Judith 9-12

Chapter 9

Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and uncovered the sackcloth wherewith she was clothed; and about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord Judith cried with a loud voice, and said, 2 O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gave a sword to take vengeance of the strangers, who loosened the girdle of a maid to defile her, and discovered the thigh to her shame, and polluted her virginity to her reproach; for thou said, It shall not be so; and yet they did so: 3 Wherefore thou gave their rulers to be slain, so that they dyed their bed in blood, being deceived, and smote the servants with their lords, and the lords upon their thrones; 4 And has given their wives for a prey, and their daughters to be captives, and all their spoils to be divided among thy dear children; which were moved with thy zeal, and abhorred the pollution of their blood, and called upon thee for aid: O God, O my God, hear me also a widow. 5 For thou has wrought not only those things, but also the things which fell out before, and which ensued after; thou has thought upon the things which are now, and which are to come. 6 Yea, what things thou did determine were ready at hand, and said, Lo, we are here: for all Thy ways are prepared, and Thy judgments are in Thy foreknowledge.

7 For, behold, the Assyrians are multiplied in their power; they are exalted with horse and man; they glory in the strength of their footmen; they trust in shield, and spear, and bow, and sling; and know not that Thou are the Lord that break the battles: the Lord is thy name. 8 Throw down their strength in Thy power, and bring down their force in Thy wrath: for they have purposed to defile Thy sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle where Thy glorious name rests and to cast down with sword the horn of Thy altar. 9 Behold their pride, and send Thy wrath upon their heads: give into mine hand, which am a widow, the power that I have conceived. 10 Smite by the deceit of my lips the servant with the prince, and the prince with the servant: break down their stateliness by the hand of a woman. 11 For Thy power stands not in multitude nor Thy might in strong men: for thou are a God of the afflicted, a helper of the oppressed, an upholder of the weak, a protector of the forlorn, a savior of them that are without hope. 12 I pray thee, I pray thee, O God of my father, and God of the inheritance of Israel, Lord of the heavens and earth, Creator of the waters, king of every creature, hear thou my prayer: 13 And make my speech and deceit to be their wound and stripe, who have purposed cruel things against Thy covenant, and Thy hallowed house, and against the top of Sion, and against the house of the possession of Thy children. 14 And make every nation and tribe to acknowledge that Thou are the God of all power and might, and that there is none other that protects the people of Israel but Thou.

Chapter 10

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 attire 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 favor, and accomplish thine enterprises 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 are thou? and whence come thou? and whither go 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 show 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 has saved thy life, in that thou has 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 stand before him, be not afraid in thine heart, but show unto him according to thy word; and he will entreat thee well. 17 Then they chose out of them a 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 neighbor, 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 showed 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 marveled at the beauty of her countenance; and she fell down upon her face, and did reverence unto him: and his servants took her up.

Chapter 11

Then 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. 2 Now therefore, if thy people that dwell 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. 3 But now tell me wherefore thou are fled from them, and are come unto us: for thou are come for safeguard; be of good comfort, thou shall live this night, and hereafter: 4 For none shall hurt thee, but entreat thee well, as they do the servants of king Nabuchodonosor my lord.

5 Then 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. 6 And if thou will 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. 7 As Nabuchodonosor king of all the earth lives, and as his power lives, who has 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. 8 For we have heard of thy wisdom and thy policies, and it is reported in all the earth, that thou only are excellent in all the kingdom, and mighty in knowledge, and wonderful in feats of war.

9 Now 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. 10 Therefore, 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. 11 And now, that my lord be not defeated and frustrate of his purpose, even death is now fallen upon them, and their sin has overtaken them, wherewith they will provoke their God to anger whensoever they shall do that which is not fit to be done: 12 For 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 has forbidden them to eat by His laws: 13 And are resolved to spend the firstfruits of the corn, and 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. 14 For they have sent some to Jerusalem, because they also that dwell there have done the like, to bring them a license from the senate. 15 Now when they shall bring them word, they will forthwith do it, and they shall be given to thee to be destroyed the same day.

16 Wherefore I thine handmaid, knowing all this, am fled from their presence; and God has sent me to work things with thee, whereat all the earth shall be astonished, and whosoever shall hear it. 17 For thy servant is religious, and serves 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: 18 And I will come and show it unto thee: then thou shall go forth with all thine army, and there shall be none of them that shall resist thee. 19 And 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 shall 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.

20 Then her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; and they marveled at her wisdom, and said, 21 There is not such a woman from one end of the earth to the other, both for beauty of face, and wisdom of words. 22 Likewise Holofernes said unto her. God has done well to send thee before the people, that strength might be in our hands and destruction upon them that lightly regard my lord. 23 And now thou are both beautiful in thy countenance, and witty in thy words: surely if thou do as thou has spoken thy God shall be my God, and thou shall dwell in the house of king Nabuchodonosor, and shall be renowned through the whole earth.

Chapter 12

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 offense: 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 lives, my lord, thine handmaid shall not spend those things that I have, before the Lord work by mine hand the things that he has 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 honored 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 pleases 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.

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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 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

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