1   And it came to passe, when she had ceased to crie to our Lord, she rose from the place, wherein she lay prostrate to our Lord.

2   And she called her ^note abra, and going downe into her house she tooke from her the hearecloth, and put of the garmentes of her widowhood,

3   and washed her bodie, and anoynted her self with ointement, and plaited the heare of her head, and put a crowne vpon her head, and clothed herselfe

with the garmentes of her ioyfulnes, and put ^note pantofles on her feete, and tooke braceletes, and Lilies, and eareletes, and ringes, and with al her ornamentes she adorned her self.

4   To whom also ^note our Lord gaue beautie: because al this trimming did not depend of sensualitie, but of vertue: & therfore our Lord amplified this beautie on her, that she might appeare to al mens eies of incomparable comlines.

5   She therfore layd vpon her abra ^note a bottel of wyne, and a vessel of oyle, and ^note polent, and drie figges, and bread, and cheese, and went foreward.

6   And when they were come to the gate of the citie, they found Ozias expecting, and the ancientes of the citie.

7   Who when they saw her, being astonished maruailed at her beautie exceedingly,

8   Yet asking her no question, they let her passe, saying: The God of our fathers geue thee grace, and strengthen al the counsel of thy hart, with his powre, that Ierusalem may glorie vpon thee, and thy name may be in the number of the holie and iust.

9   And they that were there said, al with one voyce: So be it, so be it.

10   But Iudith praying our Lord, passed through the gates she and her Abra.

11   And it came to passe, when she went downe the hil, about breake of day the watchmen of the Assyrians mette her, and held her, saying: whence comest thou? or whither goest thou?

12   Who answered, I am a daughter of the Hebrews, therfore am I fled from their face, ^note because I knew it should come to passe, that they should be geuen you vnto spoyle, because that contemning you, they would not of their owne accord yeld themselues, that they might find mercie in your sight.

13   For this cause I thought with my self, saying: I wil goe to the presence of the prince of Holofernes, that I may tel him their secretes, and shew him by what entrance he may winne them, so that there shal not fal one man of his armie.

14   And when those men had heard her wordes, they considered her face, and she was a wonder in their eies, for they marueiled at her beautie excedingly.

15   And they said to her: Thou hast saued thy life, in that thou hast found such counsel, that thou wouldest come downe to our lord.

16   And this know thou, that when thou shalt stand in his sight, he wil deale wel with thee, and thou shalt be most gratious in his hart. And they brought her to the tabernacle of Holofernes, telling him of her.

17   And when she was entered before his face, forth with Holofernes was caught in his eies.

18   And his

guard said to him: Who can contemne the people of the Hebrewes, which haue ^note so beautiful wem&ebar;, that we should not worthely fight against them for these?

19   Iudith therfore seeing Holofernes sitting in a canopie, which was wouen of purple, and gold, and emerauld, and pretious stones:

20   and when she had looked in his face, she adored him, falling prostrate vpon the ground. And the seruantes of Holofernes lifted her vp, their lord commanding it.

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