those who fear you, you are very merciful.	15 Should mountains be tossed from their foundations to mingle with the waves, should rocks melt likewax before your face, to those who fear you, you would stil be merciful.
16 Though the sweet odor of every sacrifice is a trifle, and the fat of all holocausts but little in your sight, one who fears the Lord is forever great.	16 A little thing indeed is a sweetly smel ing sacrifice, stil less the fat burned for you in burnt offering; butwhoever fears the Lord is great for ever.
17 "Woe to the nations that rise against my people! the Lord Almighty will requite them; in the day of judgment he will punish them: He will send fire and worms into their flesh, and they shall burn and suffer forever."	17 Woe to the nations who rise against my race! The Lord Almighty wil punish them on judgement day.He will send fire and worms in their flesh and they wil weep with pain for evermore.
18 The people then went to Jerusalem to worship God; when they were purified, they offered their holocausts, freewill offerings, and gifts.	18 When they reached Jerusalem they fel on their faces before God and, once the people had beenpurified, they presented their burnt offerings, voluntary offerings and gifts.
19 Judith dedicated, as a votive offering to God, all the things of Holofernes that the people had given her, as well as the canopy that she herself had taken from his bedroom.	19 Al Holofernes' property given her by the people, and the canopy she herself had stripped from hisbed, Judith vowed to God as a dedicated offering.
20 For three months the people continued their celebration in Jerusalem before the sanctuary, and Judith remained with them.	20 For three months the people gave themselves up to rejoicings in front of the Temple in Jerusalem,where Judith stayed with them.
21 When those days were over, each one returned to his inheritance. Judith went back to Bethulia and remained on her estate. For the rest of her life she was renowned throughout the land.	21 When this was over, everyone returned home. Judith went back to Bethulia and lived on her property;as long as she lived, she enjoyed a great reputation throughout the country.
22 Many wished to marry her, but she gave herself to no man all the days of her life from the time of the death and burial of her husband, Manasseh.	22 She had many suitors, but al her days, from the time her husband Manasseh died and was gatheredto his people, she never gave herself to another man.
23 She lived to be very old in the house of her husband, reaching the advanced age of a hundred and five. She died in Bethulia, where they buried her in the tomb of her husband, Manasseh;	23 Her fame spread more and more, the older she grew in her husband's house; she lived to the age ofone hundred and five. She emancipated her maid, then died in Bethulia and was buried in the cave whereManasseh her husband lay.
24 and the house of Israel mourned her for seven days. Before she died, she distributed her goods to the relatives of her husband, Manasseh, and to her own relatives; and to the maid she gave her freedom.	24 The House of Israel mourned her for seven days. Before her death she had distributed her propertyamong her own relations and those of her husband Manasseh.
25 During the life of Judith and for a long time after her death, no one again disturbed the Israelites.	25 Never again during the lifetime of Judith, nor indeed for a long time after her death, did anyone troublethe Israelites.