Judith 12

¹Then he bade her go in where his treasures were laid up, and bade her tarry there, and he appointed what should be given her of his own banquet.

²To whom Judith answered, and said: Now I cannot eat of these things, which thou commandest to be given me, lest there come displeasure upon me: but I will eat of these things, which I have brought.

³To whom Holofernes said: If these things which thou hast brought with thee shall fail thee, what shall we do to thee?

⁴And Judith said: Thy soul liveth my lord, that thy handmaid shall not spend all these things, till God do by my hand these things, which I have purposed. And his servants brought her into the tabernacle, which he had commanded.

⁵And whilst she went in, she desired that she might have licence to go forth in the night and before day to prayer, & to beseech our Lord.

⁶And he commanded his chamberlains, that as it pleased her, she should go out & come in to adore her God for three days.

⁷And she went forth in the nights into the vale of Bethulia, & washed herself in a fountain of water.

⁸And as she came up, she prayed our Lord the God of Israel, that he would direct her way to the delivery of his people.

⁹And going in, she remained pure in the tabernacle, until she took her own meat in the evening.

¹⁰And it came to pass in the fourth day, Holofernes made a supper to his servants, and said to Vagao his eunuch: Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman, that she consent to her own accord to dwell with me.

¹¹For it is a foul thing with the Assyrians, if a woman mock a man in doing, that she pass free from him.

¹²Then Vagao went in to Judith, & said: Let not the good young maid fear to go in to my lord, that she may be honoured before his face, that she may eat with him & drink wine in joyfulness.

¹³To whom Judith answered: Whom am I, that I should gainsay my lord?

¹⁴All that shall be good & best before his eyes, will I do. And whatsoever shall please him, that shall be best to me all the days of my life.

¹⁵And she arose, and decked herself with her garments, and going in she stood before his face.

¹⁶And the heart of Holofernes was strucken: for he burnt in the concupiscence of her.

¹⁷And Holofernes said to her: Drink now, & sit down in joyfulness, because thou hast found grace before me.

¹⁸And Judith said: I will drink my lord, because my soul is magnified this day above all my days.

¹⁹And she took, and did eat, & drank before him those things, which her handmaid had prepared her.

²⁰And Holofernes was made pleasant toward her, & drank wine exceeding much, so much as he had never drunk in his life?