Judith 10

When she had ceased crying out to the Lord, she rose from the place where she had lain prostrate before the Lord.

She called her maidservant and, going down into her house, removed her sackcloth and took off her garments of widowhood.

She bathed her body and anointed herself with the finest myrrh, and parted the hair of her head, and placed a headdress upon her head, and clothed herself in her garments of joy. She put sandals on her feet and took up her bracelets and lilies and earrings and rings, and adorned herself with all her ornaments.

The Lord also bestowed splendor upon her, because all this preparation arose not from desire but from virtue, and therefore the Lord amplified this beauty in her, so that she appeared before everyone's eyes with incomparable loveliness.

She loaded her maidservant with a skin of wine and a jar of oil and parched grain and dried figs and bread and cheese, and they set out.

When they came to the gate of the city, they found Uzziah and the elders of the city waiting.

When they saw her, they were stunned and marveled exceedingly at her beauty.

Yet they asked her nothing, but let her pass, saying: May the God of our fathers give you grace, and may he strengthen every plan of your heart by his power, so that Jerusalem may glory because of you, and your name may be numbered among the holy and the just.

And all who were there said with one voice: So be it, so be it.

But Judith, praying to the Lord, passed through the gates — she and her maidservant.

It happened that as she was descending the mountain around daybreak, Assyrian scouts met her and seized her, saying: Where are you from, where are you going, and who are you?

She answered: I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I have fled from them because I know that they are destined to be given to you as plunder, since they despised you and refused to surrender willingly so as to find mercy in your sight.

For this reason I said to myself: I will go before the face of the commander Holofernes, to reveal their secrets and show him by what approach he can take them, so that not a single man of his army need fall.

When those men heard her words, they studied her face, and there was astonishment in their eyes, for they marveled greatly at her beauty.

They said to her: You have saved your life by taking such counsel. Go down to our lord, and he himself will deal with them as it pleases you.

When you stand before him, do not be afraid in your heart, but tell him according to your words and he will treat you well.

They chose a hundred men from among themselves and assigned them to her and her maidservant, and they led them to the tent of Holofernes.

A commotion arose throughout the whole camp, for word of her arrival spread through the tents.

They came and surrounded her as she stood before the face of Holofernes, after he had already been told about her.

When Holofernes heard her name, he was struck with wonder at the sight of her, and said to her: What has moved you to come to us?

Judith said to him: Receive the words of your handmaid, for if you follow the words of your handmaid, the Lord will accomplish a perfect work through you.

For as Nebuchadnezzar, king of the earth, lives, and as his power lives — which is in you for the correction of all erring souls — not only do human beings serve him through you, but even the beasts of the field obey him.

For the diligence of your spirit is reported to all nations, and it is declared to the whole world that you alone are good and powerful in all his kingdom, and your discipline is praised in every province.

Nor is it hidden what Achior spoke, nor is it unknown what Holofernes commanded should happen to him.

For it is established that our God is so offended by sins that he has declared through his prophets to the people that he will hand them over because of their sins.

And because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, dread of you has fallen upon them.

Moreover, famine has invaded them, and from drought of water they are already counted among the dead.

They have even resolved to slaughter their livestock and drink their blood.

And the holy things of the Lord their God, which God commanded must not be touched — their grain, wine, and oil — these they have decided to consume, and they are willing to use up what they ought not even to touch with their hands. Therefore, since they do these things, it is certain they will be given over to destruction.

When I, your handmaid, learned this, I fled from them, and the Lord has sent me to report these very things to you.

For I, your handmaid, worship God even now while I am with you, and your handmaid will go out and pray to God.

And he will tell me when he has repaid them for their sin, and I will come and announce it to you, so that I may lead you through the middle of Jerusalem, and you shall have the whole people of Israel like sheep without a shepherd, and not even a single dog shall bark against you.

For these things have been told to me by the providence of God.

And because God is angry with them, I have been sent to announce these very things to you.

All these words pleased Holofernes and his attendants, and they marveled at her wisdom and said to one another:

There is no woman like this on the face of the earth — in appearance, in beauty, and in the sense of her words.

Holofernes said to her: God has done well in sending you ahead of the people, so that you may deliver them into our hands.

And since your promise is good — if your God does this for me, he shall be my God as well, and you shall be great in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, and your name shall be renowned throughout all the earth.