Note: The translation contained in this edition of the Crampon Bible follows the Vulgate (Latin version of a Chaldean manuscript), but also takes into account the various Greek manuscripts.
Chapter 1
1 Arphaxad, king of the Medes, after having subjugated many nations to his empire, built a very strong city of hewn and squared stones, which he called Ecbatana.
2 He surrounded it with walls seventy cubits high and thirty cubits wide, and he built towers one hundred cubits high on it,
3 of square shape, each side being twenty feet wide, and he made the gates in proportion to the height of the towers.
4 He boasted that he was invincible because of the strength of his army and the multitude of his chariots.
5 Now in the twelfth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, who reigned in Nineveh, the great city, did the war to Arphaxad and defeated him
6 in the great plain called Ragau, with the help of those who live there near the Euphrates, the Tigris and the Jadashon, in the plain of Erioch, the king of the Elicians.
7 Then Nebuchadnezzar's dominion was greatly increased, and his heart was lifted up, and he sent messengers to all who lived in Cilicia, in Damascus, and on the mount Lebanon,
8 to the peoples of Carmel, of Cedar, to the inhabitants of Galilee, in the great plain of Ezra,
9 to all those who were in Samaria, beyond the Jordan River, as far as Jerusalem, and in all the land of Geshen as far as the borders of Ethiopia:
10 To all these peoples, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Assyria, sent messengers.
11 And they all unanimously refused; they sent them away without gifts and had nothing but contempt for them.
12 Then King Nebuchadnezzar became furious with all those countries, and swore by his throne and by his kingdom to take revenge on all those lands.
Chapter 2
1 In the thirteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, on the twenty-second day of the first month, it was decided in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Assyria, that he would take revenge.
2 And he summoned all the elders, all his commanders and his warriors, and held a secret council with them.
3 He told them that his intention was to subject the whole earth to his empire.
4 This speech having been approved by all, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned Holofernes, commander-in-chief of his army,
5 and he said to him, »Go forth against all the kingdoms of the West, and especially against those who have despised my command.
6 Your eye will spare no kingdom, and you will subdue all fortified cities to me.
7 Then Holofernes, having summoned the leaders and officers of the Assyrian army, enlisted men for the expedition, according to the king's order, numbering one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and twelve thousand mounted archers.
8 He preceded his army with an innumerable multitude of camels, with abundant provisions for his soldiers, and countless herds of cattle and sheep.
9 He had grain prepared along his route from all over the Syria.
10 He took immense sums of gold and silver from the king's house.
11 And he set out, he and all the army, with the chariots, the horsemen, and the archers, which covered the face of the earth like grasshoppers.
12 Having crossed the border of Assyria, he came to the great mountains of Ange, which are north of Cilicia, and he entered all their fortresses and seized all the entrenchments.
13 He stormed the famous city of Melitene, and plundered all the inhabitants of Tarsus, as well as the children of Ishmael who were opposite the desert and south of the land of Cellon.
14 Crossing the Euphrates, he went into Mesopotamia, and forced all the strongholds of the country, from the Chaboras stream to the sea.
15 Then he seized all the neighboring countries of the Euphrates from Cilicia to the territory of Japheth, which extends southward.
16 He took captives all the sons of Midian, plundered all their riches and put to death by the sword all those who resisted him.
17 Then he went down to the fields of Damascus at harvest time, burned all the crops, and cut down all the trees and vines.
18 And the terror of his weapons seized all the inhabitants of the earth.
Chapter 3
1 Then the kings and princes of all the cities and all the countries, knowing of the Syria Mesopotamian, of the Syria Soba, Libya, and Cilicia sent their ambassadors, who went to Holofernes and told him:
2 »Appease your anger against us; it is better, with our lives spared, to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, and submit to you, than to die, having suffered, in perishing, the evils of servitude.
3 All our cities, all that we possess, all our mountains, our hills, our fields, our herds of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, all our possessions and our families are before you.
4 May everything we have be under your control.
5 We and our children are your servants.
6 Come to us as a peaceful master, and use our services as you please.«
7 Holofernes He then descended from the mountains with his horsemen, in great force, and he took control of all the cities and all the inhabitants of the country.
8 He took from all the cities, to make them auxiliaries, valiant men chosen for the war.
9 Now, such was the fear that gripped those provinces, that the inhabitants of all the cities, the magistrates and the most honorable persons, as well as the common people, went out to meet him at his approach,
10 and received him with crowns and torches, dancing to the sound of drums and flutes.
11 Nevertheless, even by this conduct, they could not soften the ferocity of his heart.
12 He destroyed their cities and cut down their sacred groves.
13 For Nebuchadnezzar had commanded him to exterminate all the gods of the earth, so that he himself might be called God alone by all the nations that the power of Holofernes could subdue.
14 After having traveled the Syria and Soba, all Apamea and all Mesopotamia, he arrived among the Idumeans in the land of Gibeah;
15 and, having taken their cities, he stayed there thirty days, during which time he mustered all the troops of his army.
Chapter 4
1 When the Israelites living in Judah heard about these things, they were filled with fear as they approached’Holofernes.
2 They were filled with dread and horror at the thought that he might treat Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord as he had treated the other cities and their temples.
3 They sent messengers throughout Samaria And in the surrounding area as far as Jericho, and they occupied all the mountain peaks beforehand.
4 They surrounded their towns with walls and made stores of wheat to prepare to support the fight.
5 The big The priest Eliacim also wrote to all those who lived opposite Ezra, across from the great plain near Dothain, and to all those in whose territory the fords were located,
6 recommending that they occupy the mountain slopes through which one could go to Jerusalem, and that they guard the passes which could offer a way between the mountains.
7 The children of Israel carried out the orders of Eliachim, priest of the Lord.
8 And all the people called on the Lord earnestly, and they humbled themselves with fasting and prayer, they and their wives.
9 The priests put on hair shirts, and the children prostrated themselves before the temple of the Lord, and the altar of the Lord was covered with hair shirts.
10 And with one heart they cried out to the Lord, the God of Israel, that he would not allow their children to become prey to’a winner and their wives as spoils to be divided, that their cities be given over to destruction and their sanctuary desecrated, and that they themselves be an object of reproach among the nations.
11 Then Eliacim, the high priest of the Lord, went throughout the country of Israel, and he addressed the people,
12 saying, »Know that the Lord will hear your supplications if you persevere in fasting and prayer before him.
13 Remember Moses, the servant of the Lord: Amalek trusted in his strength and in his power, in his army, in his shields, in his chariots, and in his horsemen; Moses defeated him, not by fighting with swords, but by addressing farewell holy prayers.
14 So it will be with all the enemies of Israel, if you persevere in the work you have begun.«
15 Following this exhortation, they begged the Lord, remaining in his presence:
16 so that even those who offered burnt offerings offered them to the Lord wearing sackcloth and with ashes on their heads.
17 And all prayed to God with all their heart that he might visit his people Israel.
Chapter 5
1 Holofernes, commander of the Assyrian army, was informed that the children of Israel were preparing for resistance and had closed the mountain passes.
2 Overcome with fury and burning with anger, he summoned all the princes of Moab and the leaders of Ammon,
3 and he said to them, »Tell me who this people is who occupies the mountains; what are their cities, what is their strength and importance; what is their military power, what is their number and who commands them.
4 Why are they the only ones, among all the peoples of the West, who have despised us and have not come out to meet us and receive us in peace?«
5 Then Achior, chief of all the Ammonites, him replied: "If you will listen to me, my lord, I will tell you the truth about this people who live in the mountains, and no false word will come out of my mouth.".
6 This people is of the race of the Chaldeans.
7 He first came to live in Mesopotamia, because they did not want to follow the gods of their fathers, who were in the land of the Chaldeans.
8 Having therefore abandoned the rites of their ancestors, which honored a multitude of gods,
9 They worshiped the one God of heaven, who had commanded them to leave their country and go and dwell in Canaan. Famine having spread throughout the land, they went down to Egypt, and there they multiplied so much for four hundred years that they became an innumerable multitude.
10 Harshly treated by the king of Egypt and forced to build his cities with mortar and brick, they called upon the Lord, their God, which struck the whole land of Egypt with various plagues.
11 The Egyptians drove them out of their homes, and the plague ceased to afflict them; but they wanted to take them again and make them their slaves once more.
12 SO The Israelites fled, and God opened the sea before them, so that the waters became solid like a wall on either side, and they were able to walk through the depths of the sea on dry ground.
13 The countless army of Egyptians pursued them there, and they were buried under the waters, to the point that not a single one remained who could transmit to posterity the story of this event.
14 When the Israelites came out of the Red Sea, they occupied the deserts of Mount Sinai, in which no man could ever dwell, nor any son of man establish his residence.
15 There the bitter springs were changed into sweet waters to quench their thirst, and for forty years they received their food from heaven.
16 Wherever they advanced without bow and arrow, without shield and sword, their God fought for them and won the victory.
17 And no one has ever triumphed over this people except when they turned away from the service of the Lord their God.
18 But whenever they worshiped any other God besides him, they were given over to plunder, to the sword, and to disgrace.
19 And every time they repented of having abandoned the service of their God, the God of heaven gave them the strength to resist to their enemies.
20 Finally they defeated the kings of the Canaanites, the Jebusites, the Perizzites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Amorites, and all the mighty men of Heshbon, and they took possession of their lands and their cities.
21 As long as they did not sin in the presence of their God, they were happy; for their God hates iniquity.
22 Indeed, even before these last years, having strayed from the way in which God had commanded them to walk, they were cut to pieces in battles by many nations, and many of them were taken captive to a foreign land.
23 But recently, having returned to the Lord their God, they have gathered together after this dispersion, they have occupied all these mountains, and they possess Jerusalem again, where their sanctuary is.
24 Now then, my lord, find out: if they are guilty of any iniquity before their God, let us go up against them, for their God will certainly deliver them into your hands, and they will be subject to the yoke of your power.
25 But if this people has not offended their God, we will not be able to stand against them, for their God will defend them, and we will become an object of ridicule throughout the earth.«
26 When Achior had finished speaking, all of Holofernes' nobles, filled with anger, plotted to kill him, saying to one another:
27 "Who is this man who dares to say that the children of Israel can resist King Nebuchadnezzar and his armies, they, people without weapons, without strength, strangers to the art of war?
28 Therefore, in order to show Achior that he is deceiving us, let us climb these mountains, and when the strongest among them are in our hands, we will put him and them to the sword:
29 so that all nations may know that Nebuchadnezzar is the God of the earth, and that there is no other besides him.«
Chapter 6
1 When they had finished speaking, Holofernes, overcome with fury, said to Achior:
2 » Since, setting yourself up as a prophet, you announce to us that the people of Israel will be defended by their God, I want to show you that there is no God but Nebuchadnezzar.
3 When we have struck them all down as one man, you yourself will perish by the sword of the Assyrians, and all Israel will be destroyed with you.
4 You will then know that Nebuchadnezzar is the master of all the earth. And then the sword of my soldiers will pierce your side, you will fall pierced among the wounded of Israel, and you will not breathe again, until you are destroyed with them.
5 If you believe that your prophecy is true, let your face no longer be downcast, and let the paleness that covers it depart from you, if you imagine that my words cannot be fulfilled.
6 But so that you may know that you will perish with them, from this moment you will be associated with this people, so that when my sword inflicts upon them the punishment they deserve, you will fall with them under my vengeance.«
7 Then Holofernes gave orders to his servants to seize Achior, to bring him to Bethulia and to deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel.
8 Holofernes' servants, having seized him, crossed the plain; but when they were near the mountain, the slingers came out against them.
9 The Assyrians They turned away, skirting the mountain, tied Achior to a tree by his hands and feet, and, having left him there, they returned to their master.
10 Then the children of Israel, descendants of Bethulia, came to him and, having untied him, they brought him to Bethulia; then they brought him in the midst of the people, and asked him why the Assyrians had abandoned him thus bound.
11 — In those days, Uzziah, son of Micah, of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, also called Gothoniel, were the leaders who were in command in the city.
12 Achior then recounted, in the midst of the elders and in the presence of all the people, everything he had answered to Holofernes' questions, how Holofernes' people had wanted to kill him because of what he had said,
13 and how Holofernes himself had ordered, in his anger, that he be handed over for this into the hands of the Israelites, so that after his victory over the children of Israel, he also put Achior to death by various tortures, because he had said that the God of heaven was their defender.
14 When Achior had finished his story, all the people prostrated themselves with their faces to the ground, worshiping the Lord, and, mingling their groans and tears, they poured out their prayers before the Lord with one heart,
15 saying: »Lord, God of heaven and earth, look upon their pride and consider our humiliation; turn your gaze upon the face of your saints, and show that you do not forsake those who put their trust in you, and that you humble those who presume upon themselves and are proud in their power.«
16 When the people had ceased weeping and had spent the whole day in prayer, they comforted Achior,
17 saying, »The God of our fathers, whose power you have proclaimed, will grant you in return to see their ruin.”.
18 And when the Lord our God has given this deliverance to his servants, may God still be with you among us, so that, as you please, you and all your family may live with us.«
19 When the assembly had separated, Ozias received Achior in his house and offered him a great feast.
20 He invited the elders, and when the fast was over, they ate together.
21 Then all the people gathered together again And they prayed all night in the place where they were gathered, imploring the help of the God of Israel.
Chapter 7
1 The next day, Holofernes ordered his troops to march against Bethulia.
2 His army consisted of one hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and twenty-two thousand cavalry, not counting the men fit for the war whom he had taken prisoner, and the young men whom he had brought from the provinces and cities.
3 Together they prepared for battle against the Israelites and marched up the mountain to the summit overlooking Dothain, they camped from the place called Belma, to Chelmon, which is opposite Esdrelon.
4 When the children of Israel saw this multitude, they bowed down to the ground and, covering their heads with ashes, they all prayed together to the God of Israel to show his mercy upon his people.
5 Then, having taken up their weapons of war, they occupied the places where small paths allowed passage between the mountains, and they kept watch there day and night.
6 While travelling around the surrounding area, Holofernes discovered a fountain outside the city, on the south side, which brought its waters there by an aqueduct, and he had this aqueduct cut.
7 However, not far from the walls, there were other springs where the besieged would secretly draw a little water, more, it seems, to relieve their thirst than to quench it.
8 But the Ammonites and Moabites came to Holofernes, saying, »The Israelites do not trust in their spears or arrows; but these mountains protect them and these Hills suspended over precipices are their strength.
9 So that you may overcome them without giving battle, place guards near the springs to prevent them from drawing water; you will thus cause them to perish without a fight, or else, exhausted through thirst, They will make their city, which they consider impregnable because it is situated on the mountains, safe.«
10 The advice pleased Holofernes and his officers, and he had a post of one hundred men placed around each fountain.
11 This watch having been kept for twenty days, all the cisterns and reservoirs of water were dry for all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was not enough left in the city to satisfy their thirst even for one day, for water was distributed to the people by measure every day.
12 Then all the men and womenThe young men and children gathered around Ozias, and with one voice
13 They all said to him, »May God judge between you and us, for you have acted to our harm by refusing to make peace proposals to the Assyrians; and that is why God has delivered us into their hands.
14 That is why there is no one to help us, while thirst and great misery make us faint under their gaze.
15 Now then, gather together all those who are in the city, so that we may all go willingly to the people of Holofernes.
16 For it is better for us to have our lives saved and to bless God in captivity than to die and be disgraced by all men, after seeing our wives and children perish before our eyes.
17 Calling heaven and earth to witness today, and the God of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins, we beseech you to deliver the city without delay into the hands of Holofernes' soldiers, so that we may meet a swift death by the sword, instead of a slow death in the pangs of thirst.«
18 When they had spoken thus, there was lamentation and a loud cry throughout all the assembly, and all with one voice, for many hours, they cried out to God, saying:
19 "We have sinned with our fathers, we have been unfaithful, we have committed iniquity.
20 You, who are merciful, have pity on us; or else avenge our crimes by punishing us yourselves, and do not hand over those who glorify you to a people who do not know you,
21 so that it will not be said among the nations, «Where is their God?”
22 After they had grown tired from shouting and crying, they fell silent.
23 Then Uzziah stood up, his eyes filled with tears, and said, “Take courage, my brothers, and let us wait for five days.” mercy of the Lord.
24 For perhaps he will turn away his anger and give glory to his name.
25 If, after these five days, help has not arrived, we will do what you have suggested.«
Chapter 8
1 These words were reported to Judith, a widow, daughter of Merari, son of Idox, son of Joseph, son of Uzziah, son of Elai, son of Jamnor, son of Gideon, son of Raphaim, son of Ahitob, son of Melkiah, son of Enan, son of Nathaniah, son of Shealtiel, son of Simeon, son of Israel.
2 Her husband, named Manasseh, had died at the time of the barley harvest.
3 As he was watching the harvesters, who were binding the sheaves in the fields, the heat of the sun struck him on the head, and he died in Bethulia, his city, and was buried there with his ancestors.
4 It had already been three years and six months since Judith had been widowed.
5 She had built herself a secluded room on the roof of her house, where she remained shut up with her servants.
6 With her loins covered in a sackcloth, she fasted all the days of her life, except on the Sabbath and the new moon and the feasts of the house of Israel.
7 She was very beautiful, and her husband had left her great wealth, many servants, and estates filled with herds of cattle and sheep.
8 She was highly regarded by everyone because she greatly feared the Lord, and no one said a word of reproach about her.
9 Having learned that Uzziah had promised to surrender the city after the fifth day, she sent word to the elders of the people Chabri and Charmi.
10 They went to her, and she said to them:
»"How could Ozias say that he would hand the city over to the Assyrians if no help arrived in five days?"
11 And who are you, to put the Lord to the test like this?
12 This is not a word that attracts mercy, but rather that which stirs up anger and ignites fury.
13 You have set a time for the Lord to show mercy, and you have appointed a day for him according to your good pleasure!
14 But because the Lord is patient, let us repent of this sin, and implore his forgiveness with tears.
15 For God does not threaten as a man does, nor is he quick to anger like a son of man.
16 Let us therefore humble our souls before him, and let us be filled with a spirit ofhumility, as befits his servants.
17 Let us pray to the Lord with tears to make us feel, in whatever way pleases him, the effects of his mercy, so that, like the pride of our enemies threw our hearts into turmoil, and so our humility that we may become a source of glory.
18 For we have not imitated the sins of our fathers, who abandoned their God and worshiped foreign gods.
19 It is because of this crime that they were handed over to the sword, to plunder, and to the mockery of their enemies; but we know no other God besides him.
20 Let us humbly await his consolation, and he will avenge our blood on our enemies who afflict us; he will humble all the nations that rise up against us, and he will cover them with shame, he, the Lord our God.
21 And now, my brothers, since you are the elders of God’s people, and their lives depend on you, raise their hearts with your words, so that they may remember that our fathers were tested to see whether they truly served their God.
22 They must remember how Abraham, our father, was tempted, and how, having suffered many trials, he became a friend of God.
23 Likewise, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all who pleased God also went through many afflictions. by remaining faithful.
24 But those who did not accept these trials with the fear of the Lord, and who gave free rein to their impatience and to abusive murmuring against the Lord,
25 The destroyer struck these down, and the serpents destroyed them.
26 Therefore, let us not become impatient because of the sufferings we endure.
27 But let us consider these torments, less than our sins, as the rods with which the Lord chastises us, as his servants, to amend our ways, and let us believe that they were not sent to us for our destruction.«
28 Ozias and the elders answered him, »Everything you have said is true, and there is nothing to reproach in your words.
29 Now then, pray to God for us, for you are a holy and God-fearing woman.«
30 And Judith said to them, »Since you acknowledge that what I have said is from God,
31 Test whether what I have resolved to do is also from him, and pray that God may give me the strength to accomplish my purpose.
32 You will stand at the gate tonight, and I will go out with my companion; and pray that in five days, as you have said, the Lord will look upon his people Israel.
33 But I do not want you to inquire about what I am undertaking; until I return to you with news, do nothing but pray for me to the Lord our God.«
34 Uzziah, the prince of Judah, said to him, »Go in peace, and may the Lord be with you to take vengeance on our enemies!«
And having left her, they went away.
Chapter 9
1 When they had left, Judith entered her oratory, and, wearing a hair shirt, her head covered with ashes, she prostrated herself before the Lord and invoked him, saying:
2 "Lord, God of my father Simeon, who gave him the sword to avenge himself on the strangers who, carried away by passion, had raped a virgin and had outraged her for her shame;
3 You who have given their wives to captors, their daughters into slavery, and all their spoils as an inheritance to your servants burning with zeal for your cause, help me, I pray you, Lord my God, rescue a widow.
4 It was you who performed the wonders of old, and who planned those that followed, and they were accomplished because you willed it.
5 All your ways are laid out beforehand, and you have arranged your judgments according to your foresight.
6 Look now at the camp of the Assyrians, as you once looked at that of the Egyptians, when they pursued your servants with weapons in hand, trusting in their chariots, in their horsemen, and in the multitude of their fighters.
7 But you looked at their camp, and darkness took away their strength.
8 The abyss caught their feet, and the waters swallowed them up.
9 May it be the same, Lord, with these, who trust in their multitude, in their chariots, in their javelins, in their shields and in their arrows, and who are proud of their spears.
10 They do not know that you are our God, you who from the beginning subdue armies and whose name is Lord.
11 Raise your arm, as in ages past; break their power with your power; let their strength fall before your anger, they who promise to violate your sanctuary, to profane the tabernacle of your name and to cut down with their sword the horns of your altar.
12 Lord, let this man's pride be cut down by his own sword.
13 Let him be caught in the snares of his gaze upon me, and strike him with the sweet words of my lips.
14 Put in my heart enough firmness to despise it, enough strength to destroy it.
15 It will be a memorable glory for your name if he is struck down by the hand of a woman.
16 For your power, Lord, is not in great numbers, and your will does not depend on the strength of horses; and from the beginning the proud have not pleased you, but you have always been pleased with the prayer of humble and gentle men.
17 God of heaven, Creator of the waters and Lord of all creation, hear me, unfortunate one, who begs you and puts my trust in your mercy.
18 Remember, Lord, your covenant; give speech to my mouth and strength to the purpose in my heart, so that your house may remain holy, with which you have clothed it.,
19 and that all nations acknowledge that you are God, and that there is no other besides you.«
Chapter 10
1 When she had finished her prayer to the Lord, Judith she got up from the place where she had been prostrate on the ground before the Lord.
2 She called her servant and, going down to her house, took off her hair shirt and stripped herself of her widow's clothes.
3 She washed her body, anointed herself with the finest myrrh, arranged her hair, put the turban on her head, dressed in her festive clothes, fastened sandals on her feet, took her bracelets, her necklace, her earrings, and her rings, in a word, adorned itself with all its ornaments.
4 The Lord further enhanced her splendor, because all this adjustment had its principle, not in pleasure, but in virtue; therefore the Lord increased her beauty in such a way that it shone in the eyes of all with an incomparable splendor.
5 Then she sent to her servant a skin of wine, a jar of oil, roasted flour, dried fruit, bread and cheese, and she departed.
6 When she and her servant arrived at the city gate, she found Ozias and the elders waiting for her.
7 When they saw her, they were filled with admiration for her beauty.
8 However, they did not ask her any questions, and let her pass, saying, »May the God of our fathers give you its grace; may he strengthen by his power all the purposes which are in your heart, so that Jerusalem may be glorified because of you, and that your name may be listed among the saints and the righteous.«
9 Those who were present all responded with one voice: »So be it! So be it!«
10 And Judith and her servant went through the gates, praying to the Lord.
11 As she was coming down the mountain at daybreak, the Assyrian outposts met her and stopped her, saying, »Where have you come from, and where are you going?«
12 She answered, »I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I fled from among them, knowing that they shall surely be given over to you as plunder, because they despised you and would not surrender willingly to you, to find favor in your sight.
13 That is why I said to myself: I will present myself before Prince Holofernes, to reveal their secrets to him and show him a way in which he can capture them without losing a single man in his army.«
14 When these men had heard his words, they looked at his face, and astonishment was in their eyes, so great was their admiration for his great beauty:
15 "You have saved your life," they told him, "by making this decision to go down to our Lord.".
16 You can be assured that when you appear before him, he will treat you well and you will be very pleasing to his heart.» Then, having led her to Holofernes’ tent, they announced it.
17 As soon as she entered his presence, Holofernes was immediately captivated by her eyes.
18 His officers said to him, »Who then could despise the Hebrew people, who have such beautiful women? Do they not deserve that, for the possess, Were we going to war against him?«
19 Judith saw Holofernes sitting under his pavilion, whose purple and gold fabric was adorned with emeralds and precious stones.
20 Having fixed her eyes on his face, she worshipped him, prostrating herself to the ground. Immediately, at their master's command, Holofernes' servants raised her up.
Chapter 11
1 Then Holofernes said to him, »Be reassured and banish fear from your heart, for I have never harmed anyone who wanted to serve King Nebuchadnezzar.
2 If your people had not despised me, I would not have raised my spear against them.
3 Now tell me why you distanced yourself from them and chose to come to us?«
4 Judith answered her: »Accept the words of your servant, for if you follow the words of your servant, the Lord will fully accomplish his plans for you,
5 as surely as Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the earth, lives, and his power lives, that power which you have been given to punish all who are astray; for not only are men brought to serve him by you, but even the animals of the field obey him.
6 Indeed, the wisdom of your mind is renowned among all nations; everyone knows that in all his kingdom you alone are good and mighty, and your government is praised in all the provinces.
7 We also know what Achior said, and we are not unaware of how you ordered him to be treated.
8 For it is certain that our God is so offended by the sins of his people that he has sent word through his prophets that he will deliver them up to his enemies because of his infidelities.
9 And because the children of Israel know that they have offended their God, they tremble with fear before you.
10 Moreover, famine is pressing them, and, with the water reservoirs dried up, they are already among the dead.
11 They even resolved to kill their livestock and drink its blood.
12 Even the things consecrated to the Lord their God, which God has forbidden them to touch—the grain, the wine, and the oil tithes and first fruits, that they have not resolved to use for their own purposes, daring to feed on things that they are not even permitted to touch with their hands. Since they act in this way, it is certain that they will be doomed.
13 This is what I, your servant, know, and I fled from them, and the Lord sent me to tell you.
14 For I, your servant, serve God, even now that I am with you; and your servant will go out of the camp For go pray to God.
15 And he will let me know when he must punish them for their sin, and I will come and tell you. I will then lead you through Judea to Jerusalem, and you will find all the people of Israel like sheep without a shepherd, and not even a dog will bark at you.
16 It was God's foreknowledge that revealed these things to me;
17 And because he is angry with them, I was commissioned to tell you about them.«
18 All this speech pleased Holofernes and his servants. They admired Judith's wisdom and said to one another:
19 "There is no woman on earth like her in poise, beauty, and wisdom of speech." Holofernes said to her:
20 "God did well to send you before this people, to deliver them into our hands.
21 Because your proposal is good, if your God does this for me, he will also be my God, and you will be great in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, and your name will become famous throughout the earth.«
Chapter 12
1 Then Holofernes ordered that Judith be brought in under the tent where her treasures were deposited, so that she might remain there, and he arranged what was to be given to her from her table.
2 Judith replied, »I cannot eat now the things you command me to be given, for fear of committing a sin; I will eat what I have brought for myself.«
3 Holofernes said to him, »When the provisions you brought run out, what will we do for you?«
4 »My lord,» replied Judith, “I swear by your life that your servant will not have consumed all these provisions before God has accomplished through my hand the plan I have formed.” And his servants led him into the tent he had designated.
5 When she entered, she asked that she be granted permission to go out at night and before daybreak to pray and invoke the Lord.
6 And Holofernes ordered his servants to let her come and go as she pleased, for three days to worship her God.
7 So she went out every night to the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain.
8 When she had gone up, she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, to direct her way for the deliverance of his people.
9 Then, returning to her tent, she remained pure until she ate her food towards evening.
10 On the fourth day, Holofernes gave a feast for his servants, and he said to Vagao, his eunuch: »Go, and persuade this Jewess to willingly agree to live with me.
11 It would be a disgrace for a man among the Assyrians if a woman mocked him and left him without having yielded to her desires.«
12 Then Vagao went to Judith and said to her, »Let the good girl not be afraid to come to my lord, to be honored in his presence, to eat with him and drink wine with joy.«
13 "Who am I," replied Judith, "to resist my lord?"
14 Whatever is good and excellent in his eyes, I will do; and whatever he prefers will be best to me all the days of my life.«
15 And she arose and, having adorned herself with her ornaments, she went in and presented herself before Holofernes.
16 Holofernes' heart was stirred, because he burned with desire for her. Holofernes said to her:
17 »Therefore drink and eat with joy, for you have found favor in my sight.«
18 Judith replied, "I will drink, my lord, for my soul is more honored this day than it has been all the days of my life."»
19 And taking what his servant had prepared for her, she ate and drank in his presence.
20 Holofernes was overcome with joy because of her, and he drank wine to excess, more than he had ever drunk in his life.
Chapter 13
1 When evening came, the servants of’Holofernes They hurried back to their tents; and Vagao, having closed the doors of the room, left.
2 They were all weighed down by the wine,
3 and Judith remained alone in the room.
4 Holofernes was lying on his bed, deep in the drowsiness of complete drunkenness.
5 Judith had told her servant to stand outside in front of the room and keep watch.
6 Standing before the bed, Judith prayed some time with tears, moving her lips silently:
7 »Lord, God of Israel,” she said, “strengthen me, and look down on me now.” favorable on the work of my hands, so that, according to your promise, you may rebuild your city of Jerusalem, and that I may accomplish what I believed possible through your assistance.«
8 Having said these words, She approached the column that was at the head of the bed.’Holofernes, detached his sword which was hanging there and,
9. Having pulled it from the sheath, she seized the hair of’Holofernes, saying, "Lord God, strengthen me at this hour!"»
10 And with two blows to the back of his neck, she cut off his head. Then she detached the curtain from the columns and rolled the decapitated body on the ground;
11 and, going out without delay, she gave Holofernes' head to her servant, ordering her to put it in her bag.
12 Then they both set out, according to their custom, as if to go and pray, and, after crossing the camp and going around the valley, they arrived at the gate of the city.
13 Judith called out from afar to the guardians of the walls: »Open the gate, for God is with us, and he has shown his power in favor of Israel.«
14 When the guards heard his words, they called for the elders of the city.
15 Immediately all the inhabitants They all rushed towards her, from the smallest to the greatest, for they were beginning to despair of his return.
16 Lighting torches, they all gathered around her. Judith, climbing onto a high place, commanded silence; when all were silent,
17 she their He said: "Praise the Lord our God, who has not abandoned those who hoped in him.".
18 Through me, his servant, he has fulfilled his promises of mercy to the house of Israel, and this night he has killed by my hand the enemy of his people.«
19 Then, pulling Holofernes' head out of the bag, she there he showed them, saying: "Here is the head of Holofernes, commander of the Assyrian army, and here is the curtain under which he lay in his drunkenness, when the Lord our God struck him with the hand of a woman.
20 As surely as the Lord lives, his angel guarded me when I left, during my stay in the middle of them, and at my return, and the Lord did not allow his servant to be defiled; but he restored me to you without any stain of sin, full of joy at his victory, at my preservation and at your deliverance.
21 All of you, sing his praises, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever!«
22 All of them, worshiping the Lord, said to him, »The Lord has blessed you with his strength, for through you he has destroyed all our enemies.«
23 Uzziah, the leader of the people of Israel, said to her, “My daughter, you are blessed by the Lord, the Most High God, above all others.” women who are on there earth.
24 Blessed be the Lord, creator of heaven and earth, who has guided your hand to cut off the head of our greatest enemy!
25 He has made your name so glorious today, that your praise will not disappear from the mouths of men, who will forever remember the power of the Lord; for, on their behalf, you did not spare your life when you saw the sufferings and distress of your people, but you We saved from ruin walking in a straight line in the presence of our God.«
26 And all the people answered, »So be it! So be it!«
27 Then Achior was brought in, and Judith said to him: "The God of Israel, to whom you gave this testimony that he takes vengeance on his enemies, himself cut off this night, by my hand, the head of the leader of all the infidels.
28 And to convince you that this is so, here is the head of Holofernes who, in the insolence of his pride, despised the God of Israel and threatened you with death, saying: When the people of Israel are defeated, I will put you to the sword.«
29 At the sight of Holofernes' head, Achior shuddered with horror; he fell face down to the ground and fainted.
30 When he had regained his senses and come to, he prostrated himself at the feet of Judith and said to him:
31 » Be proclaimed Blessed be you, O God, in all the tents of Jacob! Among all the peoples who hear your name, the God of Israel will be glorified because of you.«
Chapter 14
1 Then Judith said to all the people: »Listen to me, my brothers, hang this head on the top of our walls.
2 And when the sun rises, let everyone take up their weapons; then go out with force, not to go down only in the valley, but as if to launch an attack general.
3. The outposts will then have to flee to their general, in order to THE Awaken for the fight.
4 And when their leaders have run to Holofernes' tent and find him beheaded, bathed in his blood, terror will seize them.
5 And when you see them fleeing, boldly pursue them, for the Lord will crush them before your eyes.«
6 Then Achior, seeing the power that the God of Israel exercised, abandoned the worship of the nations; he believed in God, was circumcised, and was incorporated into the people of Israel, as were all his descendants, to this day.
7 As soon as day broke, the inhabitants of Bethulia They hung Holofernes' head on the walls, and, each man having taken up his weapons, they went out of the city with great commotion and loud shouts.
8 The outposts, having noticed this, ran to Holofernes' tent.
9 Those who were in the tent came and made noise at the door of the bedroom to wake him up, deliberately increasing the tumult, so that Holofernes would be roused from his sleep by all this noise, without one of his men needing to wake him up.
10 For no one dared, either by knocking or by entering, to open the door of the bedroom of the greatest of the Assyrians.
11 But when his generals, his commanders, and all the officers of the army of the king of Assyria had come, they said to the chamberlains:
12 » Go in and awaken him, for these Rats came out of their holes and dared to challenge us to a fight.«
13 Then Vagao entered the room, stopped before the curtain, and clapped his hands, for he imagined that his master slept with Judith.
14 But when, listening intently, he heard no movement of a man who had been lying there, he approached the curtain and, having raised it, he saw the corpse of Holofernes lying on the ground, headless, and bathed in his blood. Right away He gave a loud cry, weeping, and tore his clothes.
15 And when he entered Judith's tent, he did not find her. He went out in haste to the people,
16 and said: »One Jewish woman alone has caused confusion in the house of King Nebuchadnezzar; now Holofernes is lying on the ground, and his head is no longer with his body!«
17 Upon hearing these words, all the princes of the Assyrian army tore their clothes; extreme fear and terror seized them, and their minds were shaken.,
18 and an unspeakable clamor resounded in the middle of their camp.
Chapter 15
1 When the whole army learned that Holofernes had been beheaded, they lost all sense and all prudence, and, listening only to fear and terror, they sought their salvation in flight.
2 Without saying a word to one another, with their heads bowed and leaving everything behind, eager to escape the Hebrews whom they heard coming towards them with weapons in hand, they fled across fields and along mountain paths.
3 When the Israelites saw them fleeing, they pursued them; they went down, blowing trumpets and shouting loudly behind them.
4 And as the Assyrians fled scattered and in great haste, the children of Israel, who pursued them together in one body, cut to pieces all those they could reach.
5 At the same time, Uzziah sent messages to all the cities and all the countryside of Israel.
6 Thus each village and each town, having made the elite of their young men take up arms, sent them after the Assyrians, and they pursued them at swordpoint to their furthest border.
7 Those who had remained at Bethulia entered the Assyrian camp, carried off the spoil that the Assyrians had abandoned in their flight, and returned laden with it.
8 On the other hand, those who returned to Bethulia after the victory brought with them everything that had belonged to the Assyrians, countless cattle, draft animals and all their baggage, so that everyone, from the smallest to the greatest, grew rich from their spoils.
9 Joakim, the high priest, came from Jerusalem to Bethulia, with all his elders, to see Judith.
10 When she went out to go In front of him, they all blessed her with one voice, saying: “You are the glory of Jerusalem; you are joy of Israel; you are the honor of our people!
11 For you have shown a manly soul, and your heart has been full of valor. Because you have loved chastity and, after having lost your husband, you don't have wanted To know another, the hand of the Lord has clothed you with strength, and you will be blessed forever.«
12 All the people answered, »So be it! So be it!«
13 Thirty days were barely enough for the people of Israel to gather the spoils of the Assyrians.
14 Everything that was recognized as having belonged to Holofernes, the gold and silver, the clothing, the precious stones, and all the objects miscellaneous, It was given to Judith, and all of this was abandoned to her by the people.
15 And all the people rejoiced, with womenThe young girls and young men, to the sound of harps and zithers.
Chapter 16
1 Then Judith sang this hymn to the Lord, saying:
2 » Praise the Lord to the sound with tambourines, sing to the Lord with cymbals, play a new song in his honor, exalt and acclaim his name.
3 The Lord puts an end to wars; the Lord is his name!
4 He has pitched his camp in the midst of his people, to deliver us from the hands of all our enemies.
5 Assyria came from the mountains, from the direction of the North, with myriads of his warriors; their multitude stopped the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.
6 He vowed to ravage my territory with fire, to sacrifice my young men with the sword, to make my children a spoil of war, and my virgins captives.
7 But the Lord Almighty covered him with shame; he delivered him into the hands of a woman, and she triumphed over him.
8 Their hero did not fall under the blows of the youths; the sons of the brave did not strike him; the tall giants did not measure themselves against him.
It was Judith, Merari's daughter, who captivated him with the beauty of her face.
9 She has taken off her widow's clothes, she has adorned herself with her festive clothes, for the triumph of the children of Israel;
10 She poured perfumed oil over her face, and arranged the curls of her hair under the turban.
She put on a new dress to seduce him.
11 The brilliance of Her shoe dazzled his eyes, her beauty captivated his soul, and she cut off his head with the sword.
12 The Persians trembled at his valor, the Medes at his audacity;
13 The Assyrian camp resounded with shouts when my people appeared, exhausted and parched with thirst.
14 The sons of young women pierced them and killed them like fleeing children: they perished in the battle, before the face of the Lord my God.
15 Let us sing a song to the Lord, let us sing to the Lord a new song:
16 Sovereign Master, Lord, you are great, and magnificent in your power, and none can surpass you.
17 Let all your creatures serve you, because you have spoken, and All has been done; you have sent forth your spirit, and All has been created, and no one can resist your voice.
18 The mountains and the waters are shaken from their foundations, the stones melt like wax before your face;
19 But those who fear you are great before you in everything.
20 Woe to the nation that rises up against my people!
For the Lord Almighty will take vengeance on her; he will visit her on the day of judgment.,
21 He will give their flesh over to fire and worms, so that they may be burned and suffer this torture eternally.«
22 After this victory, all the people went to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and, as soon as they were purified, they offered all the burnt offerings and acquitted their wishes and their promises.
23 Judith offered all of Holofernes' weapons, which the people had given her, and the curtain which she herself had removed from the bed, as anathema of forgetfulness.
24 All the people were rejoicing before the sanctuary, and joy This victory was celebrated with Judith for three months.
25 These days party Having passed, everyone returned to their own home; Judith was honored in Bethulia, and she enjoyed a great renown throughout the land of Israel.
26 Combining courage with chastity, she knew no man for the rest of her life, after the death of Manasseh, her husband.
27 On festive days, she appeared magnificently adorned.
28 After remaining one hundred and five years in her husband's house and setting her servant free, she died and was buried in Bethulia with her husband;
29 and all the people mourned for her for seven days.
30 Throughout his life and after his death, there was no one, for many years, who disturbed peace of Israel.
31 The feast day instituted in remembrance of this victory is counted by the Hebrews as one of the holy days, and it is celebrated by the Jews from that time until today.
