Judith 13-16

Chapter 13

Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long. 2 And Judith was left alone in the tent, and Holofernes lying along upon his bed: for he was filled with wine. 3 Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bed-chamber, and to wait for her. coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose. 4 So all went forth and none was left in the bed-chamber, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of all power, look at this present upon the works of mine hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem. 5 For now is the time to help Thine inheritance, and to execute Thine enterprises to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.

6 Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his falchion from thence, 7 And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day. 8 And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him. 9 And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid; 10 And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom unto prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.

11 Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: God, even our God, is with us, to show his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he has even done this day. 12 Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city. 13 And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strange unto them that she was come: so they opened the gate, and received them, and made a fire for a light, and stood round about them. 14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise God, praise God, I say, for He has not taken away His mercy from the house of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by mine hands this night. 15 So she took the head out of the bag, and showed it, and said unto them, behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord has smitten him by the hand of a woman. 16 As the Lord lives, who has kept me in my way that I went, my countenance has deceived him to his destruction, and yet has he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.

17 Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be Thou, O our God, which has this day brought to naught the enemies of Thy people. 18 Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed are thou of the Most High God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which has created the heavens and the earth, which has directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies. 19 For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of God forever. 20 And God turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit thee in good things because thou has not spared thy life for the affliction of our nation, but has revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.

Chapter 14

Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the highest place of your walls. 2 And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out of the city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into the field toward the watch of the Assyrians; but go not down. 3 Then they shall take their armor, and shall go into their camp, and raise up the captains of the army of Assur, and shall run to the tent of Holofernes, but shall not find him: then fear shall fall upon them, and they shall flee before your face. 4 So ye, and all that inhabit the coast of Israel, shall pursue them, and overthrow them as they go. 5 But before ye do these things, call me Achior the Ammonite, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us as it were to his death.

6 Then they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; and when he was come, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell down on his face, and his spirit failed. 7 But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith’s feet, and reverenced her, and said, Blessed are thou in all the tabernacles of Juda, and in all nations, which hearing thy name shall be astonished. 8 Now therefore tell me all the things that thou has done in these days. Then Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all that she had done, from the day that she went forth until that hour she spake unto them. 9 And when she had left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city. 10 And when Achior had seen all that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God greatly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined unto the house of Israel unto this day.

11 And as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by bands unto the straits of the mountain. 12 But when the Assyrians saw them, they sent to their leaders, which came to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers. 13 So they came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that had the charge of all his things, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed. 14 Then went in Bagoas, and knocked at the door of the tent; for he thought that he had slept with Judith. 15 But because none answered, he opened it, and went into the bed-chamber, and found him cast upon the floor dead, and his head was taken from him. 16 Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and sighing, and a mighty cry, and rent his garments. 17 After he went into the tent where Judith lodged: and when he found her not, he leaped out to the people, and cried, 18 These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews has brought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lies upon the ground without a head. 19 When the captains of the Assyrians’ army heard these words, they rent their coats and their minds were wonderfully troubled, and there was a cry and a very great noise throughout the camp.

Chapter 15

And when they that were in the tents heard, they were astonished at the thing that was done. 2 And fear and trembling fell upon them, so that there was no man that durst abide in the sight of his neighbor, but rushing out all together, they fled into every way of the plain, and of the hill country. 3 They also that had camped in the mountains round about Bethulia fled away. Then the children of Israel, everyone that was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them.

4 Then sent Ozias to Betomasthem, and to Bebai, and Chobai, and Cola and to all the coasts of Israel, such as should tell the things that were done, and that all should rush forth upon their enemies to destroy them. 5 Now when the children of Israel heard it, they all fell upon them with one consent, and slew them unto Chobai: likewise also they that came from Jerusalem, and from all the hill country, (for men had told them what things were done in the camp of their enemies) and they that were in Galaad, and in Galilee, chased them with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and the borders thereof. 6 And the residue that dwelt at Bethulia, fell upon the camp of Assur, and spoiled them, and were greatly enriched. 7 And the children of Israel that returned from the slaughter had that which remained; and the villages and the cities, that were in the mountains and in the plain, got many spoils: for the multitude was very great.

8 Then Joacim the high priest, and the ancients of the children of Israel that dwelt in Jerusalem, came to behold the good things that God had showed to Israel, and to see Judith, and to salute her. 9 And when they came unto her, they blessed her with one accord, and said unto her, Thou are the exaltation of Jerusalem, thou are the great glory of Israel, thou are the great rejoicing of our nation: 10 Thou has done all these things by thine hand: thou has done much good to Israel, and God is pleased therewith: blessed be thou of the Almighty Lord forevermore. And all the people said, So be it.

11 And the people spoiled the camp the space of thirty days: and they gave unto Judith Holofernes his tent, and all his plate, and beds, and vessels, and all his stuff: and she took it and laid it on her mule; and made ready her carts, and laid them thereon. 12 Then all the women of Israel ran together to see her, and blessed her, and made a dance among them for her: and she took branches in her hand, and gave also to the women that were with her. 13 And they put a garland of olive upon her and her maid that was with her, and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women: and all the men of Israel followed in their armor with garlands, and with songs in their mouths.

Chapter 16

Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise. 2 And Judith said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto Him a new psalm: exalt Him, and call upon His name. 3 For God breaks the battles: for among the camps in the midst of the people He has delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me.

4 Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents, and their horsemen have covered the hills. 5 He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mine infants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil.

6 But the Almighty Lord has disappointed them by the hand of a woman. 7 For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance. 8 For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment, and bound her hair in attire, and took a linen garment to deceive him. 9 Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the falchion passed through his neck. 10 The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness. 11 Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown. 12 The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugatives’ children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.

13 I will sing unto the Lord a new song: O Lord, Thou are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible. 14 Let all creatures serve Thee: for Thou spake, and they were made, thou did send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist Thy voice. 15 For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at Thy presence: yet Thou are merciful to them that fear Thee. 16 For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savor unto Thee, and all the fat is not sufficient for Thy burnt offering: but he that fears the Lord is great at all times. 17 Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep forever.

18 Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts. 19 Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bed-chamber, for a gift unto the Lord. 20 So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months and Judith remained with them.

21 After this time everyone returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honorable in all the country. 22 And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people. 23 But she increased more and more in honor, and waxed old in her husband’s house, being a hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses. 24 And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

25 And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.

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King James Version Bible. It was authorized by King James I. It was translated by the Church of England and was first published in 1611.

God’s words are in red letters, old and new testament, as it should be. It is in paragraph form for easy reading. With all verses numbers labeled in blue for quick reference.

The Apocrypha was in the original King James version of the Bible. It should never have been removed. At the time Jesus was on earth the old testament and the Apocrypha scriptures were studied.

All scripture is Jewish scripture, Judaism is a religion not an ethnicity. Jesus is the Savior of the Jews. He is the Head of the Church.

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

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