A   Nowe when it was late in the night his serua&ubar;tes made hast euery m&abar; to his lodgyng. And Vagao shut the chamber dores and wente hys waye, for they were all ouerladen with wyne. So was Iudith alone in the chamber. As for Holofernes he laye vpon the bed al dronken, and of very dronkennes fell a slepe.

Then commaunded Iudith her mayden, to st&abar;de without before the dore, ∧ to wayte. And Iudith stode before the bedde, makyng her prayer with teares, ∧ moued her lyppes secretly, ∧ sayd: Strength&ebar; me O Lord God of Israel, ∧ haue respecte vnto the workes of my handes in this houre, that thou mayst set vp thy cytie of Hierusalem, lyke as thou hast promised: O graunte that by the I may perfourme the thynge, whiche I haue deuysed thorow the beleue that I haue in the.

And when she had spoken this, she wente to the bedsteade, and lowsed the swerde that hanged vpon it, ∧ drew it out. Then toke she holde of the heery lockes of his heade, and sayde: Strengthen me O Lorde God in this houre: ∧ with that, she gaue hym two strokes vpon the necke, and smote of his head. Then toke she the canapy awaye, ∧ rolled the dead body asyde. Immediatly she gat her forthe, ∧ deliuered the heade of Holofernes vnto her mayden, and bad her put it in her walet.

B   And so these two went forthe together after their custome, as thoughe they woulde praye, and so passed by the hooste, and came thorow the valley vnto the porte of the citie. And Iudith cryed afarre of vnto the watchmen vpon the walles: Open the gates (sayde she) for God is with vs, which hath shewed hys power in Israell. And when they hearde her voyce, they called the elders of the cytye together. And they came all to mete her, litle and great, yonge and olde, for they thoughte

not that she shoulde haue come so soone. So they lighted candels, and gathered aboute her euerychone: but she wente vp into an hye place, and caused sylence to be proclaymed.

C   When euery man now helde hys tonge, Iudith sayde: O prayse the Lord our God, for he hath not despised, nor forsaken theym, that put their trust in hym: ∧ in me hys h&abar;dmayd&ebar; he hath performed hys mercy, which he promised vnto the house of Israel: yea, in my hande this same night hath he slayne the enemy of hys people.

And with that she toke forthe the heade of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, sayinge: Beholde the head of Holofernes the Captayne of the Assyrians, ∧ this is the canapy, wherin he laye in his dronkenes: where the Lorde our God hat slayne him by the hande of a woman.

But as truly as the Lord lyueth, his A&ubar;gell hath kepte me, goyng thither, remaining there, ∧ comming hither againe from thence. And the Lord hath not suffred me hys handmayden to be defiled, but without any filthines of sinne hath he brought me agayne vnto you: ∧ that with greate victory, so that I am escaped, ∧ ye deliuered. O geue thankes vnto hym euerychone, for he is gracious and hys mercy endureth for euer.

D   So they praysed the Lord altogether, and gaue thankes vnto hym. And too her they sayde: The Lorde hath blessed the in hys power, for thorow the he hath brought our enemyes to naught. And Ozias the chief ruler of the people of Israel, sayde vnto her: Blessed art thou of the Lord the hygh God, aboue all women vpon earth.

Blessed be the Lorde, the maker of heauen and earth, which hath gyded the a ryght too wounde and to smyte of the head of the Capitayne of oure enemyes. For thys daye he hath made thy name so honorable, that thy prayse shall neuer come out of the mouthe of men, whiche shall all waye rem&ebar;bre the power of the Lord: seynge thou hast not spared thyne owne selfe, but put the in ieopardy, c&obar;siderynge the anguyshe and trouble of thy people, ∧ so hast helped their fal before God oure Lorde. And all the people sayde: Amen, Amen.

E   Achior also was called, ∧ he came. Then sayde Iudith vnto hym: The God of Israel vnto whom thou gauest witnes, þt; he woulde be au&ebar;ged of his enemyes, euen he hath thys night thorow my hande smytten of the head of all the vnfaythfull. And that thou mayest se that it so is, beholde this is the head of Holofernes, whiche in his presumpteous pryde despysed the God of the people of Israell, ∧ threatened the with destrucci&obar;, saying: when the people of Israel is taken, I shall cause the also to be styckte with the swerde. When Achior sawe Holofernes head he fell doune vpon hys face to the gro&ubar;d for very anguish ∧ feare, so that he swowned with all. But after that he was come agayne to him selfe, he fell doune before her, and praised her, saying: Blessed art thou of thy God in all the tabernacles of Iacob: for all the people that heare of thy name, shall prayse the God of Israell because of the.

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