The Worlds Greatest Books - Volume 13 | Page 6

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of good courage;
let us yet endure five days, in which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy towards
us; for he will not forsake us utterly.
Now Judith heard thereof. She was a widow and was of a goodly countenance and very
beautiful to behold, and she feared God greatly. Judith sent for the ancients of the city,
and blamed them for provoking the Lord to anger by their lack of trust, and she promised
that she would do a thing within the days before the city was to be delivered to their
enemies which should go throughout all generations to the children of the nation. Then
Judith went to the House of the Lord and fell upon her face and called upon the Lord who
breakest the battles to bless her purpose. She went thereafter to her house, put off the
garments of widowhood and of sackcloth, and bathed, and anointed herself with precious
ointment, and put on the garments of gladness, with bracelets and chains and rings and
ornaments to lure the eyes of all the men that should see her. Then she went forth with
her maid out of the city of Bethulia into the camp of the Assyrians, and was taken by the
guard to the tent of Holofernes, who marvelled at her beauty. Holofernes asked Judith the
cause of her coming, and she declared that if he would follow her words, he and his army
would be led by her through the midst of Judea unto Jerusalem wherein he would set op
his throne.
Holofernes and all his servants were pleased, and said there was not such a woman in all
the earth for beauty of face and wisdom of words. Judith would not eat of the meats and
wine which Holofernes offered her, but partook only of the provisions which her maid
had brought with her in a bag. Then she was brought into a tent and abode in the camp
three days, going out every night into the valley of Bethulia to pray. In the fourth day
Holofernes made a feast, and said to Bagoas, the eunuch, to go and persuade the Hebrew
woman to come and eat and drink with him and his officers. Judith arose and decked
herself, and went in and sat on the ground on soft skins over against Holofernes, whose
heart was ravished with her, and his mind moved, and he desired greatly her company.
Now Judith took and ate and drank what her maid had prepared, and Holofernes was
greatly delighted with her, and drank much more wine than he had drunk at any time in
one day since he was born. Judith, when the evening was come, was left alone with
Holofernes, and the servants were dismissed. Then she came to the pillar of the bed,
which was at Holofernes's head, took down his fauchion, seized hold of the hair of his
head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day. And she smote twice upon
his neck with all her might, and took away his head from him.
She put the head in her bag of meat and gave it to her maid, and the twain went forth
together, according to their custom, as unto prayer, and passed the camp. Then came they
to Bethulia, and were admitted into the city; and the people were astonished wonderfully
and worshipped God, and said: Blessed be thou, O our God, which hast this day brought
to nought the enemies of thy people. The head of Holofernes was hanged up on the
highest place of the city walls, and the men of Israel went forth by bands into the passes
of the mountain. When the Assyrians saw this, they sent to Holofernes's tent, and said
that the slaves of Israelites had come forth against them in battle. Then Bagoas went into

the tent and found the body of Holofernes cast upon the ground and his head taken away.
When also he found not Judith, he leaped out to the people and told them; and great fear
and trembling fell upon them, and they fled, being chased until past Damascus and the
borders thereof by the children of Israel, who gat many spoils. Then Judith sang a song of
thanksgiving in all Israel, and the people sang after her. She dedicated the spoil of
Holofernes, which the people had given her, for a gift unto the Lord; and when she died
in Bethulia, a widow of great honour, all Israel did lament.
THE BOOK OF ESTHER
These are the chapters of the Book of Esther, which are found neither in the Hebrew nor
in the Chaldee.
In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the Great, Mardocheus, who was a Jew and
dwelt
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