The .xiiij. Chapter.The counsayl of Iudith. Achior beyng an Heath&ebar;
man, turneth to God. The Assyrians are afrayed of
the Iewes.
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AIvdith sayd vnto all the people
Brethren heare me. Stycke vp
this head vpon our walles, and
when the Sunne aryseth, take
euery man hys weapen, ∧ fall
out violently: not as though ye wolde go besyde
them, but to renne vp&obar; th&ebar;, with viol&ebar;ce.
When the spyes in the t&ebar;tes se this, they shal
of necessitie be c&obar;pelled to fle bacward, and to
rayse vp theyr captayne to the battayll. So
when their capitaynes come into Holofernes
pauylion, and fynde the dead body wrapped
in the bloud, fearfulnes shall fall vpon th&ebar;: ∧
when ye perceyue that they fle, folowe them
without all care, for God shal deliuer theim
vnto you, to be destroyed.
Then Achior seynge the power of God
which he had shewed vnto the people of Israel,
fell of from hys Heathenishe belefe, and
put hys trust in God, and let him self be circumcised:
and so was he numbred among the
people of Israel, he ∧ all hys posteritie vnto
thys daye.
B Now as soone as it was day, they stickt
vp Holofernes head vppon the walles, and
euery man toke his weapen, and so they w&ebar;t
out with an horrible crye. When the spyes
sawe that, they ranne vnto Holofernes tent.
And they that were within the tente, came
before hys chamber, and made a greate russhing
to wake hym vp, because they thought
with the nose to haue raysed hym. For there
durst not one of the Assyrians knocke, go in
or open.
But when the capitaynes and princes and
all the chief in the kyng of the Assyri&abar;s hoost
came together, they sayde vnto the chamberlaynes:
Go your waye in, and wake him vp,
for the myse are crepte out of their holes, and
darre prouoke vs vnto battayl.
C Then wente Vagao into hys chamber,
stode before the bed, and clapped wyth hys
-- --
handes, for he thought he had bene slepynge
with Iudith.
But when he had herkened perfectly with
hys eares, and coulde perceyue no sterynge,
he wente nyer to the bed, and lifte it vp, and
then sawe he the dead bodye of Holofernes
lyenge there without a head, weltred in hys
bloude vpon the earth. Then cried he with a
loude voyce, and with wepyng rent hys clothes,
and went into Iudiths tent, and founde
her not: And so he lepte oute vnto the people
and sayde: one woman of the Iewes, hathe
broughte all Nabuchodonosors people too
shame. For lo, Holofernes lieth vpon the
grounde and hath no head.
When the chiefe of the Assyrians hooste
herd that, they rent theyr clothes, ∧ there fell
an intollerable feare and tremblynge vpon
th&ebar;, so that theyr myndes were sore afrayed.
And there was an exceadynge greate crye in
the whole hoost.
