Judith 8

¹And it came to pass, when Judith a widow had heard these words, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Idox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozias, the son of Elai, the son of Iamnor, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Achitob, the son of Melchias, the son of Enan, the son of Nathanias, the son of Salathiel, the son of Simeon, the son of Israel:

²and her husband was Manasses, who died in the days of barley harvest:

³for he was occupied with them that bound sheaves in the field, and the heat came upon his head, and he died in Bethulia his city, and was buried there with his father.

⁴And Judith was left his widow now three years & six months.

⁵And in the higher parts of her house she made herself a secret chamber, in which she abode shut up with her maids.

⁶and having cloth of hair upon her loins, she fasted all the days of her life, but Sabbaths, and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.

⁷And she was of an exceeding beautiful countenance, to whom her husband had left much riches, & a great family, and possessions full of herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep.

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

⁹When she therefore had heard that Ozias had promised, that after the fifth day were past he would yield the city, she sent to the ancients Chabri & Charmi.

¹⁰And they came to her, and she said to them: What is this word, wherein Ozias hath consented, to yield the city to the Assyrians, if within five days there come no aid to us?

¹¹And what are you, that tempt our Lord?

¹²This is no word that may provoke mercy, but rather that may raise up wrath, and inflame fury.

¹³You have set a time for the mercy of our Lord, and according to your pleasure, you have appointed him a day.

¹⁴But because our Lord is patient, let us be penitent for this same thing, and shedding tears let us desire his pardon:

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

¹⁶And therefore let us humble our souls to him, & being settled in an humble spirit, serving him:

¹⁷let us say weeping to our Lord, that according to his will so he do his mercy with us: that as our heart is troubled in their pride, so also we may glory in our humility:

¹⁸because we have not followed the sins of our fathers, which forsook their God, and adored strange gods,

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

²⁰Let us humbly expect his consolation, and he will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all Nations, what soever shall rise up against us, and the Lord our God will make them without honour.

²¹And now brethren, because you are ancients in the people of God, and their souls depend of you: by your speech comfort their hearts, that they be mindful, that our fathers were tempted to be proved, whether they did worship their God truly.

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

²³So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moyses, and all that have pleased God, through many tribulations have passed faithful.

²⁴But they that did not receive the tentations with the fear of our Lord, and uttered their impatience and reproach of their murmuring against our Lord,

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

²⁶And we therefore let us not revenge ourselves for these things, which we suffer,

²⁷but reputing these very punishments to be the scourges of our Lord less than our sins, wherewith as servants we are chastised, let us think them to have chanced to our amendment, and not to our destruction.

²⁸And Ozias and the ancients said to her: All things which thou hast spoken be true, and there is no reprehension in thy words.

²⁹Now therefore pray for us, because thou art a holy woman, and fearing God.

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

³¹so that which I have disposed to do, prove if it be of God, and pray that God establish my counsel.

³²You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with mine Abra: and pray ye, that as you have said, in five days our Lord respect his people Israel.

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

³⁴And Ozias the Prince of Juda said to her: Go in peace, and our Lord be with thee to the revenge of our enemies. And returning they departed.