Judith 15:1–16:30

And when all the army heard that Holofernes was beheaded, courage and counsel fled from them, and being seized with trembling and fear they thought only to save themselves by flight.

²So that no one spoke to his neighbour, but hanging down the head, leaving all things behind, they made haste to escape from the Hebrews, who, as they heard, were coming armed upon them, and fled by the ways of the fields, and the paths of the hills.

³So the children of Israel seeing them fleeing, followed after them. And they went down sounding with trumpets and shouting after them.

⁴And because the Assyrians were not united together, they went without order in their flight; but the children of Israel pursuing in one body, defeated all that they could find.

⁵And Ozias sent messengers through all the cities and countries of Israel.

⁶And every country, and every city, sent their chosen young men armed after them, and they pursued them with the edge of the sword until they came to the extremities of their confines.

⁷And the rest that were in Bethulia went into the camp of the Assyrians, and took away the spoils which the Assyrians in their flight had left behind them, and they were laden exceedingly,

⁸But they that returned conquerors to Bethulia, brought with them all things that were theirs, so that there was no numbering of their cattle, and beasts, and all their moveables, insomuch that from the least to the greatest all were made rich by their spoils.

⁹And Joachim the high priest came from Jerusalem to Bethulia with all his ancients to see Judith.

¹⁰And when she was come out to him, they all blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honour of our people:

¹¹For thou hast done manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known any other: therefore also the hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever.

¹²And all the people said: So be it, so be it.

¹³And thirty days were scarce sufficient for the people of Israel to gather up the spoils of the Assyrians.

¹⁴But all those things that were proved to be the peculiar goods of Holofernes, they gave to Judith in gold, and silver, and garments and precious stones, and all household stuff, and they all were delivered to her by the people.

¹⁵And all the people rejoiced, with the women, and virgins, and young men, playing on instruments and harps.

Chapter 16

Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying:

²Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto him a new psalm, extol and call upon his name.

³The Lord putteth an end to wars, the Lord is his name.

⁴He hath set his camp in the midst of his people, to deliver us from the hand of all our enemies.

⁵The Assyrian came out of the mountains from the north in the multitude of his strength: his multitude stopped up the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.

⁶He bragged that he would set my borders on fire, and kill my young men with the sword, to make my infants a prey, and my virgins captives.

⁷But the almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a woman, and hath slain him.

⁸For their mighty one did not fall by young men, neither did the sons of Titan strike him, nor tall giants oppose themselves to him, but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her face.

⁹For she put off her the garments of widowhood, and put on her the garments of joy, to give joy to the children of Israel.

¹⁰She anointed her face with ointment, and bound up her locks with a crown, she took a new robe to deceive him.

¹¹Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.

¹²The Persians quaked at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.

¹³Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my lowly ones appeared, parched with thirst.

¹⁴The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and they have killed them like children fleeing away: they perished in battle before the face of the Lord my God.

¹⁵Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God.

¹⁶O Adonai, Lord, great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.

¹⁷Let all thy creatures serve thee: because thou hast spoken, and they were made: thou didst send forth thy spirit, and they were created, and there is no one that can resist thy voice.

¹⁸The mountains shall be moved from the foundations with the waters: the rocks shall melt as wax before thy face.

¹⁹But they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.

²⁰Woe be to the nation that riseth up against my people: for the Lord almighty will take revenge on them, in the day of judgment he will visit them.

²¹For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever.

²²And it came to pass after these things, that all the people, after the victory, came to Jerusalem to adore the Lord: and as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.

²³And Judith offered for an anathema of oblivion all the arms of Holofernes, which the people gave her, and the canopy that she had taken away out of his chamber.

²⁴And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.

²⁵And after those days every man returned to his house, and Judith was made great in Bethulia, and she was most renowned in all the land of Israel.

²⁶And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses her husband.

²⁷And on festival days she came forth with great glory.

²⁸And she abode in her husband’s house a hundred and five years, and made her handmaid free, and she died, and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.

²⁹And all the people mourned for seven days.

³⁰And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.