Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 69

Jdt 13:9 And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid;

Jdt 13:10 And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom unto prayer: and when they pa.s.sed the camp, they compa.s.sed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.

Jdt 13:11 Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: G.o.d, even our G.o.d, is with us, to shew his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he hath even done this day.

Jdt 13:12 Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city.

Jdt 13:13 And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strange unto them that she was come: so they opened the gate, and received them, and made a fire for a light, and stood round about them.

Jdt 13:14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise G.o.d, praise G.o.d, I say, for he hath not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but hath destroyed our enemies by mine hands this night.

Jdt 13:15 So she took the head out of the bag, and shewed it, and said unto them, behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of a.s.sur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman.

Jdt 13:16 As the Lord liveth, who hath kept me in my way that I went, my countenance hath deceived him to his destruction, and yet hath he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.

Jdt 13:17 Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d, and said with one accord, Blessed be thou, O our G.o.d, which hast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people.

Jdt 13:18 Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most high G.o.d above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord G.o.d, which hath created the heavens and the earth, which hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies.

Jdt 13:19 For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of G.o.d for ever.

Jdt 13:20 And G.o.d turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit thee in good things because thou hast not spared thy life for the affliction of our nation, but hast revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our G.o.d. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.

Jdt 14:1 Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the highest place of your walls.

Jdt 14:2 And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out of the city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into the field toward the watch of the a.s.syrians; but go not down.

Jdt 14:3 Then they shall take their armour, and shall go into their camp, and raise up the captains of the army of a.s.sur, and shall run to the tent of Holofernes, but shall not find him: then fear shall fall upon them, and they shall flee before your face.

Jdt 14:4 So ye, and all that inhabit the coast of Israel, shall pursue them, and overthrow them as they go.

Jdt 14:5 But before ye do these things, call me Achior the Ammonite, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us as it were to his death.

Jdt 14:6 Then they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; and when he was come, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man's hand in the a.s.sembly of the people, he fell down on his face, and his spirit failed.

Jdt 14:7 But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith's feet, and reverenced her, and said, Blessed art thou in all the tabernacles of Juda, and in all nations, which hearing thy name shall be astonished.

Jdt 14:8 Now therefore tell me all the things that thou hast done in these days. Then Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all that she had done, from the day that she went forth until that hour she spake unto them.

Jdt 14:9 And when she had left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city.

Jdt 14:10 And when Achior had seen all that the G.o.d of Israel had done, he believed in G.o.d greatly, and circ.u.mcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined unto the house of Israel unto this day.

Jdt 14:11 And as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by bands unto the straits of the mountain.

Jdt 14:12 But when the a.s.syrians saw them, they sent to their leaders, which came to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.

Jdt 14:13 So they came to Holofernes' tent, and said to him that had the charge of all his things, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.

Jdt 14:14 Then went in Bagoas, and knocked at the door of the tent; for he thought that he had slept with Judith.

Jdt 14:15 But because none answered, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the floor dead, and his head was taken from him.

Jdt 14:16 Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and sighing, and a mighty cry, and rent his garments.

Jdt 14:17 After he went into the tent where Judith lodged: and when he found her not, he leaped out to the people, and cried,

Jdt 14:18 These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground without a head.

Jdt 14:19 When the captains of the a.s.syrians' army heard these words, they rent their coats and their minds were wonderfully troubled, and there was a cry and a very great noise throughout the camp.

Jdt 15:1 And when they that were in the tents heard, they were astonished at the thing that was done.

Jdt 15:2 And fear and trembling fell upon them, so that there was no man that durst abide in the sight of his neighbour, but rus.h.i.+ng out all together, they fled into every way of the plain, and of the hill country.

Jdt 15:3 They also that had camped in the mountains round about Bethulia fled away. Then the children of Israel, every one that was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them.

Jdt 15:4 Then sent Ozias to Betomasthem, and to Bebai, and Chobai, and Cola and to all the coasts of Israel, such as should tell the things that were done, and that all should rush forth upon their enemies to destroy them.

Jdt 15:5 Now when the children of Israel heard it, they all fell upon them with one consent, and slew them unto Chobai: likewise also they that came from Jerusalem, and from all the hill country, (for men had told them what things were done in the camp of their enemies) and they that were in Galaad, and in Galilee, chased them with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and the borders thereof.

Jdt 15:6 And the residue that dwelt at Bethulia, fell upon the camp of a.s.sur, and spoiled them, and were greatly enriched.

Jdt 15:7 And the children of Israel that returned from the slaughter had that which remained; and the villages and the cities, that were in the mountains and in the plain, gat many spoils: for the mult.i.tude was very great.

Jdt 15:8 Then Joacim the high priest, and the ancients of the children of Israel that dwelt in Jerusalem, came to behold the good things that G.o.d had shewed to Israel, and to see Judith, and to salute her.

Jdt 15:9 And when they came unto her, they blessed her with one accord, and said unto her, Thou art the exaltation of Jerusalem, thou art the great glory of Israel, thou art the great rejoicing of our nation:

Jdt 15:10 Thou hast done all these things by thine hand: thou hast done much good to Israel, and G.o.d is pleased therewith: blessed be thou of the Almighty Lord for evermore. And all the people said, So be it.

Jdt 15:11 And the people spoiled the camp the s.p.a.ce of thirty days: and they gave unto Judith Holofernes his tent, and all his plate, and beds, and vessels, and all his stuff: and she took it and laid it on her mule; and made ready her carts, and laid them thereon.

Jdt 15:12 Then all the women of Israel ran together to see her, and blessed her, and made a dance among them for her: and she took branches in her hand, and gave also to the women that were with her.

Jdt 15:13 And they put a garland of olive upon her and her maid that was with her, and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women: and all the men of Israel followed in their armour with garlands, and with songs in their mouths.

Jdt 16:1 Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise.

Jdt 16:2 And Judith said, Begin unto my G.o.d with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name.

Jdt 16:3 For G.o.d breaketh the battles: for among the camps in the midst of the people he hath delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me.

Jdt 16:4 a.s.sur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the mult.i.tude whereof stopped the torrents, and their hors.e.m.e.n have covered the hills.

Jdt 16:5 He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mine infants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil.

Jdt 16:6 But the Almighty Lord hath disappointed them by the hand of a woman.