1   And it came to passe, when Iudith a widow had heard these wordes, which was the daughter of Merari, the sonne of Idox, the sonne of Ioseph, the sonne of Ozias, the sonne of Elai, the sonne of Iamnor, the sonne of Gedeon, the sonne of Raphaim, the sonne of Achitob, the sonne of Melchias, the sonne of Enan, the sonne of Nathanias, the sonne of Salathiel, the sonne of Simeon, the sonne of Israel:

2   and her husband was Manasses, who died in the daies of barley haruest:

3   for he was occupied with them that bound sheues in the field, and the heate came vpon his head, and he died in Bethulia his citie, and was buried there with his father.

4   And Iudith was least his widow now three yeares and six monethes. ^note

5   And in the higher partes of her house she made her self ^note a secrete chamber, in which she abode shut vp with her maides,

6   and hauing ^note cloth of heare vpon her loynes, she ^notefasted al the daies of her life, but Sabbathes, and ^note newmoones,

and the feastes of the house of Israel.

7   And she was of an exceding beautiful countenance, to whom her husband had least much richesse, and a great familie, and possessions ful of heardes of oxen, and flockes of sheepe.

8   And she was among al most famous, because she feared our Lord very much, neither was there that spake an il word of her.

9   When she therfore had heard that Ozias had promised, that after the fifth day were past he would yeld the citie, she sent to the ancientes Chabri and Charmi.

10   And they came to her, and she said to them: What is this word, wherein Ozias hath consented, to yeld the citie to the Assyrians, if within fiue daies there come no ayde to vs?

11   And what are you, that tempt our Lord?

12   This is no word that may prouoke mercie, but rather that may rayse vp wrath, and inflame furie.

13   You ^notehaue set a time for the mercie of our Lord, and according to your pleasure, you haue appointed him a day.

14   But because our Lord is patient, let vs be penitent for this same thing, and sheding teares let vs desire his pardon:

15   for not as man, so wil God threaten, neither as the sonne of man wil he be inflamed to anger.

16   And therfore let vs humble our soules to him, and being setled in an humble spirit, seruing him:

17   let vs say weeping to our Lord, that according to his wil so he doe his mercie with vs: that as our hart is trubled in their pride, so also we may glorie in our humilitie:

18   because we haue not folowed the sinnes of our fathers, which forsooke their God, and adored strange goddes,

19   for which abomination they were geuen into the sword, and into confusion to their enemies: but we know no other God but him.

20   Let vs humbly expect his consolation, and he wil require our bloud of the afflictions of our enemies, and he wil humble al Nations, what soeuer shal rise vp against vs, and the Lord our God wil make them without honour.

21   And now bretheren, because you are ancientes in the people of God, and their soules depende of you: by your speach comforte their hartes, that they be mindful, that our fathers were tempted to be proued, whether they did worshippe their God truly.

22   They must be mindful how our father Abraham was tempted, and by many tribulations proued, was made the freind of God.

23   So Isaac, so Iacob, so Moyses, & al that haue pleased God, through manie tribulations haue passed faithful.

24   But they that did not receiue the tentations with the feare

of our Lord, and vttered their impatience and reproch of their murmuring against our Lord,

25   were destroyed of ^note the destroyer, and perished by serpents.

26   And we therfore let vs not reuenge ourselues for these thinges, which we suffer,

27   but reputing these verie punishments to be the scourges of our Lord lesse then our sinnes, wherwith as seruantes we are chastised, let vs thinke them to haue chanced to our amendement, and not to our destruction.

28   And Ozias and the ancientes sayd to her: Al thinges which thou hast spoken, be true, and there is no reprehension in thy wordes.

29   Now therfore pray for vs, because thou art a holie woman, and fearing God.

30   And Iudith said to them: As you know, that which I could speake to be of God:

31   so that which I haue disposed to doe, proue if it be of God, and pray that God establish my counsel.

32   You shal stand at the gate this night, and I wil goe out with myne ^note abra: and pray ye, that as you haue said, in fiue dayes our Lord respect his people Israel.

33   But I wil not that you search my doing, and til I bring you word, let nothing els be done, but pray for me to our Lord God.

34   And Ozias the prince of Iuda said to her: Goe in peace, and our Lord be with thee to the reuenge of our enemies. And returning they departed.

Previous section

Next section