Judith 13

Bishops^{(i) 1} Now when it was late in the night, his seruauntes made haste euery man to his lodging: And Uagao shut the chamber doores, & went his way: ² For they were al ouerladen with wine. ³ So was Iudith alone in the chamber. ⁴ As for Holophernes he lay vpon the bed [all drunken] and of very drunckennesse fell asleepe. ⁵ Then commaunded Iudith her mayden to stande without before the doore and to wayte. ⁶ And Iudith stoode before the bed, making her prayer with teares, & moued her lyppes secretly, ⁷ And saide: Strengthen me O Lorde God of Israel, and haue respect vnto the workes of myne handes in this houre, that thou mayest set vp thy citie of Hierusalem lyke as thou hast promysed: And graunt that I may perfourme the thing, which in hope that it may be done by thee, I haue deuised. ⁸ And when she had spoke this, she went to the piller that was at Holophernes beddes head, and loosed his sword that hanged vpon it, and drewe it out: ⁹ And when she had taken it out of the scabberd, she tooke holde of the heery lockes of his head, and sayde: Strengthen me O Lorde God in this houre. ¹⁰ And with that she gaue him two strokes vpon the necke, & smote of his head: Then tooke she the canapie away from the pillers, and roulled the dead body asyde. ¹¹ Immediatly she gat her foorth, and deliuered the head of Holophernes vnto her mayden, and bad her put it in her wallet. ¹² And so these two went foorth together after their custome, as though they would pray: and so passed by the hoast, and came about through the valley vnto the porte of the citie. ¹³ And Iudith cryed a farre of vnto the watchmen vpon the walles: Open the gates [saide she] for God is with vs which hath shewed his power in Israel. ¹⁴ And when they heard her voyce, they called the elders of the citie [together.] ¹⁵ And they came all to meete her, litle & great, young & olde: for they thought not that she should haue come so soone. ¹⁶ So they lighted candels, and gathered about her euery one: but she went vp into an high place, and caused scilence to be proclaymed. ¹⁷ And when euery man now held his peace, Iudith saide: O prayse the Lord our God, for he hath not despised nor forsaken them that put their trust in him: ¹⁸ And in me his handmayden he hath perfourmed his mercy, which he promised vnto the house of Israel: Yea, in my hand this same night hath he slaine the enemie of his people. ¹⁹ And with that she tooke foorth the head of Holophernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holophernes the captayne of the armie of the Assyrians, and this is his canapie wherin he lay in his drunkennes, where the Lord our God hath slaine him by the hande of a woman. ²⁰ But as the Lorde liueth, his angell hath kept me going thither, remayning there, and comming hither againe from thence: And the Lorde hath not suffred me his handmayden to be defiled, but without any defiling of sinne hath he brought me againe vnto you: and that with great victorie, so that I am escaped, and ye deliuered. ²¹ O geue thankes vnto him euery one, for he is gratious, and his mercy endureth for euer. ²² So they praysed the Lorde altogether [and gaue thankes vnto him,] and to her they saide: The Lorde hath blessed thee in his power, for through thee he hath brought our enemies to naught. ²³ And Osias the chiefe ruler of the people of Israel saide vnto her: Blessed art thou of the Lorde the high God, aboue all women vpon earth. ²⁴ Blessed be the Lorde the maker of heauen and earth, which hath guided thee aright to wounde and to smyte of the head of the captayne of our enemies. ²⁵ For this day he hath made thy name so honorable, that thy prayse shall neuer come out of the mouth of men which shal alway remember the power of the Lord, seeing thou hast not spared thyne owne selfe [but put thee in ieopardie] considering the anguishe and trouble of thy people: and so hast helped their fall before God our Lorde. ²⁶ And all the people said, Amen, Amen. ²⁷ Achior also was called, and he came: Then said Iudith vnto him, The God of Israel, vnto whom thou gauest witnesse that he would be auenged of his enemies, euen he hath this night through my hande smitten of the head of all the vnfaithfull. ²⁸ And that thou mayst see that it so is, behold this is the head of Holophernes, which in his presumptuous pride despised the God of the people of Israel, and threatened thee with destruction, saying, When the people of Israel is taken, I shall cause thee also to be stickt with the sword. ²⁹ When Achior saw Holophernes head, he fell downe vpon his face to the grounde for very anguishe and feare, so that he sowned withall. ³⁰ But after that he was come againe to him selfe, he fell downe before her, and praysed her, saying: ³¹ Blessed art thou of thy God in all the tabernacles of Iacob: for all the people that heare of thy name, shall prayse the God of Israel, because of thee.