Judith, 10

1. Thus Judith called on the God of Israel. When she had finished praying,

1. When Judith had ceased crying out to the God of Israel, and had ended all these words,

2. she got up from the floor, summoned her maid and went down into the rooms which she used on Sabbath days and festivals.

2. she rose from where she lay prostrate and called her maid and went down into the house where she lived on sabbaths and on her feast days;

3. There she removed the sackcloth she was wearing and taking off her widow's dress, she washed all over, anointed herself plentifully with perfumes, dressed her hair, wrapped a turban round it and put on the robe of joy she used to wear when her husband Manasseh was alive.

3. and she removed the sackcloth which she had been wearing, and took off her widow's garments, and bathed her body with water, and anointed herself with precious ointment, and combed her hair and put on a tiara, and arrayed herself in her gayest apparel, which she used to wear while her husband Manasseh was living.

4. She put sandals on her feet, put on her necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and all her jewellery, and made herself beautiful enough to beguile the eye of any man who saw her.

4. And she put sandals on her feet, and put on her anklets and bracelets and rings, and her earrings and all her ornaments, and made herself very beautiful, to entice the eyes of all men who might see her.

5. Then she handed her maid a skin of wine and a flask of oil, filled a bag with barley girdle-cakes, cakes of dried fruit and pure loaves, and wrapping all these provisions up gave them to her as well.

5. And she gave her maid a bottle of wine and a flask of oil, and filled a bag with parched grain and a cake of dried fruit and fine bread; and she wrapped up all her vessels and gave them to her to carry.

6. They then went out, making for the town gate of Bethulia. There they found Uzziah waiting with the two elders of the town, Chabris and Charmis.

6. Then they went out to the city gate of Bethulia, and found Uzziah standing there with the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis.

7. When they saw Judith, her face so changed and her clothes so different, they were lost in admiration of her beauty. They said to her:

7. When they saw her, and noted how her face was altered and her clothing changed, they greatly admired her beauty, and said to her,

8. May the God of our ancestors keep you in his favour! May he crown your designs with success to the glory of the children of Israel, to the greater glory of Jerusalem!

8. "May the God of our fathers grant you favor and fulfil your plans, that the people of Israel may glory and Jerusalem may be exalted." And she worshiped God.

9. Judith worshipped God, and then she said, 'Have the town gate opened for me so that I can go out and fulfil all the wishes you expressed to me.' They did as she asked and gave orders to the young men to open the gate for her.

9. Then she said to them, "Order the gate of the city to be opened for me, and I will go out and accomplish the things about which you spoke with me." So they ordered the young men to open the gate for her, as she had said.

10. This done, Judith went out accompanied by her maid, while the men of the town watched her all the way down the mountain and across the valley, until they lost sight of her.

10. When they had done this, Judith went out, she and her maid with her; and the men of the city watched her until she had gone down the mountain and passed through the valley and they could no longer see her.

11. As the women were making straight through the valley, an advance unit of Assyrians intercepted them,

11. The women went straight on through the valley; and an Assyrian patrol met her

12. and, seizing Judith, began to question her. 'Which side are you on? Where do you come from? Where are you going?' 'I am a daughter of the Hebrews,' she replied, 'and I am fleeing from them since they will soon be your prey.

12. and took her into custody, and asked her, "To what people do you belong, and where are you coming from, and where are you going?" She replied, "I am a daughter of the Hebrews, but I am fleeing from them, for they are about to be handed over to you to be devoured.

13. I am on my way to see Holofernes, the general of your army, to give him trustworthy information. I shall show him the road to take if he wants to capture all the hill-country without losing one man or one life.'

13. I am on my way to the presence of Holofernes the commander of your army, to give him a true report; and I will show him a way by which he can go and capture all the hill country without losing one of his men, captured or slain."

14. As the men listened to what she was saying, they stared in astonishment at the sight of such a beautiful woman.

14. When the men heard her words, and observed her face -- she was in their eyes marvelously beautiful -- they said to her,

15. 'It will prove the saving of you,' they said to her, 'coming down to see our master of your own accord. You had better go to his tent; some of our men will escort you and hand you over to him.

15. "You have saved your life by hurrying down to the presence of our lord. Go at once to his tent; some of us will escort you and hand you over to him.

16. Once you are in his presence do not be afraid. Tell him what you have just told us and you will be well treated.'

16. And when you stand before him, do not be afraid in your heart, but tell him just what you have said, and he will treat you well."

17. They then detailed a hundred of their men as escort for herself and her attendant, and these led them to the tent of Holofernes.

17. They chose from their number a hundred men to accompany her and her maid, and they brought them to the tent of Holofernes.

18. News of her coming had already spread through the tents, and there was a general stir in the camp. She was still outside the tent of Holofernes waiting to be announced, when a crowd began forming round her.

18. There was great excitement in the whole camp, for her arrival was reported from tent to tent, and they came and stood around her as she waited outside the tent of Holofernes while they told him about her.

19. They were immediately impressed by her beauty and impressed with the Israelites because of her. 'Who could despise a people who have women like this?' they kept saying. 'Better not leave one of them alive; let any go and they could twist the whole world round their fingers!'

19. And they marveled at her beauty, and admired the Israelites, judging them by her, and every one said to his neighbor, "Who can despise these people, who have women like this among them? Surely not a man of them had better be left alive, for if we let them go they will be able to ensnare the whole world!"

20. The bodyguard and adjutants of Holofernes then came out and led Judith into the tent.

20. Then Holofernes' companions and all his servants came out and led her into the tent.

21. Holofernes was resting on his bed under a canopy of purple and gold studded with emeralds and precious stones.

21. Holofernes was resting on his bed, under a canopy which was woven with purple and gold and emeralds and precious stones.

22. The men announced her and he came out to the entrance to the tent, with silver torches carried before him.

22. When they told him of her he came forward to the front of the tent, with silver lamps carried before him.

23. When Judith confronted the general and his adjutant, the beauty of her face astonished them all. She fell on her face and did homage to him, but his servants raised her from the ground.

23. And when Judith came into the presence of Holofernes and his servants, they all marveled at the beauty of her face; and she prostrated herself and made obeisance to him, and his slaves raised her up.