The Book of Judith

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

The Israelites assault the Assyrians, who finding their general slain, are seized with a panic fear.

Then Judith said to all the people: “Hear me, brothers. Suspend this head over our walls.

And, as soon as the sun rises, let everyone take up his weapons and go out to attack, not going down all the way, but only to seem as if making an assault.

Then the scouts will have to hurry to awaken their leader for the fight.

And when their commanders rush into the tabernacle of Holofernes, and they find his headless body wallowing in his blood, fear will fall over them.

And when you realize that they are fleeing, go after them in security, for the Lord will crush them under your feet.”

Then Achior, seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, left behind the rituals of the Gentiles. He believed in God, and he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and he was placed among the people of Israel, and so were all the succession of his kindred, even until this present day.

And soon, at the rising of day, they suspended the head of Holofernes above the walls, and every man took up his weapons, and they went out with a great uproar and howling.

When the scouts saw this, they rushed to the tent of Holofernes.

Moreover, those who were in the tent came and made a loud noise before the entrance to the bedchamber, hoping to awaken him by an attempt at skillful noise-making, not by intruding on him, so that Holofernes might be roused from sleep.

For no one dared to knock, or to open and enter, the bedchamber of the powerful leader of the Assyrians.

But when his commanders and tribunes had arrived, with all the chiefs of the army of the king of the Assyrians, they said to the chamberlains:

“Enter and awaken him, for the mice have come out of their holes, intending to challenge us to fight.”

Then Vagao, entering his bedchamber, stood before the curtain, and he made a clapping noise with his hands. For he suspected that he was sleeping with Judith.

But when, with attentiveness, he perceived no motion of anyone reclining, he approached the curtain. And lifting it up, he saw the dead body of Holofernes, without a head, lying on the ground, soaked in his own blood. He cried out with a loud voice and weeping, and he tore his garments.

And he entered the tent of Judith and did not find her. And he ran out to the people,

and he said: “One Hebrew woman has caused confusion in the house of Nebuchadnezzar the king. For behold, Holofernes lies on the ground, and his head is not with him.”

Now when the leaders of the army of the Assyrians had heard this, they all tore their garments, and an intolerable fear and trembling fell over them, and their minds were greatly disturbed.

And there was an unprecedented outcry in the midst of their camp.(a)

Footnotes

(a)14:18 The outcry was ‘incomparable’ or ‘unprecedented.’(Conte)

The Israelites assault the Assyrians, who finding their general slain, are seized with a panic fear.

Judith said to them, “Hear me now, my kindred, and take this head, and hang it upon the battlement of your wall.

It will be, so soon as the morning appears, and the sun comes up on the earth, you shall each take up his weapons of war, and every valiant man of you go out of the city. You shall set a captain over them, as though you would go down to the plain toward the watch of the children of Asshur; but you men shall not go down.

These will take up their full armor, and shall go into their camp and rouse up the captains of the army of Asshur. They will run together to Holofernes’ tent. They won’t find him. Fear will fall upon them, and they will flee before your face.

You men, and all that inhabit every border of Israel, shall pursue them and overthrow them as they go.

But before you do these things, summon Achior the Ammonite to me, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us, as it were to death.

And they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; but when he came, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell upon his face, and his spirit failed.

But when they had recovered him,(a) he fell at Judith’s feet, bowed down to her, and said, “Blessed are you in every tent of Judah! In every nation, those who hear your name will be troubled.

Now tell me all the things that you have done in these days.” And Judith declared to him in the midst of the people all the things that she had done, from the day that she went out until the time that she spoke to them.

But when she finished speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city.

But when Achior saw all the things that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God exceedingly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the house of Israel, to this day.

But as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took up his weapons, and they went forth by bands to the ascents of the mountain.

But when the children of Asshur saw them, they sent word to their leaders, and they went to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.

They came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that was over all that he had, “Wake our lord up, now, for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.”

Bagoas went in, and knocked at the outer door of the tent; for he supposed that Holofernes was sleeping with Judith.

But when no one answered, he opened it, went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the threshold dead; and his head had been taken from him.

He cried with a loud voice, with weeping, groaning, and shouting, and tore his garments.

He entered into the tent where Judith lodged, and he didn’t find her. He leaped out to the people, and cried aloud,

“The slaves have dealt treacherously! One woman of the Hebrews has brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar; for, behold, Holofernes lies upon the ground, and his head is not on him!”

But when the rulers of the army of Asshur heard this, they tore their tunics, and their souls were troubled exceedingly. There were cries and an exceedingly great noise in the midst of the camp.

Footnotes

(a)14:7 Many authorities read he had recovered himself.