Judith 12

¹Then he ordered her to enter where his valuables were stored, and he ordered her to wait there, and he appointed what should be given to her from his own feast.

²And Judith responded to him, and she said: “Now, I am not able to eat from these things which you instructed to be allotted to me, lest an offense come upon me. But I will eat from that which I have brought.”

³And Holofernes said to her, “If these things that you have brought with you should fail you, what shall we do for you?”

⁴And Judith said, “As your soul lives, my lord, your maidservant will not expend all these things, until God accomplishes by my hand what I have in mind.” And his servants led her into the tabernacle, as he instructed.

⁵And, as she was entering, she requested that it be permitted to her to go outside at night, before daylight, in order to pray and to petition the Lord.

⁶And he instructed his chamberlains that she may exit and enter, just as it may please her, to adore her God, for three days.

⁷And she went out in the nights into the valley of Bethulia, and she washed herself in a fountain of water.

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

⁹And entering, she remained pure in the tabernacle, until she received her own food in the evening.

¹⁰And it happened on the fourth day that Holofernes made a supper for his servants, and he said to Vagao his eunuch: “Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman to willingly consent to live with me.

¹¹For it is disgraceful among the Assyrians, if a woman mocks a man, acting so as to pass through with immunity from him.”

¹²Then Vagao entered toward Judith, and he said, “May she not dread, my good young woman, to enter to my lord, so that she may be honored before his face, so that she may eat with him and drink wine with cheerfulness.”

¹³Judith answered him: “Who am I, that I should contradict my lord?

¹⁴All that will be good and best before his eyes, I will do. Moreover, whatever will please him, to me, that will be what is best, all the days of my life.”

¹⁵And she arose and dressed herself with her garments, and entering, she stood before his face.

¹⁶But the heart of Holofernes was struck. For he was burning with desire for her.

¹⁷And Holofernes said to her, “Drink now, and recline with cheerfulness, for you have found favor before me.”

¹⁸And Judith said, “I will drink, my lord, because my soul has been magnified this day, beyond all my days.”

¹⁹And she accepted and ate and drank in his sight what her handmaid had prepared for her.

²⁰And Holofernes became pleased with her, and he drank very much wine, more than he had ever drunk in his life.

Judith 12

¹Then he commanded to bring her in where his plate was set; and bade that they should prepare for her of his own meats, and that she should drink of his own wine.

²And Judith said, I will not eat thereof, lest there be an offence: but provision shall be made for me of the things that I have brought.

³Then Holofernes said unto her, If thy provision should fail, how should we give thee the like? for there be none with us of thy nation.

⁴Then said Judith unto him As thy soul liveth, my lord, thine handmaid shall not spend those things that I have, before the Lord work by mine hand the things that he hath determined.

⁵Then the servants of Holofernes brought her into the tent, and she slept till midnight, and she arose when it was toward the morning watch,

⁶And sent to Holofernes, saving, Let my lord now command that thine handmaid may go forth unto prayer.

⁷Then Holofernes commanded his guard that they should not stay her: thus she abode in the camp three days, and went out in the night into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain of water by the camp.

⁸And when she came out, she besought the Lord God of Israel to direct her way to the raising up of the children of her people.

⁹So she came in clean, and remained in the tent, until she did eat her meat at evening.

¹⁰And in the fourth day Holofernes made a feast to his own servants only, and called none of the officers to the banquet.

¹¹Then said he to Bagoas the eunuch, who had charge over all that he had, Go now, and persuade this Hebrew woman which is with thee, that she come unto us, and eat and drink with us.

¹²For, lo, it will be a shame for our person, if we shall let such a woman go, not having had her company; for if we draw her not unto us, she will laugh us to scorn.

¹³Then went Bagoas from the presence of Holofernes, and came to her, and he said, Let not this fair damsel fear to come to my lord, and to be honoured in his presence, and drink wine, and be merry with us and be made this day as one of the daughters of the Assyrians, which serve in the house of Nabuchodonosor.

¹⁴Then said Judith unto him, Who am I now, that I should gainsay my lord? surely whatsoever pleaseth him I will do speedily, and it shall be my joy unto the day of my death.

¹⁵So she arose, and decked herself with her apparel and all her woman’s attire, and her maid went and laid soft skins on the ground for her over against Holofernes, which she had received of Bagoas far her daily use, that she might sit and eat upon them.

¹⁶Now when Judith came in and sat down, Holofernes his heart was ravished with her, and his mind was moved, and he desired greatly her company; for he waited a time to deceive her, from the day that he had seen her.

¹⁷Then said Holofernes unto her, Drink now, and be merry with us.

¹⁸So Judith said, I will drink now, my lord, because my life is magnified in me this day more than all the days since I was born.

¹⁹Then she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared.

²⁰And Holofernes took great delight in her, and drank more wine than he had drunk at any time in one day since he was born.