Judith 11

¹Thanne Holofernes seide to hir, Be thou coumfortid, and nyle thou drede in thin herte, for Y neuere anoyede man, that wolde serue Nabugodonosor, the kyng.

²Sotheli if thi puple hadde not dispisid me, Y hadde not reisid `myn hond on it.

³But `now seie to me, for what cause yedist thou awei fro hem, and it pleside thee to come to vs.

⁴And Judith seide, Take thou the wordis of thin handmaide; for, if thou suest the wordis of thin handmaide, the Lord schal make a perfit thing with thee.

⁵Forsothe Nabugodonosor, the kyng of erthe, lyueth, and his vertu lyueth, which is in thee to the chastisyng of alle soulis errynge; for not oneli men schulen serue hym `bi thee, but also beestis of the feeld obeien to hym.

⁶For the prudence of thi soule is teld to alle folkis; and it is schewid to al the world, that thou aloon art good and myyti in al his rewme; and thi techyng is prechid in alle prouyncis.

⁷Nether this thing is hid, which Achior spak, nether that thing is vnknowun, which thou comaundidist to bifalle to hym.

⁸For it is knowun, that oure God is so offendid bi synnes, that he sente bi hise profetis to the puple, that he wolde bitake hem for her synnes.

⁹And for the sones of Israel witen, that thei han offendid `her Lord God, the tremblyng of hym is on hem.

¹⁰Ferthermore also hungur hath asailid hem, and for drynesse of watir thei ben rikenyd now among deed men.

¹¹Forsothe thei ordeynen this, that thei sle her beestis, and drynke her blood;

¹²and thei thouyten to yyue these hooli thingis `of her Lord in wheete, wyn, and oile, whiche God comaundide to be not touchid, and thei wolen waste the thingis, which thei ouyten not touche with hondis; therfor for thei doen these thingis, it is certeyn that thei schulen be youun in to perdicioun.

¹³Which thing Y, thin handmaide, knew, and fledde fro hem, and the Lord sente me to telle these same thingis to thee.

¹⁴For Y, thin handmaide, worschipe God, also now at thee; and thin handmaide schal go out, and Y schal preie God;

¹⁵and he schal seie to me, whanne he schal yelde to hem her synne; and Y schal come, and telle to thee, so that Y brynge thee thorouy the myddis of Jerusalem, and thou schalt haue al the puple of Israel as scheep `to whiche is no scheepherde, and ther schal not berke ayens thee nameli oon;

¹⁶for these thingis ben seid to me bi the puruyaunce of God.

¹⁷And for God is wrooth to hem, Y am sente to telle to thee these same thingis.

¹⁸Sotheli alle these wordis plesiden bifor Holofernes, and bifore hise children; and thei wondriden at the wisdom of hir; and oon seide to another,

¹⁹Ther is not sich a womman on erthe in siyt, in fairenesse, and in wit of wordis.

²⁰And Holofernes seide to hir, God dide wel, that sente thee bifor the puple, that thou yyue it in myn hondis;

²¹and for thi biheest is good, if thi God doith these thingis to me, he schal be also my God, and thow schalt be greet in the hows of Nabugodonosor, and thi name schal be nemyd in al erthe.

Judith 11

¹Then said Holofernes unto her, Woman, be of good comfort, fear not in thine heart: for I never hurt any that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor, the king of all the earth.

²Now therefore, if thy people that dwelleth in the mountains had not set light by me, I would not have lifted up my spear against them: but they have done these things to themselves.

³But now tell me wherefore thou art fled from them, and art come unto us: for thou art come for safeguard; be of good comfort, thou shalt live this night, and hereafter:

⁴For none shall hurt thee, but entreat thee well, as they do the servants of king Nabuchodonosor my lord.

⁵Then Judith said unto him, Receive the words of thy servant, and suffer thine handmaid to speak in thy presence, and I will declare no lie to my lord this night.

⁶And if thou wilt follow the words of thine handmaid, God will bring the thing perfectly to pass by thee; and my lord shall not fail of his purposes.

⁷As Nabuchodonosor king of all the earth liveth, and as his power liveth, who hath sent thee for the upholding of every living thing: for not only men shall serve him by thee, but also the beasts of the field, and the cattle, and the fowls of the air, shall live by thy power under Nabuchodonosor and all his house.

⁸For we have heard of thy wisdom and thy policies, and it is reported in all the earth, that thou only art excellent in all the kingdom, and mighty in knowledge, and wonderful in feats of war.

⁹Now as concerning the matter, which Achior did speak in thy council, we have heard his words; for the men of Bethulia saved him, and he declared unto them all that he had spoken unto thee.

¹⁰Therefore, O lord and governor, respect not his word; but lay it up in thine heart, for it is true: for our nation shall not be punished, neither can sword prevail against them, except they sin against their God.

¹¹And now, that my lord be not defeated and frustrate of his purpose, even death is now fallen upon them, and their sin hath overtaken them, wherewith they will provoke their God to anger whensoever they shall do that which is not fit to be done:

¹²For their victuals fail them, and all their water is scant, and they have determined to lay hands upon their cattle, and purposed to consume all those things, that God hath forbidden them to eat by his laws:

¹³And are resolved to spend the firstfruits of the the tenths of wine and oil, which they had sanctified, and reserved for the priests that serve in Jerusalem before the face of our God; the which things it is not lawful for any of the people so much as to touch with their hands.

¹⁴For they have sent some to Jerusalem, because they also that dwell there have done the like, to bring them a licence from the senate.

¹⁵Now when they shall bring them word, they will forthwith do it, and they shall be given to thee to be destroyed the same day.

¹⁶Wherefore I thine handmaid, knowing all this, am fled from their presence; and God hath sent me to work things with thee, whereat all the earth shall be astonished, and whosoever shall hear it.

¹⁷For thy servant is religious, and serveth the God of heaven day and night: now therefore, my lord, I will remain with thee, and thy servant will go out by night into the valley, and I will pray unto God, and he will tell me when they have committed their sins:

¹⁸And I will come and shew it unto thee: then thou shalt go forth with all thine army, and there shall be none of them that shall resist thee.

¹⁹And I will lead thee through the midst of Judea, until thou come before Jerusalem; and I will set thy throne in the midst thereof; and thou shalt drive them as sheep that have no shepherd, and a dog shall not so much as open his mouth at thee: for these things were told me according to my foreknowledge, and they were declared unto me, and I am sent to tell thee.

²⁰Then her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; and they marvelled at her wisdom, and said,

²¹There is not such a woman from one end of the earth to the other, both for beauty of face, and wisdom of words.

²²Likewise Holofernes said unto her. God hath done well to send thee before the people, that strength might be in our hands and destruction upon them that lightly regard my lord.

²³And now thou art both beautiful in thy countenance, and witty in thy words: surely if thou do as thou hast spoken thy God shall be my God, and thou shalt dwell in the house of king Nabuchodonosor, and shalt be renowned through the whole earth.