1 Now 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.
2 And Judith was left alone in the tent, and Holofernes lying alone upon his bed: for he was filled with wine.
3 Now 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 spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose.
4 So 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.
5 For now is the time to help thine inheritance, and to execute thine enterprizes to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.
6 Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his fauchion from thence,
7 And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.
8 And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him.
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;
10 And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom unto prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.
11 Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: God, even our God, is with us, to shew his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he hath even done this day.
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.
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.
14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise God, praise God, 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.
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 Assur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman.
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.
17 Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be thou, O our God, which hast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people.
18 Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, 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.
19 For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of God for ever.
20 And God 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 God. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.
1 ut autem sero factum est
festinaverunt servi illius ad hospitia sua
et conclusit Bagao ostia cubiculi et abiit
2 erant autem omnes fatigati a vino
3 eratque Iudith sola in cubiculo
4 porro Holofernis iacebat in lecto nimia ebrietate sopitus
5 dixitque Iudith puellae suae
ut staret foras ante cubiculum et observaret
6 stetitque Iudith ante lectum orans cum lacrimis
et labiorum motu in silentio
7 dicens
confirma me Domine Deus Israhel
et respice in hac hora ad opera manuum mearum
ut sicut promisisti Hierusalem civitatem tuam erigas
et hoc quod credens per te posse fieri cogitavi perficiam
8 et haec cum dixisset
accessit ad columnam quae erat ad caput lectuli eius
et pugionem eius qui in ea ligatus pendebat exsolvit
9 cumque evaginasset illud
adprehendit comam capitis eius et ait
confirma me Domine Deus Israhel in hac hora
10 et percussit bis in cervicem eius et abscidit caput eius
et abstulit conopeum eius a columnis
et evolvit corpus eius truncum
11 et post pusillum exivit et tradidit caput Holofernis ancillae suae
et iussit ut mitteret illud in peram suam
12 et exierunt duae secundum consuetudinem suam
quasi ad orationem
et transierunt castra
et gyrantes vallem venerunt ad portam civitatis
13 et dixit Iudith a longe custodibus murorum
aperite portas quoniam nobiscum est Deus
qui fecit virtutem in Israhel
14 et factum est cum audissent viri vocem eius
vocaverunt presbyteros civitatis
15 et concurrerunt ad eam omnes a minimo usque ad maximum
quoniam speraverunt eam iam non esse venturam
16 et accendentes luminaria congyraverunt circa eam universi
illa autem ascendens in eminentiori loco iussit fieri
silentium
cumque omnes tacuissent
17 dixit Iudith
laudate Dominum Deum nostrum qui non deseruit sperantes in se
18 et in me ancillam suam adimplevit
misericordiam suam
quam promisit domui Israhel
et interfecit in manu mea hostem populi sui in hac nocte
19 et proferens de pera caput Holofernis ostendit illis dicens
ecce caput Holofernis principis militiae Assyriorum
et ecce conopeum illius in quo recumbebat in ebrietate sua
ubi et per manum feminae percussit illum Dominus
Deus noster
20 vivit autem ipse Dominus quoniam custodivit me angelus eius
et hinc euntem et ibi commorantem et inde huc revertentem
et non permisit me ancillam suam Dominus coinquinari
sed sine pollutione peccati revocavit me vobis
gaudentem in victoria sua in evasione mea in liberatione
vestra
21 confiteamur illi omnes quoniam bonus
quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius
22 universi autem adorantes Dominum dixerunt ad eam
benedixit te Dominus in virtute sua
quia per te ad nihilum redegit inimicos nostros
23 porro Ozias princeps populi Israhel dixit ad eam
benedicta es tu filia a Domino Deo excelso
prae omnibus mulieribus super terram
24 benedictus Dominus qui creavit caelum et terram
qui te direxit in vulnere capitis principis
inimicorum nostrorum
25 quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit
ut non recedat laus tua de ore hominum
qui memores fuerint virtutis Domini in aeternum
pro quibus non pepercisti animae tuae
propter angustias et tribulationem generis tui
sed subvenisti ruinae ante conspectum Dei nostri
26 et dixit omnis populus fiat fiat
27 porro Achior vocatus venit et dixit ei
Deus Israhel cui tu testimonium dedisti
quod ulciscatur de inimicis suis
ipse caput omnium incredulorum incidit in hac nocte in manu mea
28 ut probes quia ita est
ecce caput Holofernis
qui in contemptu superbiae suae Deum Israhel contempsit
et tibi interitum minabatur dicens
cum captus fuerit populus Israhel
gladio perforari praecipiam latera tua
29 videns autem Achior caput Holofernis
angustiatus prae pavore cecidit in faciem suam super terram
et aestuavit anima eius
30 postea vero quam resumpto spiritu recreatus est
procidit ad pedes eius et adoravit eam et dixit
31 benedicta tu Deo tuo in omni tabernaculo Iacob
quoniam in omni gente quae audierit nomen tuum
magnificabit Deum Israhel super te