Now whan all the hoost herde that
-- --
Holofernes was headed, their mynde and councell
fell from them: and soch a feare came
vpon them, that they vndertoke to defende
them selues by flyenge awaye: one spake not
to another, but hanged downe their heades,
left all behynde them, and made haist to escape
from the Hebrues: for they herde, that
they were haistinge to come after with their
weapens, and so they fled by the wayes of
the feldes, and thorow all the fote pathes of
the dales.
And whan þe; children of Israel sawe that
they fled, they folowed vpon them, and wente
downe with tr&obar;pettes, blowinge and makynge
a greate crie after th&ebar;. As for the Assirians,
they had no ordre, and kepte not th&ebar;
selues together, but fled their waye. Neuerthelesse
the children of Israel fell vpon them
with one company and ordre, and discomfited
as many as they might gett. And Osias
sent messaungers vnto all the cities and co&ubar;trees
of Israel.
B So all the regions and euery cite sent out
their best men after them in harnesse, ∧ smote
them with the swerde, tyll they came to þe;
vttemost parte of their borders. And the o ther
that were in Bethulia came into the t&ebar;tes
of the Assirians, and toke all that they
which were fled, had left behynde them, and
so they founde greate good. And they that
came agayne to Bethulia from the battayll,
toke with them soch thinges as had bene
theirs: there was no n&obar;bre of the catell, and
of all costly Iewels, so that from the lowest
vnto the hyest, they were all made riche of
the spoyles of them. And Ioachim the Hye
prest at Ierusal&ebar;, came to Bethulia with all
the elders, that they might se Iudith.
C Now whan she came out vnto them, they
beganne all to prayse her with one voyce,
sayenge: thou worshipe of the cite of Ierusalem,
thou ioye of Israel, thou hono&highr; of oure
people, thou hast done manly, and thy hert
is comforted, because thou hast loued clenlynes
and chastyte, ∧ hast knowne no man but
thine owne hu&esset;bande: therfore hath the h&abar;de
of the LORDE comforted the, and blessed
shalt thou be for euer. And all people sayde:
so be it, so be it.
In thirtie dayes coude the people of Israel
scarse gather vp the spoyles of the Assirians.
But all that belonged vnto Holofernes,
and had bene his specially, (whether it
were of golde, of syluer, precious stones, clothinge
and all ornamentes) they gaue it vnto
Iudith. And all the people reioysed, both wemen,
maydens, and yonge people, with pipes
and harpes.
Coverdale [1535], BIBLIA The Bible / that is, the holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully and truly translated out of Douche and Latyn in to Englishe () [word count] [B04000].
