Judith 13

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 It grew late and his staff hurried away. Bagoas closed the tent from the outside, having shown outthose who stil lingered in his lord's presence. They went to their beds wearied with too much drinking,	1 So then, when it had become late, his servants hurried to their lodgings, and Vagao closed the chamber doors, and he went away.
2 and Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes who had col apsed wine-sodden on his bed.	2 But they were all drowsy from the wine.
3 Judith then told her maid to stay just outside the bedroom and wait for her to come out, as she didevery morning. She had let it be understood she would be going out to her prayers and had also spoken of herintention to Bagoas.	3 And Judith was alone in the chamber.
4 By now everyone had left Holofernes, and no one, either important or unimportant, was left in thebedroom. Standing beside the bed, Judith murmured to herself: Lord God, to whom al strength belongs, prosperwhat my hands are now to do for the greater glory of Jerusalem;	4 Moreover, Holofernes, being very inebriated, was fast asleep, reclining on his bed.
5 now is the time to recover your heritage and to further my plans to crush the enemies arrayed againstus.	5 And Judith told her handmaid to stand outside before the chamber, and to watch.
6 With that she went up to the bedpost by Holofernes' head and took down his scimitar;	6 And Judith stood in front of the bed, praying with tears, and her lips moved in silence,
7 coming closer to the bed she caught him by the hair and said, 'Make me strong today, Lord God ofIsrael!'	7 saying: “Confirm me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look kindly upon the works of my hands, so that, just as you promised, you may raise up Jerusalem, your city, and so that, believing through you that this plan is able to be accomplished, I may succeed.”
8 Twice she struck at his neck with all her might, and cut off his head.	8 And when she had said this, she approached the pillar, which was at the head of the bed, and she released his blade, which was hanging tied to it.
9 She then rol ed his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the bedposts. After which, shewent out and gave the head of Holofernes to her maid	9 And when she had unsheathed it, she grabbed him by the hair of his head, and she said, “Confirm me, O Lord God, in this hour.”
10 who put it in her food bag. The two then left the camp together, as they always did when they went topray. Once they were out of the camp, they skirted the ravine, climbed the slope to Bethulia and made for thegates.	10 And she struck him twice on his neck, and she cut off his head, and she took off his canopy from the pillars, and she rolled away the trunk of his body.
11 From a distance, Judith shouted to the guards on the gates, 'Open the gate! Open! For the Lord ourGod is with us stil , displaying his strength in Israel and his might against our enemies, as he has done today!'	11 And after a little while, she went out, and she delivered the head of Holofernes to her handmaid, and she ordered her to put it in her bag.
12 Hearing her voice, the townsmen hurried down to the town gate and summoned the elders.	12 And the two went out, according to their custom, as if to prayer, and they passed through the camp, and having circled around the valley, they came to the gate of the city.
13 Everyone, great and smal , came running down, since her arrival was unexpected. They threw thegate open, welcomed the women, lit a fire to see by and crowded round them.	13 And Judith, from a distance, spoke to the watchmen on the walls, “Open the gates, for God is with us, and he has acted with his power in Israel.”
14 Then Judith raised her voice and said, 'Praise God! Praise him! Praise the God who has notwithdrawn his mercy from the House of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand tonight!'	14 And it happened that, when the men had heard her voice, they called the elders of the city.
15 She pul ed the head out of the bag and held it for them to see. 'This is the head of Holofernes,general-in-chief of the Assyrian army; here is the canopy under which he lay drunk! The Lord has struck himdown by the hand of a woman!	15 And all rushed toward her, from the least to the greatest. For, until then, they held no hope that she would return.
16 Glory to the Lord who has protected me in the course I took! My face seduced him, only to his ownundoing; he committed no sin with me to shame me or disgrace me.'	16 And, enflaming the lights, they gathered all around her. But she climbed up to a higher place, and she ordered them to be made silent. And when all had quieted down,
17 Overcome with emotion, the people al prostrated themselves and worshipped God, exclaiming withone voice, 'Blessings on you, our God, for confounding your people's enemies today!'	17 Judith said: “Praise the Lord our God, who has not abandoned those who hope in him.
18 Uzziah then said to Judith: May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond al womenon earth; and blessed be the Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth, who guided you to cut off the head of theleader of our enemies!	18 And by me, his handmaid, he has fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel. And he has killed the enemy of his people, by my hand this night.”
19 The trust which you have shown wil not pass from human hearts, as they commemorate the power ofGod for evermore.	19 Then, taking the head of Holofernes from the bag, she displayed it to them, saying: “Behold, the head of Holofernes the leader of the military of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, under which he reclined in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God struck him by the hand of a woman.
20 God grant you may be always held in honour and rewarded with blessings, since you did not consideryour own life when our nation was brought to its knees, but warded off our ruin, walking in the right path beforeour God. And the people al said, 'Amen! Amen!'	20 But, as the Lord himself lives, his angel has been my guardian both from my departure, and while staying there, and when returning from there. And the Lord has not permitted me, his handmaid, to be defiled, but he has called me back to you without the pollution of sin, rejoicing in his victory, in my escape, and in your liberation.
	21 Confess everything to him, for he is good, for his mercy is with every generation.”
	22 Then everyone adored the Lord, and they said to her, “The Lord has blessed you by his power, because, through you, he has reduced our enemies to nothing.”
	23 Furthermore, Uzziah, the leader of the people of Israel, said to her: “O daughter, you have been blessed by the Lord, the most high God, above all the women on earth.
	24 Blessed is the Lord, who made heaven and earth, who has guided you in harming the head of the leader of our enemies.
	25 For he has so magnified your name this day, that your praise will not retire from the mouth of men, who will be mindful of the power of the Lord forever, because you have risked your life for the sake of the distress and tribulation of your people, and you have prevented our ruin before the sight of our God.”
	26 And all the people said: “Amen. Amen.”
	27 And so, Achior was called, and he drew near, and Judith said to him: “The God of Israel, to whom you gave testimony, has avenged himself on his enemies. He has cut down the head of all unbelievers, by my hand this night.
	28 And, so that you may determine that this is so, behold, the head of Holofernes, who, in the contempt of his pride, despised the God of Israel and threatened Israel with ruin, saying, ‘When the people of Israel have been captured, I will instruct your sides to be pierced through with a sword.’ ”
	29 Then Achior, seeing the head of Holofernes, and being distressed by fear, fell upon his face on the ground, and his soul became agitated.
	30 In truth, after this, when he had recovered his breath, he fell down before her feet, and he showed reverence for her, and he said:
	31 “Blessed are you by your God, in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation that will hear of your name, the God of Israel will be magnified over you.”