1   Then Iudeth began this confession in all Israel, and all the people sang this songe with a loude voyce.

2   And Iudeth saide, Beginne vnto my GOD with tymbrels: sing to my Lorde with cymbals: tune vnto him a psalme: exalt his prayse, and call vpon his Name.

3   For God breaketh the battels, and pitched his campe in the middes of the people, and deliuered me out of the hande of the persecuters.

4   Assur came from the mountaines forth of the North: hee came with thousandes in his armie, ^note whose multitude hath shut vp the riuers and their horsemen haue couered the valleis.

5   He said that he would burne vp my borders and kill my yong men with the sworde, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mine infantes as a pray, and my virgins a spoyle.

6   But the almightie Lorde hath brought them to nought by the hand of a woman.

7   For the mightie did not fal by the yong men, neither did the sonnes of Titan smite him, nor the hie giants inuade him, but Iudeth the daughter of Merari did discomfite him by the beautie of her countenance.

8   For shee put off the garment of her widowhoode, for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with oyntment, and bound vp her heare in a coife, and tooke a linnen garment to deceiue him.

9   Her slippers rauished his eyes: her beautie tooke his minde prisoner, and the fauchin passed through his necke.

10   The Persians were astonished at her boldenes, & the Medes were troubled with her hardines.

11   But mine afflicted reioyced, and my feeble ones showted: then they feared, they lifted vp their voyce and turned backe.

12   The children of maides perced them, and wounded them as they fledde away like children: they perished by the battel of the Lord.

13   I will sing vnto the Lorde a song and praise, O Lord, thou art great and glorious, marueilous & inuincible in power.

14   Let all thy creatures serue thee: ^note for thou hast spoken and they were made: thou hast sent thy Spirit, and he made them vp: and there is none that can resist thy voyce.

15   For the mountaines leape vp from their fo&ubar;dations with the waters: the rockes melte at thy presence like waxe: yet thou art mercifull to them that feare thee.

16   For al sacrifice is to litle for a sweet savour, and al the fatte is to litle for thy burnt offring: but hee that feareth the Lorde, is great at all times.

17   Woe to the nations that rise vp against my kinred: the Lorde almightie will take vengeance of them in the day of iudgement, in sending fire & wormes vpon their flesh, and they shall feele them and weepe for euer.

18   ¶2; After, when they w&ebar;t vnto Ierusalem, they worshipped the Lorde, and assoone as the people were purified, they offred their burnt offrings, and their free offringes, and their giftes.

19   Iudeth also offred all the stuffe of Olofernes, which the people had giuen her, and gaue the canopie which she had taken off his bed, for an oblation to the Lord.

20   So the people reioyced in Ierusalem by the Sanctuarie, for the space of three moneths, and Iudeth remained with them.

21   After this time, euery one returned to his owne inheritance, and Iudeth went to Bethulia, and remayned in her owne possession, and was for her time honourable in all the countrey.

22   And many desired her, but none had her companie all the dayes of her life after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to ^note his people.

23   But shee increased more and more in honour, and waxed olde in her husbandes house, beeing an hundreth and fiue yeere olde, and made her maide free: so shee dyed in Bethulia, and they buried her in the graue of her husband Manasses.

24   And ^note the house of Israel lamented her seuen dayes, and before shee dyed, shee did distribute her goods to all them that were neerest of kinred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the neerest of her kinred.

25   And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afrayde in the dayes of Iudeth, nor a long time after her death.

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