Judith 8-16

Common English Bible

Judith is introduced

8 Now in those days Judith heard about these things. She was the daughter of Merari son of Ox son of Joseph son of Oziel son of Elkiah son of Ananias son of Gideon son of Raphain son of Ahitub son of Elijah son of Hilkiah son of Eliab son of Nathanael son of Salamiel son of Sarasadai son of Israel. ² Her husband Manasseh, who was from her tribe and her family, had died during the barley harvest. ³ He suffered heat stroke while he was overseeing the workers in the fields, and died in his bed in Bethulia, his hometown. They buried him with his ancestors in the field between Dothan and Balamon. ⁴ Judith had lived as a widow in her house for three years and four months. ⁵ She pitched a tent for herself on the roof of her house, put funeral clothing around her waist, and wore widow’s clothing. ⁶ She fasted all the days of her widowhood except for the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbath itself, the day before the new moon, the day of the new moon, and the feasts and celebration days of the house of Israel. ⁷ She was very beautiful and lovely to stare at. Her husband Manasseh left her gold and silver, male and female slaves, cattle, and fields, which she continued to oversee. ⁸ And no one had a bad word to say about her, for she revered God greatly.

Judith speaks to the elders

⁹ Judith heard the people’s harsh words against the ruler, for they were growing weak from the lack of water. Judith also heard everything that Uzziah told them, how he promised to surrender the city to the Assyrians in five days. ¹⁰ So she sent her most trusted servant, the one who managed her property, to call for Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis, the elders of her city. ¹¹ When they came to her, she said to them:

“Listen to me, rulers of the inhabitants of Bethulia. What you have said to the people today isn’t right. What is this promise you have made? How can you bargain with God by saying that you’ll surrender the city to our enemies if the Lord doesn’t send help within a certain time? ¹² So who are you to test God today and set yourselves up in the place of God in the midst of the people? ¹³ You can question the Lord Almighty, but you won’t ever learn anything. ¹⁴ You can’t sound the depths of a person’s heart or comprehend the thoughts of that person’s mind. How then will you search out God, who made all these things? How will you understand God’s mind and comprehend God’s thoughts?

“No, brothers, don’t provoke the Lord our God, ¹⁵ even if he chooses not to help us in the next five days. God has the power to visit us in however many days he wishes or to destroy us in front of our enemies. ¹⁶ Don’t attempt to block the plans of the Lord our God. God isn’t like a human being who can be argued with, a person who can be threatened. ¹⁷ Therefore, while we’re waiting for his rescue, we should call upon him for help, and he will hear our voice if it pleases him. ¹⁸ There hasn’t been in our generation, nor is there today, a tribe, a family, a people, or a city among us who worships gods made with human hands as happened in times past. ¹⁹ This is the reason why our ancestors were handed over to the sword and to plunder, and they suffered greatly in the presence of our enemies. ²⁰ But we have known no other gods except him.

“Therefore, we hope that he won’t forget about us and our generation. ²¹ If we are captured, so also will the rest of Judea be captured. Then our sanctuary will be plundered, and God will hold us responsible for its ruin with our own blood. ²² He will bring the murder of our families, the captivity of the land, and the destruction of our inheritance down upon our heads, wherever we may be enslaved among the nations. Those who purchase us as slaves will consider us offensive and disgraceful. ²³ Our slavery won’t bring us favor. Rather, the Lord our God will turn it into a disgrace.

²⁴ “Now, brothers, let us be an example to those whose lives depend on us. The sanctuary, the temple, and the altar depend on us as well. ²⁵ In the midst of all this, let us give thanks to the Lord our God, who is testing us just as he did our ancestors. ²⁶ Remember what he did with Abraham, how he tested Isaac, and what happened to Jacob while he was in Mesopotamia of Syria, tending his uncle Laban’s sheep? ²⁷ He hasn’t yet tested us with fire, as he did them to examine their hearts, nor has he taken vengeance upon us. Rather, the Lord afflicts those close to him in order to warn them.”

²⁸ Uzziah said to her: “You have spoken all this from a genuine heart, and no one disagrees with your words. ²⁹ Today isn’t the first time you have demonstrated your wisdom. Since your earliest days, all the people have observed your insight and the goodness of your heart. ³⁰ But the people are very thirsty, and they strongly urged us to do what we promised them, and to make a solemn promise that we can’t break. ³¹ You are a godly woman. So pray for us, and the Lord will send rain to fill our reservoirs, and we won’t die.”

³² Judith said to them: “Listen to me. I’m going to do something that will be remembered for generations to come. ³³ Stand at the gate tonight, and I, along with my most trusted servant, will go out. By the deadline you set for surrendering the city to our enemies, the Lord will deliver Israel by my hand. ³⁴ Don’t ask what I will do. I won’t tell you until I’m finished.”

³⁵ Then Uzziah and the rulers said to her: “Go in peace, and may the Lord God go before you to take vengeance on our enemies.” ³⁶ So they left the tent^[a] and returned to their posts.

Judith prays to God

9 Judith fell on her face, put ashes on her head, and uncovered the funeral clothing she was wearing. Then, at the time when the evening incense was being offered in God’s house in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice and said:

Judith enters the Assyrian camp

10 When she had finished crying out to Israel’s God and had finished saying all these things, ² she stood up from where she was lying, called her closest servant, and went down into her house where she would spend her sabbaths and feast days. ³ She took off the funeral clothing she had been wearing and removed her widow’s garments. Then she washed her body with water, put on some expensive perfume, combed her hair, tied a headband around her head, and put on one of the festive dresses she used to wear when her husband Manasseh was still alive. ⁴ She slipped sandals on her feet, and adorned herself with bracelets on her ankles and wrists, rings, earrings, and all her jewelry. She made herself very beautiful in order to attract the eyes of any man who might see her. ⁵ She gave her servant a container of wine and a flask of olive oil. She filled a bag with grain, a fig cake, and fine bread.^[b] She wrapped this up along with her tableware and gave it to her servant to carry.

⁶ Then they left the city of Bethulia through the gate and found Uzziah standing there with Chabris and Charmis the city elders. ⁷ They saw that she had transformed her appearance and changed her clothing, and they were astonished by her beauty. They said to her: ⁸ “May the God of our ancestors grant you favor and accomplish your plans for the glory of the Israelites and the exaltation of Jerusalem.” And she worshipped God.

⁹ Then she said to them: “Order the city gate to be opened for me, and I will go out to accomplish what you have spoken to me.” Then they ordered the young men to open the gate for her just as she had said. ¹⁰ When they did so, Judith went out, along with her servant. The men of the city watched her until she went down the hill and passed through the valley, until they could no longer see her.

¹¹ Judith and her female servant continued to go straight through the valley until an Assyrian patrol met them. ¹² They arrested her and asked, “Who are your people? Where did you come from? And where are you going?”

She replied, “I’m a daughter of the Hebrews, and I’m escaping from them because they are about to be handed over to you to be consumed. ¹³ I’m going to see Holofernes the general of your army, to bring to him a true report of the situation. Furthermore, I will show him a road he can use to control all of the highlands without losing the life of even one of his men.”

¹⁴ When the men heard her words and saw her face (for they found her very beautiful), they said to her, ¹⁵ “You have saved your own life by hurrying down here to see our master. Now go to his tent, and some of us will escort you to deliver you to him personally. ¹⁶ When you stand before him, don’t let your heart be afraid. Tell him everything you just told us, and he’ll treat you well.”

Judith meets Holofernes

¹⁷ The patrol chose one hundred of their men to accompany Judith and her servant, and they led them to Holofernes’ tent. ¹⁸ The soldiers in the camp turned out in droves, for word of her arrival had spread from tent to tent. So they came and stood around her as she waited outside Holofernes’ tent while the patrol told him about her. ¹⁹ They were amazed by her beauty and admired the Israelites because of her. They said to each other, “Who will underestimate these people when they have such women? It wouldn’t be good to leave even one of their men alive, for they could beguile the whole world.”

²⁰ Then Holofernes’ bodyguards and his attendants went out and brought her into the tent. ²¹ Holofernes was relaxing on his bed under a canopy made from purple and gold cloth woven with emeralds and precious stones. ²² When they told him about her, he went out to the front of the tent with silver lamps being carried before him. ²³ As Judith came before him and his servants, they were all amazed by the beauty of her face. She fell to the ground before him and paid him respect, but his slaves raised her up.

11 Holofernes said to her, “Take courage, woman, and don’t let your heart be afraid. I’ve never harmed anyone who chose to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of all the earth. ² Even now, if your people who live in the highlands hadn’t insulted me, I wouldn’t have raised my spear against them. But they have brought this on themselves. ³ Now tell me why you escaped from them and came to us. You’re safe now, so take courage. You will live tonight and from now on. ⁴ No one will harm you. They will treat you well, just like all the slaves of my master King Nebuchadnezzar.”

Judith’s speech

⁵ Judith answered him, “Listen to the words of your slave and let your servant woman speak in your presence. I won’t lie to you this night, my master. ⁶ If you follow the instructions of your female servant, God will accomplish something great through you, and my master’s plans won’t fail. ⁷ As Nebuchadnezzar king of the whole earth lives, and as his power that sent you to direct every living being endures—not only do humans serve him because of you, but even the animals of the field, the cattle, and the birds in the sky live under Nebuchadnezzar and all his house because of your power. ⁸ We’ve heard about your wisdom and your cunning spirit, and it was reported throughout all the land that, out of the entire kingdom, you alone are dignified, capable in intellect, and wonderful in military campaigns. ⁹ We heard what Achior told your council and his advice. The men of Bethulia spared him, and he told us everything he said to you. ¹⁰ Now, my master and lord, don’t ignore what he told you, but keep it in mind because it’s all true. Our nation can’t be punished, and the sword won’t succeed against the Israelites, unless they have sinned against their God. ¹¹ But now, death will soon fall upon them, so that my master won’t end up frustrated and defeated. A sin has overtaken them, and they will anger their God when they do what is wrong. ¹² Their food supply is almost used up, and water is scarce. So they have determined to kill their cattle and to consume everything that God, by his laws, has commanded them not to eat. ¹³ They have decided to eat the early produce from the grain and one-tenth of the wine and olive oil that were set apart and reserved for the priests who serve in Jerusalem in the presence of our God—things it isn’t lawful for the people even to touch with their hands. ¹⁴ Since even the people who live in Jerusalem have been doing the same thing, they sent messengers there to bring back permission from the council. ¹⁵ Whenever they receive this communication and act on it, that very same day they will be handed over to you for destruction.

¹⁶ “Therefore, when I your slave woman learned of all this, I escaped from them. God sent me to accomplish things with you that will amaze the whole world, wherever people hear about these things. ¹⁷ Your slave woman is pious, and I serve the God of heaven, day and night. So I will stay with you, my master, and each night your slave woman will go out to the valley and pray to God. He will tell me when the people have committed their sins. ¹⁸ I’ll come and report to you, and you’ll go out with your whole army, and none of them will be able to resist you. ¹⁹ Then I will lead you through Judea to Jerusalem, and I will set your throne in her midst. You will drive them out like sheep without a shepherd, and not even a dog will growl at you. This was predicted to me and announced to me, and I was sent to tell you.”

²⁰ Everything she said pleased Holofernes and all his attendants. They wondered at her wisdom and said to her, ²¹ “There isn’t another woman anywhere in the whole world as lovely in appearance or as wise in speech.”

²² Holofernes said to her, “God did well by sending you ahead of the people to strengthen our hands and to bring destruction on those who despise my master. ²³ You are beautiful in appearance and impressive in speech. If you do as you have said, your God will be my God. You will live in the house of King Nebuchadnezzar, and your name will be known throughout the entire world.”

12 Then he commanded them to bring her in to where his table was set, and he ordered them to place before her some of his own food and wine to drink.

² But Judith said, “I won’t eat this, or it will be an offense. I’ll have enough to eat from what I brought with me.”

³ Holofernes said to her, “But if your supply runs out, where can we get similar food for you, since there is no one else here from your nation?”

⁴ Judith said to him, “As surely as you live, my master, your slave woman won’t use up what she brought, before the Lord accomplishes by my hand what he has determined.”

⁵ Then Holofernes’ attendants led her into the tent, and she slept there until the middle of the night. She got up when it was the first watch of the morning ⁶ and sent word to Holofernes, saying, “Please, my master, issue an order permitting your servant to go out and pray.” ⁷ So Holofernes ordered his bodyguards not to stop her. She remained in the camp for three days. Each night she went out to the Bethulia Valley and bathed in the spring of water near the camp. ⁸ When she came up from the water, she would pray to the Lord God of Israel to direct her way so as to uplift the children of her^[c] people. ⁹ Then she returned purified to the tent and remained there until evening time, when her food was brought to her.

Holofernes throws a banquet

¹⁰ On the fourth day Holofernes hosted a party for his closest attendants and didn’t send an invitation to anyone besides them. ¹¹ He said to Bagoas the eunuch, who looked after his property, “Go and persuade the Hebrew woman who is in your care to come join us and eat and drink with us. ¹² It would be a shame for us to let such a woman go without having sex with her. If we don’t reel her in, she’ll laugh at us.”

¹³ So Bagoas left Holofernes and went to her and said, “Don’t let this pretty female servant delay in coming to my master, to be honored in his presence, to enjoy drinking wine with us, and to become today like one of the Assyrian women who are present in Nebuchadnezzar’s house.”

¹⁴ Then Judith said to him, “Who am I to argue with my master? Whatever pleases him I will do quickly, and it will be my joy until the day I die.” ¹⁵ She arose and dressed in all of her woman’s adornments. Her servant went out with the sheepskins that Bagoas had given to her for daily use while reclining and eating, and spread these out on the floor in front of Holofernes.

¹⁶ When Judith entered the tent and lay down, Holofernes’ heart was struck by her, he was shaken to the core, and he was very eager to have sex with her. He had been looking for an opportunity to seduce her since the day when he first saw her. ¹⁷ So Holofernes said to her, “Please, join us for a drink and enjoy yourself with us.”

¹⁸ Judith said, “I will certainly drink, my master, because today is the best day of my life since the day I was born.” ¹⁹ Then she ate and drank before him the food prepared by her servant. ²⁰ Holofernes was very pleased with her, and he drank a large amount of wine, more than he had ever drunk in any single day since the day he was born.

Judith kills Holofernes

13 When evening came, his slaves left quickly, and Bagoas closed up the tent from the outside and shut out those who had been waiting on his master. They all went to bed, for they were exhausted because the party had lasted a long time. ² Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes sprawled out on his bed, dead drunk.

³ Now Judith told her servant to stand outside of the bedroom and to watch for her to come out just as she had done on other days. She said that she would be going out to pray, and she told Bagoas the same thing. ⁴ So everyone went out, and there was no one left with them in the bedroom, either small or great. Then Judith stood next to his bed and said in her heart, Lord, God of all power, look at this hour upon the work of my hands for the glory of Jerusalem. ⁵ Now is the time to help your inheritance and to accomplish my plans to destroy the enemies who have risen up against us.

⁶ Then she went to the bedpost near Holofernes’ head and took down his sword. ⁷ When she came closer to the bed, she grabbed the hair on his head and said, “Give me strength today, Lord God of Israel.” ⁸ She struck him in the neck twice with all her might and cut off his head. ⁹ Then she rolled his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the rods. After a little while she went out and handed Holofernes’ head to her servant, ¹⁰ who placed it in her food bag.

Judith and her servant escape to Bethulia

The two of them went out to pray, as was their habit. They walked through the camp, circled around the valley, went up the hill to Bethulia, and arrived at the city gates. ¹¹ From a distance Judith called out to the guards at the gate, “Open, open the gate! God, our God, is with us and is still demonstrating strength in Israel and power against our enemies! He has done so even today!”

¹² When the people in her city heard her voice, they hurried down to the city gate and called together the elders of the city. ¹³ They all ran together, from the youngest to the oldest, because it seemed impossible that she had returned safely. They opened the gate and welcomed them. After lighting a fire to give some light, they stood around them. ¹⁴ Then Judith said to them in a loud voice, “Praise God! Praise, praise God, who hasn’t taken his mercy away from the house of Israel! Rather, he has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!”

¹⁵ And with that she pulled the head out of the bag. Showing it to them, she said, “Look! Here’s the head of Holofernes, the general of the Assyrian army, and here too is the canopy under which he was lying in a drunken stupor. The Lord struck him down by the hand of a woman! ¹⁶ As the Lord lives, who protected me on my mission, I deceived him with my appearance in order to kill him. But he committed no sin with me, to pollute or shame me.”

¹⁷ Everyone was completely amazed and bowed down, worshipping God. They said with one voice, “Blessed are you, our God, who has disgraced the enemies of your people this day.”

¹⁸ Then Uzziah said to her, “Daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all other women on the earth. And blessed is the Lord God, who made the heavens and the earth, who guided you to cut off the head of our enemy’s leader. ¹⁹ Your hope^[d] will never fade away from the hearts of the people who remember God’s strength. ²⁰ May God make these things a continual source of honor for you and give you good things. You risked your own life for our nation when it was being oppressed, and you prevented our destruction by walking a straight line before our God.”

And all the people said, “Amen, amen.”

Judith’s instructions for victory

14 Judith said to them, “Listen well, my people! Take this head and hang it from the highest spot on your city walls. ² At daybreak, when the sun rises upon the earth, take up your weapons, each one of you, and let every capable man go outside of the city. Place a captain over them as if you are preparing to go down to the plain against the Assyrian guard. Only don’t go down. ³ Then they will take up their armor and rush to their camp to wake up the Assyrian army officers. They will run together to Holofernes’ tent, but they won’t find him. Then fear will fall on them, and they’ll run from the sight of you. ⁴ You and all those who live within the borders of Israel will take chase and lay them low on their way. ⁵ But before this, call Achior the Ammonite to me so that he can see and recognize the man who insulted the house of Israel and sent him to us as if to his death.”

Achior converts

⁶ They brought Achior from Uzziah’s house. When he came and saw Holofernes’ head in the hand of one of the men at the assembly of the people, he fainted and fell on his face. ⁷ After they raised him up, he threw himself at Judith’s feet, bowed before her, and said, “Blessed are you in every dwelling of Judah! In every nation, whoever hears your name will be terrified. ⁸ Now tell me what you’ve been doing during these last few days.” So Judith told him in the presence of the people everything she had done since the day she left, up to the time she began talking to them.

⁹ When she finished speaking, the people gave a great shout and made a joyful noise in their city. ¹⁰ When Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God wholeheartedly. So he was circumcised and joined the house of Israel, remaining until this day.

The Assyrians discover Holofernes’ body

¹¹ At dawn they hung Holofernes’ head on the wall, and all the men took up their weapons and went out in groups to the mountain passes. ¹² When the Assyrians saw them, they sent word to their leaders, who went to the captains, the commanders, and all the other officers. ¹³ They came to Holofernes’ tent and said to the one who looked after his property, “Wake up our master, for the slaves have become so bold as to come down to make war with us—only to be completely destroyed.”

¹⁴ Then Bagoas went in and knocked at the entrance to the tent, for he assumed that Holofernes was sleeping with Judith. ¹⁵ But when there was no answer, he entered the bedroom and found him sprawled on the floor, dead, with his head missing. ¹⁶ He cried out with a loud voice, weeping, groaning, and shouting, and he tore his clothes. ¹⁷ Next he went into the tent where Judith had been staying. Not finding her, he ran out to the people and shouted, ¹⁸ “The slaves have made fools of us! One Hebrew woman has brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar. Look, Holofernes is lying on the ground and his head is gone!” ¹⁹ When the leaders of the Assyrian army heard this news, they tore their clothes. They were greatly disturbed, and their shouts and cries rang throughout the camp.

The Israelites defeat the Assyrians

15 When those who were still in their tents heard all this, they were shocked at what had happened. ² They were overcome with fear and trembling. Without waiting for anyone else, each and every person rushed out and fled in every direction across the plain and into the highlands. ³ Even those who were camped in the hills around Bethulia turned and fled. Then every Israelite man capable of fighting rushed out upon them. ⁴ Uzziah sent messengers to Betomasthaim, Choba, Kola, and all the regions of Israel, announcing what had happened and saying that everyone should rush out upon their enemies to destroy them. ⁵ When the Israelites heard about it, they joined together, fell upon their enemies, and cut them down as far as Choba. Similarly, those from Jerusalem and everyone in the highlands also came, for they had been told what happened in the enemy camp. The Gileadites and the Galileans outflanked the Assyrians, inflicting heavy losses as far as Damascus and its territories. ⁶ Meanwhile, the rest of the people living in Bethulia entered the Assyrian camp and plundered it, and they became extremely rich. ⁷ When the Israelites returned from the slaughter, they took what was left behind. Even the villages and farms in the highlands and the plain received large portions of the spoils, because there was plenty to go around.

⁸ At that time Joakim the high priest and the council of the Israelites who lived in Jerusalem came to witness the good things that the Lord had done for Israel, to see Judith, and to wish her well. ⁹ When they came to her, they joined together in blessing her and said, “You are the glory of Jerusalem; you are the great pride of Israel; you are the high honor of our nation. ¹⁰ You’ve done all these things with your own hand. You’ve done well for Israel, and God is pleased with these things. May you be forever blessed by the Lord Almighty!”

And all the people said, “Amen!”

¹¹ The people plundered the camp for thirty days, and they gave Holofernes’ tent to Judith, including the silver plates, the beds, the bowls, and all of his furniture. She took it all, loaded up her mule, then hitched up her carts and filled them up as well.

¹² All the women of Israel gathered together to see her. They blessed her, and some performed a dance for her. Then Judith took wands wrapped with ivy in her hands and gave them to the women who were with her. ¹³ They all crowned themselves with wreaths woven from olive branches. Then she went before all the people in a dance, leading all the women. All the men of Israel followed, carrying their weapons, wearing wreaths of victory, and singing hymns. ¹⁴ Judith began this thanksgiving song in front of all Israel, and all the people enthusiastically sang this hymn.

Song of Judith

16 Judith said:

End of Judith’s life

¹⁸ When they arrived in Jerusalem, they worshipped God. Once the people were purified, they offered their entirely burned offerings and spontaneous gifts. ¹⁹ Judith dedicated all of Holofernes’ belongings that the people had given her. The canopy that she herself had taken from his bedroom, she dedicated as an offering to God. ²⁰ The people continued to celebrate in Jerusalem for three months in front of the sanctuary. And Judith remained with them.

²¹ At the end of these days, everyone returned to their homes. Judith went back to Bethulia and lived on her estate. She was honored for the rest of her life all throughout the land. ²² There were many men who desired her, but no man had relations with her all the rest of her life after her husband Manasseh died and was buried with his people. ²³ She became increasingly famous and grew old in her husband’s house, reaching the advanced age of 105. She set her trusted servant free and died in Bethulia. They buried her in her husband Manasseh’s cave, ²⁴ and the house of Israel mourned her for seven days. Before she died, she divided her property among all the relatives of Manasseh her husband, and among her own relatives. ²⁵ No one terrified the Israelites again during Judith’s lifetime or for a long time after her death.