Judith 8

¹Now it came to pass, when Judith a widow had heard these words, who was the daughter of Merari, the son of Idox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozias, the son of Elai, the son of Jamnor, 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 Ruben:

²And her husband was Manasses, who died in the time of the barley harvest:

³For he was standing over them that bound sheaves in the field; and the heat came upon his head, and he died in Bethulia his own city, and was buried there with his fathers.

⁴And Judith his relict was a widow now three years and six months.

⁵And she made herself a private chamber in the upper part of her house, in which she abode shut up with her maids.

⁶And she wore haircloth upon her loins, and fasted all the days of her life, except the sabbaths, and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.

⁷And she was exceedingly beautiful, and her husband left her great riches, and very many servants, and large possessions of herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep.

⁸And she was greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much, neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her.

⁹When therefore she had heard that Ozias had promised that he would deliver up the city after the fifth day, she sent to the ancients Chabri and Charmi.

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

¹¹And who are you that tempt the Lord?

¹²This is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indignation.

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

¹⁴But forasmuch as the Lord is patient, let us be penitent for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg his pardon:

¹⁵For God will not threaten like man, nor be inflamed to anger like the son of man.

¹⁶And therefore let us humble our souls before him, and continuing in an humble spirit, in his service:

¹⁷Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to his will so he would shew his mercy to us: that as our heart is troubled by their pride, so also we may glorify in our humility.

¹⁸For we have not followed the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and worshipped strange gods.

¹⁹For which crime they were given up to their enemies, to the sword, and to pillage, and to confusion: but we know no other God but him.

²⁰Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and the Lord our God will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the nations that shall rise up against us, and bring them to disgrace.

²¹And now, brethren, as you are the ancients among the people of God, and their very soul resteth upon you: comfort their hearts by your speech, that they may be mindful how our fathers were tempted that they might be proved, whether they worshipped their God truly.

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

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

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

²⁵Were destroyed by the destroyer, and perished by serpents.

²⁶As for us therefore let us not revenge ourselves for these things which we suffer.

²⁷But esteeming these very punishments to be less than our sins deserve, let us believe that these scourges of the Lord, with which like servants we are chastised, have happened for our amendment, and not for our destruction.

²⁸And Ozias and the ancients said to her: All things which thou hast spoken are true, and there is nothing to be reprehended in thy words.

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

³⁰And Judith said to them: As you know that what I have been able to say is of God:

³¹So that which I intend to do prove ye if it be of God, and pray that God may strengthen my design.

³²You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with my maidservant: and pray ye, that as you have said, in five days the Lord may look down upon his people Israel.

³³But I desire that you search not into what I am doing, and till I bring you word let nothing else be done but to pray for me to the Lord our God.

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

Judith 8

¹Now at that time Judith heard thereof, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozel, the son of Elcia, the son of Ananias, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Acitho, the son of Eliu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Samael, the son of Salasadal, the son of Israel.

²And Manasses was her husband, of her tribe and kindred, who died in the barley harvest.

³For as he stood overseeing them that bound sheaves in the field, the heat came upon his head, and he fell on his bed, and died in the city of Bethulia: and they buried him with his fathers in the field between Dothaim and Balamo.

⁴So Judith was a widow in her house three years and four months.

⁵And she made her a tent upon the top of her house, and put on sackcloth upon her loins and ware her widow’s apparel.

⁶And she fasted all the days of her widowhood, save the eves of the sabbaths, and the sabbaths, and the eves of the new moons, and the new moons and the feasts and solemn days of the house of Israel.

⁷She was also of a goodly countenance, and very beautiful to behold: and her husband Manasses had left her gold, and silver, and menservants and maidservants, and cattle, and lands; and she remained upon them.

⁸And there was none that gave her an ill word; as she feared God greatly.

⁹Now when she heard the evil words of the people against the governor, that they fainted for lack of water; for Judith had heard all the words that Ozias had spoken unto them, and that he had sworn to deliver the city unto the Assyrians after five days;

¹⁰Then she sent her waitingwoman, that had the government of all things that she had, to call Ozias and Chabris and Charmis, the ancients of the city.

¹¹And they came unto her, and she said unto them, Hear me now, O ye governors of the inhabitants of Bethulia: for your words that ye have spoken before the people this day are not right, touching this oath which ye made and pronounced between God and you, and have promised to deliver the city to our enemies, unless within these days the Lord turn to help you.

¹²And now who are ye that have tempted God this day, and stand instead of God among the children of men?

¹³And now try the Lord Almighty, but ye shall never know any thing.

¹⁴For ye cannot find the depth of the heart of man, neither can ye perceive the things that he thinketh: then how can ye search out God, that hath made all these things, and know his mind, or comprehend his purpose? Nay, my brethren, provoke not the Lord our God to anger.

¹⁵For if he will not help us within these five days, he hath power to defend us when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies.

¹⁶Do not bind the counsels of the Lord our God: for God is not as man, that he may be threatened; neither is he as the son of man, that he should be wavering.

¹⁷Therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it please him.

¹⁸For there arose none in our age, neither is there any now in these days neither tribe, nor family, nor people, nor city among us, which worship gods made with hands, as hath been aforetime.

¹⁹For the which cause our fathers were given to the sword, and for a spoil, and had a great fall before our enemies.

²⁰But we know none other god, therefore we trust that he will not despise us, nor any of our nation.

²¹For if we be taken so, all Judea shall lie waste, and our sanctuary shall be spoiled; and he will require the profanation thereof at our mouth.

²²And the slaughter of our brethren, and the captivity of the country, and the desolation of our inheritance, will he turn upon our heads among the Gentiles, wheresoever we shall be in bondage; and we shall be an offence and a reproach to all them that possess us.

²³For our servitude shall not be directed to favour: but the Lord our God shall turn it to dishonour.

²⁴Now therefore, O brethren, let us shew an example to our brethren, because their hearts depend upon us, and the sanctuary, and the house, and the altar, rest upon us.

²⁵Moreover let us give thanks to the Lord our God, which trieth us, even as he did our fathers.

²⁶Remember what things he did to Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, when he kept the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother.

²⁷For he hath not tried us in the fire, as he did them, for the examination of their hearts, neither hath he taken vengeance on us: but the Lord doth scourge them that come near unto him, to admonish them.

²⁸Then said Ozias to her, All that thou hast spoken hast thou spoken with a good heart, and there is none that may gainsay thy words.

²⁹For this is not the first day wherein thy wisdom is manifested; but from the beginning of thy days all the people have known thy understanding, because the disposition of thine heart is good.

³⁰But the people were very thirsty, and compelled us to do unto them as we have spoken, and to bring an oath upon ourselves, which we will not break.

³¹Therefore now pray thou for us, because thou art a godly woman, and the Lord will send us rain to fill our cisterns, and we shall faint no more.

³²Then said Judith unto them, Hear me, and I will do a thing, which shall go throughout all generations to the children of our nation.

³³Ye shall stand this night in the gate, and I will go forth with my waitingwoman: and within the days that ye have promised to deliver the city to our enemies the Lord will visit Israel by mine hand.

³⁴But enquire not ye of mine act: for I will not declare it unto you, till the things be finished that I do.

³⁵Then said Ozias and the princes unto her, Go in peace, and the Lord God be before thee, to take vengeance on our enemies.

³⁶So they returned from the tent, and went to their wards.