Judith Remains Faithful to Her Religion
1 Holofernes commanded his men to take Judith to the table which was set with his silverware and to serve her some of his own special food and wine. 2 But Judith refused. “I cannot eat your food,” she said, “for I would be breaking the laws of my God. I will eat only what I have brought with me.”
3 “But what will you do when your food and wine are gone?” Holofernes asked. “Where will we get more food for you? There are no Israelites here in our camp.”
4 “Sir,” Judith answered, “as surely as you live, I have more than enough food to last until the Lord has used me to carry out his plan.”
5 Then Holofernes' personal servants led Judith to a tent. She slept there until the time of the morning watch just before dawn, when she got up 6 and sent a message to Holofernes requesting permission to go out into the valley to pray. 7 Holofernes ordered his guards to let Judith leave the camp. So for three days Judith lived in the camp, and each night she would go out to the valley near Bethulia and bathe at the spring. 8 After she had bathed, she would pray to the Lord God to guide her in her plan to bring victory to Israel. 9 Then she would return to the camp ritually pure and remain in her tent until after the evening meal.
Holofernes' Banquet
10 On the fourth day of Judith's stay in the camp, Holofernes gave a banquet for his highest ranking officers, but he did not invite any of the officers who were on duty. 11 He said to Bagoas, the eunuch who was in charge of his personal affairs, “Go and persuade the Hebrew woman, who is in your care, to come to my tent to eat and drink with us. 12 It would be a shame to pass up an opportunity to make love to a woman like that. If I don't try to seduce her, she will laugh at me.”
13 So Bagoas left Holofernes and went to Judith. “Lovely lady,” he said, “the general invites you to his tent for some drinks. Come and enjoy yourself like the Assyrian women who serve in Nebuchadnezzar's palace. This is a great honor.”
14 “I shall be glad to accept,” Judith answered. “How could I refuse? I'll remember this happy night as long as I live.”
15 So Judith got up and put on her prettiest clothes. Her slave woman went ahead of her and placed on the ground in front of Holofernes the lamb skins that Bagoas had given Judith to sit on when she ate. 16 Judith came into the tent and sat down there. Holofernes was aroused when he saw her and had an uncontrollable desire to make love to her. From the first day he had seen her, he had been waiting for a chance to seduce her. 17 “Join us for a drink and enjoy yourself,” he said to her.
18 “I'll be glad to, sir,” Judith replied; “this is the happiest day of my life.” 19 But even then Judith ate and drank only what her slave had prepared. 20 Holofernes was so charmed by her that he drank more wine than he had ever drunk at one time in his whole life.
1 Then 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.
2 And 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.
3 Then 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.
4 Then 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.
5 Then the servants of Holofernes brought her into the tent, and she slept till midnight, and she arose when it was toward the morning watch,
6 And sent to Holofernes, saving, Let my lord now command that thine handmaid may go forth unto prayer.
7 Then 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.
8 And 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.
9 So she came in clean, and remained in the tent, until she did eat her meat at evening.
10 And in the fourth day Holofernes made a feast to his own servants only, and called none of the officers to the banquet.
11 Then 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.
12 For, 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.
13 Then 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.
14 Then 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.
15 So 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 for her daily use, that she might sit and eat upon them.
16 Now 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.
17 Then said Holofernes unto her, Drink now, and be merry with us.
18 So 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.
19 Then she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared.
20 And Holofernes took great delight in her, and drank more wine than he had drunk at any time in one day since he was born.