16 1 And Judith said,

Begin a song to my God with tambourines,

sing to my Lord with cymbals.

Raise to him a new psalm;c

exalt him, and call upon his name.

2 For the Lord is a God who crushes wars;

he sets up his camp among his people;

he delivered me from the hands of my pursuers.

3 The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north;

he came with myriads of his warriors;

their numbers blocked up the wadis,

and their cavalry covered the hills.

4 He boasted that he would burn up my territory,

and kill my young men with the sword,

and dash my infants to the ground,

and seize my children as booty,

and take my virgins as spoil.

5 But the Lord Almighty has foiled them

by the hand of a woman.d

6 For their mighty one did not fall by the hands of the young men,

nor did the sons of the Titans strike him down,

nor did tall giants set upon him;

but Judith daughter of Merari

with the beauty of her countenance undid him.

7 For she put away her widow’s clothing

to exalt the oppressed in Israel.

She anointed her face with perfume;

8 she fastened her hair with a tiara

and put on a linen gown to beguile him.

9 Her sandal ravished his eyes,

her beauty captivated his mind,

and the sword severed his neck!

10 The Persians trembled at her boldness,

the Medes were daunted at her daring.

11 Then my oppressed people shouted;

my weak people cried out,e and the enemyf trembled;

they lifted up their voices, and the enemyg were turned back.

12 Sons of slave-girls pierced them through

and wounded them like the children of fugitives;

they perished before the army of my Lord.

13 I will sing to my God a new song:

O Lord, you are great and glorious,

wonderful in strength, invincible.

14 Let all your creatures serve you,

for you spoke, and they were made.

You sent forth your spirit,h and it formed them;i

there is none that can resist your voice.

15 For the mountains shall be shaken to their foundations with the waters;

before your glance the rocks shall melt like wax.

But to those who fear you

you show mercy.

16 For every sacrifice as a fragrant offering is a small thing,

and the fat of all whole burnt offerings to you is a very little thing;

but whoever fears the Lord is great forever.

17 Woe to the nations that rise up against my people!

The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgment;

he will send fire and worms into their flesh;

they shall weep in pain forever.