A   Then sayde Holofernes vnto her: Be of good chere, and feare not in thine hert, for I neuer hurte man, that wolde serue Nabuchodonosor the kynge. As for thy people, yf they had not despysed me, I shulde not haue lift vp a speare agaynst th&ebar;. But tell me now, what is the cause þt; thou art departed from them, and wherfore art thou come vnto vs?

And Iudith sayde vnto him: Syr, vnderstonde the wordes of thy handmayden: for yf thou wilt do after þe; wordes of thy h&abar;dmayden, the LORDE shall brynge thy matter to a prosperous effecte. As truly as Nabuchodonosor a lorde of the londe lyueth, ∧ as truly as his power lyueth, which is in the to the punyshment of all men that go wronge, all men shall not onely be subdued vnto him thorow the, but all the beestes also of þe; felde. For all people speake of thy prud&ebar;t actiuyte, and it hath euer bene reported, how thou onely art good and mightie in all his kyngdome, and thy discrecion is comm&ebar;ded in all londes.

B    ^noteThe thinge is manifest also, that Achior spake, and it is wel knowne, what thou comma&ubar;dedst to do vnto him. For this is plaine and of a suretye, that oure God is so wroth with vs (by the reason of oure synnes) that he hath shewed by his prophetes vnto the people, how that for their synnes he wyl delyuer them ouer vnto the enemie. And for so moch as the children of Israel knowe that they haue so displeased their God, they are sore afrayed of the. They suffre greate honger also, ∧ for wante of water, they are deed now in a maner. Morouer, they are appoynted to slaye all their catell, that they maye drynke the bloude of them: and are purposed to spende all the holy ornamentes of their God (which he hath forbydd&ebar; th&ebar; to touch) for corne, wyne and oyle. Seinge now that they do these thinges, it is a playne case, þt; they must nedes be destroyed. C   Which whan I thy handmayden perceaued, I fled from them, and the LORDE hath sent me vnto þe;, to shew the these thinges. For I thy handmayden worshipe God euen here now besyde the, and thy honde mayden shal go forth, and I wil make my praier vnto God, and he shal tell me, whan he wyl rewarde th&ebar; their synne: then shal I come and shew the, ∧ brynge the thorow the myddest of Ierusalem, so that thou shalt haue all þe; people of Israel, as the shepe without a shepherde: there shal not so moch as one dogg barck agaynst the, for these thinges are shewed me by the prouydence of God: and for so moch as God is displeased with them, he hath sent me to tell the the same.

D   These wordes pleased Holofernes and all his seruauntes, which marueled at the wysdome of her, and sayde one to another: there is not soch a woman vpon earth, in bewtye and discrecion of wordes. And Holofernes sayde vnto her: God hath done well, that he hath sent the hither before thy people, that thou mayest geue them in to oure handes. And for so moch as þi; promyse is good, yf thy God perfourme it vnto me, he shall be my God also, and thou shalt be excellent and greate in the courte of Nabuchodonosor, and thy name shalbe spoken of in all the londe.

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