Judith 13
1Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long.
2And Judith was left along in the tent, and Holofernes lying along upon his bed: for he was filled with wine.
3Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and to wait for her. coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she spoke to Bagoas according to the same purpose.
4So all went forth and none was left in the bedchamber, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of all power, look at this present upon the works of mine hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.
5For now is the time to help your inheritance, and to execute your enterprizes to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.
6Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes' head, and took down his fauchion from thence,
7And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.
8And she struck twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him.
9And 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;
10And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom to prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.
11Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: God, even our God, is with us, to show his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he has even done this day.
12Now 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.
13And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strange to 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.
14Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise God, praise God, I say, for he has not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by mine hands this night.
15So she took the head out of the bag, and showed it, and said to them, behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord has struck him by the hand of a woman.
16As the Lord lives, who has kept me in my way that I went, my countenance has deceived him to his destruction, and yet has he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.
17Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be you, O our God, which have this day brought to nothing the enemies of your people.
18Then said Ozias to her, O daughter, blessed are you of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which has created the heavens and the earth, which has directed you to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies.
19For this your confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of God for ever.
20And God turn these things to you for a perpetual praise, to visit you in good things because you have not spared your life for the affliction of our nation, but have revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.
Commentaries for Judith 13:0