Judith Goes to the Camp of Holofernes
1 When Judith had finished her prayer to the God of Israel, 2 she stood up, called her slave woman, and went down into the house as she always did on Sabbaths and festival days. 3 She took off the sackcloth and her widow's clothes, took a bath, and put on rich perfumes. She brushed her hair, tied a ribbon around it, and dressed herself in the fine clothes she used to wear on joyful occasions when her husband Manasseh was still alive. 4 She put on sandals and all her finest jewelry: rings and earrings, and bracelets on her wrists and ankles. She made herself so beautiful that she was sure to attract the attention of any man who saw her. 5 Judith gave her slave woman a leather bag of wine and a jar of oil to carry. She filled a bag with roasted barley, cakes of dried figs, and several loaves of bread baked according to Jewish food laws. She carefully wrapped all the food and dishes and gave them to her slave. 6 Then the two women left the house and went to the gates of Bethulia, where they found Uzziah and the town officials, Chabris and Charmis, standing guard. 7 When the men saw Judith after she had changed clothes and put on make-up, they were struck by her beauty and said to her, 8 “May the God of our ancestors bless you and make your plan successful, so that you may bring glory to Jerusalem and victory to Israel.”
Judith prayed 9 and then said, “Order the gates to be opened for me. I am on my way to do what we were talking about.” Then they ordered the young men to open the gates for her, 10 and Judith and her slave left the city. The men watched her as she went down the mountain into the valley, until she was out of sight.
11 As the two women were walking through the valley, an Assyrian patrol met them. 12 They arrested Judith and questioned her, “What is your nationality? Where did you come from, and where are you going?”
“I am a Hebrew,” she answered, “but I am running away from the Israelites because God is going to let you destroy them. 13 I am on my way to see Holofernes, the general in command of your army, to give him some reliable information. I can show him how to advance into the mountains and take control of the entire region without a single casualty.”
14 The men stared at her because she was so beautiful. They listened to her story and said, 15 “You have saved your life by coming down here to see our general. Some of us will take you to his headquarters and present you to him. 16 Do not be afraid of him. Just tell him what you have told us, and he will treat you well.” 17 They assigned a hundred men to escort Judith and her slave to the headquarters of Holofernes.
18 There was great commotion in the Assyrian camp as news of Judith's arrival spread from tent to tent. While she stood outside the tent of Holofernes waiting to be presented to him, many Assyrian soldiers came and stood around her. 19 They were greatly impressed by her beauty and wondered what kind of people the Israelites were. “Who can have contempt for people whose women are so beautiful?” they asked one another. “We had better kill all the men, or else these Jews will be able to charm the whole world.”
20 Then Holofernes' bodyguard and his personal servants came out and led Judith into the tent. 21 Holofernes was resting on his bed under a mosquito net woven of purple and gold thread and decorated with emeralds and other precious stones. 22 When the men told him that Judith had arrived, he came to the outer part of the tent. Silver lamps were carried ahead of him. 23 When Judith came near him and his servants, they were all astonished at her beauty. She bowed down to the ground before Holofernes, but his servants helped her to her feet.
1 Now after that she had ceased to cry unto the God of Israel, and had made an end of all these words.
2 She rose where she had fallen down, and called her maid, and went down into the house in the which she abode in the sabbath days, and in her feast days,
3 And pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her body all over with water, and anointed herself with precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tire upon it, and put on her garments of gladness, wherewith she was clad during the life of Manasses her husband.
4 And she took sandals upon her feet, and put about her her bracelets, and her chains, and her rings, and her earrings, and all her ornaments, and decked herself bravely, to allure the eyes of all men that should see her.
5 Then she gave her maid a bottle of wine, and a cruse of oil, and filled a bag with parched corn, and lumps of figs, and with fine bread; so she folded all these things together, and laid them upon her.
6 Thus they went forth to the gate of the city of Bethulia, and found standing there Ozias and the ancients of the city, Chabris and Charmis.
7 And when they saw her, that her countenance was altered, and her apparel was changed, they wondered at her beauty very greatly, and said unto her.
8 The God, the God of our fathers give thee favour, and accomplish thine enterprizes to the glory of the children of Israel, and to the exaltation of Jerusalem. Then they worshipped God.
9 And she said unto them, Command the gates of the city to be opened unto me, that I may go forth to accomplish the things whereof ye have spoken with me. So they commanded the young men to open unto her, as she had spoken.
10 And when they had done so, Judith went out, she, and her maid with her; and the men of the city looked after her, until she was gone down the mountain, and till she had passed the valley, and could see her no more.
11 Thus they went straight forth in the valley: and the first watch of the Assyrians met her,
12 And took her, and asked her, Of what people art thou? and whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, I am a woman of the Hebrews, and am fled from them: for they shall be given you to be consumed:
13 And I am coming before Holofernes the chief captain of your army, to declare words of truth; and I will shew him a way, whereby he shall go, and win all the hill country, without losing the body or life of any one of his men.
14 Now when the men heard her words, and beheld her countenance, they wondered greatly at her beauty, and said unto her,
15 Thou hast saved thy life, in that thou hast hasted to come down to the presence of our lord: now therefore come to his tent, and some of us shall conduct thee, until they have delivered thee to his hands.
16 And when thou standest before him, be not afraid in thine heart, but shew unto him according to thy word; and he will entreat thee well.
17 Then they chose out of them an hundred men to accompany her and her maid; and they brought her to the tent of Holofernes.
18 Then was there a concourse throughout all the camp: for her coming was noised among the tents, and they came about her, as she stood without the tent of Holofernes, till they told him of her.
19 And they wondered at her beauty, and admired the children of Israel because of her, and every one said to his neighbour, Who would despise this people, that have among them such women? surely it is not good that one man of them be left who being let go might deceive the whole earth.
20 And they that lay near Holofernes went out, and all his servants and they brought her into the tent.
21 Now Holofernes rested upon his bed under a canopy, which was woven with purple, and gold, and emeralds, and precious stones.
22 So they shewed him of her; and he came out before his tent with silver lamps going before him.
23 And when Judith was come before him and his servants they all marvelled at the beauty of her countenance; and she fell down upon her face, and did reverence unto him: and his servants took her up.