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.

Judith 12

¹Then he ordered that she should go in where his treasures were laid up, and bade her tarry there, and he appointed what should be given her from his own table.

²And Judith answered him and said: Now I cannot eat of these things which thou commandest to be given me, lest sin come upon me: but I will eat of the things which I have brought.

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

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

⁵And when she was going in, she desired that she might have liberty to go out at night and before day to prayer, and to beseech the Lord.

⁶And he commanded his chamberlains, that she might go out and in, to adore her God as she pleased, for three days.

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

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

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

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

¹¹For it is looked upon as shameful among the Assyrians, if a woman mock a man, by doing so as to pass free from him.

¹²Then Vagao went in to Judith, and said: Let not my good maid be afraid to go in to my lord, that she may be honoured before his face, that she may eat with him and drink wine and be merry.

¹³And Judith answered him: Who am I, that I should gainsay my lord?

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

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

¹⁶And the heart of Holofernes was smitten, for he was burning with the desire of her.

¹⁷And Holofernes said to her: Drink now, and sit down and be merry; for thou hast found favour before me.

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

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

²⁰And Holofernes was made merry on her occasion, and drank exceeding much wine, so much as he had never drunk in his life.