Judith 10

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 As soon as Judith had thus concluded, and ceased her invocation to the God of Israel,	1 And it happened that, when she had ceased to cry out to the Lord, she arose from the place where she lay prostrate before the Lord.
2 she rose from the ground. She called her maid and they went down into the house, which she used only on sabbaths and feast days.	2 And she called her handmaid, and descending into her house, she took away from herself the haircloth, and she put away from herself the garments of her widowhood,
3 She took off the sackcloth she had on, laid aside the garments of her widowhood, washed her body with water, and anointed it with rich ointment. She arranged her hair and bound it with a fillet, and put on the festive attire she had worn while her husband, Manasseh, was living.	3 and she washed her body, and she anointed herself with the best ointment, and she plaited the hair of her head, and she put a headdress on her head, and she clothed herself with the garments of her elegance, and she put sandals on her feet, and she put on her little bracelets, and lilies, and earrings, and rings, and she adorned herself with all her ornaments.
4 She chose sandals for her feet, and put on her anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her other jewelry. Thus she made herself very beautiful, to captivate the eyes of all the men who should see her.	4 And also, the Lord conferred upon her a splendor. For all this dressing up did not proceed from sensuality, but from virtue. And therefore, the Lord increased this, her beauty, so that she appeared with incomparable honor before the eyes of all.
5 She gave her maid a leather flask of wine and a cruse of oil. She filled a bag with roasted grain, fig cakes, bread and cheese; all these provisions she wrapped up and gave to the maid to carry.	5 And so, she appointed to her handmaid a wineskin, and a vessel of oil, and parched grain, and dried figs, and bread, and cheese, and they departed.
6 Then they went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia and found Uzziah and the elders of the city, Chabri and Charmis, standing there.	6 And when they came to the gate of the city, they found Uzziah and the elders of the city waiting.
7 When these men saw Judith transformed in looks and differently dressed, they were very much astounded at her beauty and said to her,	7 And when they saw her, being astounded, they wondered at her surpassing beauty.
8 "May the God of our fathers bring you to favor, and make your undertaking a success, for the glory of the Israelites and the exaltation of Jerusalem." Judith bowed down to God. Then she said to them,	8 So, not questioning her at all, they dismissed her to go forth, saying: “May the God of our fathers give you grace, and may he strengthen all the advice of your heart with his virtue, so that Jerusalem may glory over you, and your name may be counted among the holy and the just.”
9 "Order the gate of the city opened for me, that I may go to carry out the business we discussed." So they ordered the youths to open the gate for her as she requested.	9 And those who were there, all with one voice, said: “Amen. Amen.”
10 When they did so, Judith and her maid went out. The men of the city kept her in view as she went down the mountain and crossed the valley; then they lost sight of her.	10 In truth, Judith was praying to the Lord as she crossed through the gates, she and her handmaid.
11 As Judith and her maid walked directly across the valley, they encountered the Assyrian outpost.	11 But it happened that, when she descended the mountain at about the break of day, the scouts of the Assyrians met her, and they stopped her, saying, “Where are you coming from? And where are you going?”
12 The men took her in custody and asked her, "To what people do you belong? Where do you come from, and where are you going?" She replied: "I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from them, because they are about to be delivered up to you as prey.	12 And she answered: “I am a daughter of the Hebrews. This is why I have fled from their face: because I realized that in the future they would be given over to you with pillaging, for they hold you in contempt, and they would never be willing to surrender themselves, so that they might find mercy in your sight.
13 I have come to see Holofernes, the general in chief of your forces, to give him a trustworthy report; I will show him the route by which he can ascend and take possession of the whole mountain district without a single one of his men suffering injury or loss of life."	13 For this reason, I thought to myself, saying: I will go to the face of the leader Holofernes, so that I may reveal to him their secrets, and show him by what means he may be able to prevail over them, without one man of his army being slain.”
14 When the men heard her words and gazed upon her face, which appeared wondrously beautiful to them, they said to her,	14 And when the men had heard her words, they beheld her face, and their eyes were astounded, because they wondered exceedingly at her beauty.
15 "By coming down thus promptly to see our master, you have saved your life. Now go to his tent; some of our men will accompany you to present you to him.	15 And they said to her: “You have preserved your life by following such an excellent plan, to descend to our lord.
16 When you stand before him, have no fear in your heart; give him the report you speak of, and he will treat you well."	16 But know this, that when you will stand in his sight, he will treat you well, and you will be very pleasing to his heart.” And they led her to the tabernacle of Holofernes, announcing her.
17 So they detailed a hundred of their men as an escort for her and her maid, and these conducted them to the tent of Holofernes.	17 And when she had entered before his face, immediately Holofernes was captivated by his eyes.
18 When the news of her arrival spread among the tents, a crowd gathered in the camp. They came and stood around her as she waited outside the tent of Holofernes, while he was being informed about her.	18 And his attendants said to him, “Who can hold the people of the Hebrews in contempt, who have such beautiful women? So, we ought to think it not worthwhile, for their sakes, to fight against them.”
19 They marveled at her beauty, regarding the Israelites with wonder because of her, and they said to one another, "Who can despise this people that has such women among them? It is not wise to leave one man of them alive, for if any were to be spared they could beguile the whole world."	19 And so, Judith looked upon Holofernes, sitting under a canopy, which was woven from purple and gold, with emeralds and precious stones.
20 The guard of Holofernes and all his servants came out and ushered her into the tent.	20 And, after she had gazed into his face, she showed reverence for him, prostrating herself to the ground. And the servants of Holofernes lifted her up, at the command of their lord.
21 Now Holofernes was reclining on his bed under a canopy with a netting of crimson and gold, emeralds and other precious stones.
22 When they announced her to him, he came out to the antechamber, preceded by silver lamps;
23 and when Holofernes and his servants beheld Judith, they all marveled at the beauty of her face. She threw herself down prostrate before him, but his servants raised her up.