Add parallel Print Page Options

She then went to the bedpost near the head of Holofernes and took the sword that hung there. She drew close to his bed, grasped the hair of his head, and said, “Give me strength this moment, O Lord, God of Israel.” Then with all her might she struck his neck twice and cut off his head.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Judith 13:8 It was always legitimate to slay an enemy in war. At this time, the war was not between armies but between peoples, and the conquered peoples were slain or enslaved. Hence, it was licit for Judith to slay Holofernes, and even more so inasmuch as she represented the town of Bethulia and had received permission to do what she did from the town’s authorities.