1    2   When Judith had ended her prayer, prostrate before the God of Israel, she rose, called her maid, and went down into the house, where she was accustomed to spend her sabbaths and festivals. 3   She removed the sackcloth she was wearing and took off her widow's weeds; then she washed, and anointed herself with rich perfume. She did her hair, put on a headband, and dressed in her gayest clothes, which she used to wear when her husband Manasses was alive. 4   She put on sandals and anklets, bracelets and rings, her earrings and all her ornaments, and made herself very attractive, so as to catch the eye of any man who might see her. 5   She gave her maid a skin of wine and a flask of oil; then she filled a bag with roasted grain, cakes of dried figs, and the finest bread, packed everything up, and gave it all to her maid to carry.

6   They went out towards the gate of Bethulia and found Ozias standing there, with Chabris and Charmis the elders of the town. 7   When they saw Judith transformed in appearance and quite differently dressed, they were filled with admiration of her beauty, and

Judith kills Holophernes said to her, 8   ‘The God of our fathers grant you favour and fulfil your plans, so that Israel may triumph and Jerusalem may be exalted!’ 9   Judith bowed to God in worship. Then she said to them, ‘Order the gate to be opened for me, and I will go out to accomplish all that you say.’ They ordered the young men to open the gate as she had asked. 10   When they had done so, Judith went out, accompanied by her maid; and the men of the town watched her until she had gone down the hill-side and crossed the valley, and then they lost sight of her.

11   The women went straight across the valley and were met by an Assyrian outpost; 12   they seized Judith and questioned her: ‘What is your nationality? Where have you come from? Where are you going?’ ‘I am a Hebrew,’ she replied; ‘but I am running away from my people, because they are going to fall into your hands and be devoured. 13   I am on my way to Holophernes, your commander-in-chief, with reliable information. I will show him a route by which he can gain command of the entire hill-country without losing a single man.’

14   As the men listened to her story they looked at her face and were amazed at her beauty. 15   ‘You have saved your life’, they said, ‘by coming down at once to see our master. Go to his tent straight away. 16   Some of us will escort you and hand you over to him. When you are in his presence, do not be afraid; just tell him what you have told us, and he will treat you kindly.’ 17   They detailed a hundred of their number to accompany her and her maid, and they brought the two women to Holophernes' tent.

18   As the news of her arrival spread from tent to tent, men came running from all parts of the camp. They gathered round her as she stood outside Holophernes' tent waiting until he had been told about her. 19   Her wonderful beauty made them think that the Israelites must be a wonderful people. They said to each other, ‘Who can despise a nation which has such women as this? We had better not leave a man of them alive, for if they get away they will be able to outwit the whole world.’

20   Then Holophernes' bodyguard and all his attendants came out and took her into the tent. 21   He was resting on his bed under a mosquito-net of purple interwoven with gold, emeralds, and precious stones. 22   When Judith was announced he came out into the front part of the tent, with silver lamps carried before him. 23   He and his attendants

Judith kills Holophernes were all amazed at the beauty of her face as she stood before them. She prostrated herself and did obeisance to him; but his slaves raised her up.

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