A   And it happened wh&ebar; these wordes came to þe; eares of Iudith a wyddowe, which was the daughter of Merari, the sonne of Idox, þe; sonne of Ioseph, the sonne of Osia, the sonne of Elay, the sonne of Iammor, the sonne of Iedeon, the sonne of Raphoim, the sonne of Achitob, the sonne of Melchia, þe; sonne of Euam, the sonne of Nathania, the sonne of Salathiel, the sonne of Symeon, the sonne of Ruben. And her husb&abar;d was called Manasses, which dyed in the dayes of the barlye haruest. For whyle he was byndynge the sheues together in the felde, the heate came vp&obar; his head, ∧ he dyed at Bethulia his cytie ∧ there was he buryed besyde his fathers Now was Iudith hys desolate wyddowe thre yeares and six monethes. And in þe; hyer partes of her house she made her selfe a preuy chambre, where she dwelt, beynge closed in with her maydens. B   She ware asmock of heare, and fasted all the dayes of her lyfe, excepte the Sabbathes, and newe mones and the solempne dayes that þe; people of Israell kepte. She was a very fayre and bewtifull pers&obar;ne. Her husb&abar;d also had left her greate riches, a plenteous housholde, great unmoueable possessi&obar;s and many catell. This Iudith was a woman of a very good reporte with euery one, for she feared þe; Lord greatly, &abar;d there was no body that spake an euell worde of her.

When thys Iudith hearde, how Osyas had promised the people, that after the fyfte daye he wolde geue vp the cyte vnto the Assyri&abar;s, she sent for the elders Chambri and Charmy, and when they came to her, she sayde: what thynge is thys, wherin Osyas hath consented, that yf God helpe not within fyue dayes, he wyll geue ouer the cytie to the Assiri&abar;s? What are ye, that ye tempte the Lorde? This deuyce optayneth no mercy of God, but prouoketh him vnto wrath and displeasure. Wyll ye set the mercy of þe; Lorde a tyme and appoynte hym a daye after youre wyll?

C   Neuerthelesse, for so moch as the Lord is pacy&ebar;t, lett vs rather repent, pourynge out teares, and besech&ibar;g him of grace. For God threateneth not as a man, nether wyll he be prouoked vnto wrath as the chyldren of men. And therfore lett vs hertely fall dowbe before hym, and serue hym wyth a meke sprete, and wyth wepynge eyes saye vnto the Lorde, that he deale with vs accordyng to hys awne wyll and mercy: that lyke as oure herte is now vexed, and brought lowe thorow the pryde of them, it maye so be conforted thorow hys grace: in so moch as we folowe not the synnes of our fathers, which

forsoke their God, ∧ worshypped other goddes: for the whych synne they perished with the swerde, were spoyled ∧ brought to shame of al their enemies. As for vs, we knowe none other God but onely h&ibar;, for whose conforte lett vs tary with mekenesse. He shall requyre and make inquisyci&obar; for our bloud from the vexacions of our enemyes: he shal bringe downe all the Heythen, that ryse vp agaynst vs, ∧ put them to dishonoure, euen the Lorde oure God.

D   Therfore deare brethren, seynge ye are þe; honorable and elders in the people of God, vnto whom all the people haue respecte, &abar;d vpon whom the lyfe of the people standeth, lyft vp their hertes with youre exhortacy&obar;, that they may call to remembraunce, how oure fathers also in tymes past were tempted, that they myght be proued, yf they worshypped theyr God a ryght. They ought to remembre, how ^note oure father Abraham beynge tempted, and tryed thorow many trybulacyons, was founde a louer and frende of God. So was Isaac, so was Iacob, so was Moses, and all they that pleased God, beynge tryed thorow many troubles, were founde stedfast in fayth. Agayne, they that receaued not theyr t&ebar;tacyons wyth the feare of God, but put th&ebar; selues forth with vnpacyency and murmurynge agaynst God, peryshed of the destroyer, and were slayne of serpentes. And therfor shuld not we vndertake to be auenged, for the thyng that is done vnto vs: but to consydre, that all these punyshmentes are farre lesse then oure synnes and mysdedes. Beleu&ibar;ge also that thys correccyon commeth vnto vs (as to the seruauntes of God) for amendement, and not for oure destruccyon.

E   Then sayde Osias ∧ the elders vnto Iudith: All that thou speakest, is true, and no m&abar; can reproue thy wordes. Praye thou for vs now therfore vnto God, for thou art an holy woman, and fearest God. And Iudith sayd vnto them: Seyng, ye knowe that my wordes are of God, then proue my councell ∧ deuice, yf it be of God: ∧ beseche God, that he wyll brynge my councell to good ende.

Thus haue I deuysed: Ye shall st&abar;de this nyght before the porte, and I wyll go forth with Abra my mayden. Praye ye therfore vnto God, that he wyll gracyously remembre his people of Israel within fyue dayes, as ye haue sayd. As for the thyng that I go in hande with all, aske ye no questy&obar;s of it, tyll I open it vnto you my self: do ye noth&ibar;g els but praye vnto the Lord youre God for me. Then Osias the prince of the people of Iuda sayde vnto her: Go thy waye in peace the Lorde be with the, that we maye be au&ebar;ged of our enemyes. And so they w&ebar;te from her agayne.

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