Judith 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Judith threw herself face to the ground, scattered ashes on her head, undressed as far as the sackclothshe was wearing and cried loudly to the Lord. At the same time in Jerusalem the evening incense was beingoffered in the Temple of God. Judith said:	1 Judith threw herself down prostrate, with ashes strewn upon her head, and wearing nothing over her sackcloth. While the incense was being offered in the temple of God in Jerusalem that evening, Judith prayed to the Lord with a loud voice:
2 Lord, God of my ancestor Simeon, you armed him with a sword to take vengeance on the foreigners whohad undone a virgin's belt to her shame, laid bare her thigh to her confusion, violated her womb to herdishonour, since, though you said, 'This must not be,' they did it.	2 "Lord, God of my forefather Simeon! You put a sword into his hand to take revenge upon the foreigners who had immodestly loosened the maiden's girdle, shamefully exposed her thighs, and disgracefully violated her body. This they did, though you forbade it.
3 For this you handed their leaders over to slaughter, and their bed, defiled by their treachery, was itselfbetrayed in blood. You struck the slaves with the chieftains and the chieftains with their retainers.	3 Therefore you had their rulers slaughtered; and you covered with their blood the bed in which they lay deceived, the same bed that had felt the shame of their own deceiving. You smote the slaves together with their princes, and the princes together with their servants.
4 You left their wives to be carried off, their daughters to be taken captive, and their spoils to be shared outamong the sons you loved, who had been so zealous for you, had loathed the stain put on their blood and cal edon you for help. O God, my God, now hear this widow too;	4 Their wives you handed over to plunder, and their daughters to captivity; and all the spoils you divided among your favored sons, who burned with zeal for you, and in their abhorrence of the defilement of their kinswoman, called on you for help.
5 for you have made the past, and what is happening now, and what will fol ow. What is, what wil be, youhave planned; what has been, you designed.	5 "O God, my God, hear me also, a widow. It is you who were the author of those events and of what preceded and followed them. The present, also, and the future you have planned. Whatever you devise comes into being;
6 Your purposes stood forward; 'See, here we are!' they said. For al your ways are prepared and yourjudgements delivered with foreknowledge.	6 the things you decide on come forward and say, 'Here we are!' All your ways are in readiness, and your judgment is made with foreknowledge.
7 See the Assyrians, with their army abounding glorying in their horses and their riders, exulting in thestrength of their infantry. Trust as they may in shield and spear, in bow and sling, in you they have notrecognised the Lord, the breaker of battle-lines;	7 "Here are the Assyrians, a vast force, priding themselves on horse and rider, boasting of the power of their infantry, trusting in shield and spear, bow and sling. They do not know that
8 yours alone is the title of Lord. Break their violence with your might, in your anger bring down theirstrength. For they plan to profane your holy places, to defile the tabernacle, the resting place of your gloriousname, and to hack down the horn of your altar.	8 " 'You, the Lord, crush warfare; Lord is your name. Shatter their strength in your might, and crush their force in your wrath; for they have resolved to profane your sanctuary, to defile the tent where your glorious name resides, and to overthrow with iron the horns of your altar.
9 Observe their arrogance, send your fury on their heads, give the strength I have in mind to this widow'shand.	9 See their pride, and send forth your wrath upon their heads. Give me, a widow, the strong hand to execute my plan.
10 By guile of my lips strike down slave with master, and master with retainer. Break their pride by awoman's hand.	10 With the guile of my lips, smite the slave together with the ruler, the ruler together with his servant; crush their pride by the hand of a woman.
11 Your strength does not lie in numbers, nor your might in strong men; since you are the God of thehumble, the help of the oppressed, the support of the weak, the refuge of the forsaken, the Saviour of thedespairing.	11 "Your strength is not in numbers, nor does your power depend upon stalwart men; but you are the God of the lowly, the helper of the oppressed, the supporter of the weak, the protector of the forsaken, the savior of those without hope.
12 Please, please, God of my father, God of the heritage of Israel, Master of heaven and earth, Creator ofthe waters, King of your whole creation, hear my prayer.	12 "Please, please, God of my forefather, God of the heritage of Israel, Lord of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all you have created, hear my prayer!
13 Give me a beguiling tongue to wound and kill those who have formed such cruel designs against yourcovenant, against your holy dwelling-place, against Mount Zion, against the house belonging to your sons.	13 Let my guileful speech bring wound and wale on those who have planned dire things against your covenant, your holy temple, Mount Zion, and the homes your children have inherited.
14 And demonstrate to every nation, every tribe, that you are the Lord, God of al power, al might, and thatthe race of Israel has no protector but you.	14 Let your whole nation and all the tribes know clearly that you are the god of all power and might, and that there is no other who protects the people of Israel but you alone."