Judith 15

¹ When the men who were stil in their tents heard the news they were appal ed.

² Panic-stricken and trembling, no two of them could keep together, the rout was complete, with oneaccord they fled along every track across the plain or through the mountains.

³ The men who had been bivouacking in the mountains round Bethulia were fleeing too. Then al theIsraelite warriors charged down on them.

⁴ Uzziah sent messengers to Betomasthaim, Bebai, Choba, Kola, throughout the whole territory of Israel,to inform them of what had happened and to urge them al to hurl themselves on the enemy and annihilate them.

⁵ As soon as the Israelites heard the news, they fel on them as one man and massacred them al theway to Choba. The men of Jerusalem and the entire mountain country also ral ied to them, once they had beeninformed of the events in the enemy camp. Then the men of Gilead and Galilee attacked them on the flank andstruck at them fiercely till they neared Damascus and its territory.

⁶ Al the other inhabitants of Bethulia fel on the Assyrian camp and looted it to their great profit.

⁷ The Israelites returning from the slaughter seized what was left. The hamlets and vil ages of themountain country and the plain also captured a great deal of booty, since there were vast stores of it.

⁸ Joakim the high priest and the entire Council of Elders of Israel, who were in Jerusalem, came to gazeon the benefits that the Lord had lavished on Israel and to see Judith and congratulate her.

⁹ On coming to her house, they blessed her with one accord, saying: You are the glory of Jerusalem!You are the great pride of Israel! You are the highest honour of our race!

¹⁰ By doing all this with your own hand you have deserved wel of Israel, and God has approved whatyou have done. May you be blessed by the Lord Almighty in al the days to come! And the people al said,'Amen!'

¹¹ The people looted the camp for thirty days. They gave Judith the tent of Holofernes, al his silver plate,his divans, his drinking bowls and all his furniture. She took this, loaded her mule, harnessed her carts andheaped the things into them.

¹² Al the women of Israel, hurrying to see her, formed choirs of dancers in her honour. Judith tookwands of vine-leaves in her hand and distributed them to the women who accompanied her;

¹³ she and her companions put on wreaths of olive. Then she took her place at the head of theprocession and led the women as they danced. Al the men of Israel, armed and garlanded, followed them,singing hymns.

¹⁴ With all Israel round her, Judith broke into this song of thanksgiving and the whole people sang thishymn: