Judith, 16

1. Break into song for my God, to the tambourine, sing in honour of the Lord, to the cymbal, let psalm and canticle mingle for him, extol his name, invoke it!

1. Then Judith began this thanksgiving before all Israel, and all the people loudly sang this song of praise.

2. For the Lord is a God who breaks battle-lines; he has pitched his camp in the middle of his people to deliver me from the hands of my oppressors.

2. And Judith said, Begin a song to my God with tambourines, sing to my Lord with cymbals. Raise to him a new psalm; exalt him, and call upon his name.

3. Assyria came down from the mountains of the north, came with tens of thousands of his army. Their multitude blocked the ravines, their horses covered the hills.

3. For God is the Lord who crushes wars; for he has delivered me out of the hands of my pursuers, and brought me to his camp, in the midst of the people.

4. He threatened to burn up my country, destroy my young men with the sword, dash my sucklings to the ground, make prey of my little ones, carry off my maidens;

4. The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north; he came with myriads of his warriors; their multitude blocked up the valleys, their cavalry covered the hills.

5. but the Lord Almighty has thwarted them by a woman's hand.

5. He boasted that he would burn up my territory, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash my infants to the ground and seize my children as prey, and take my virgins as booty.

6. For their hero did not fall at the young men's hands, it was not the sons of Titans struck him down, no proud giants made that attack, but Judith, the daughter of Merari, who disarmed him with the beauty of her face.

6. But the Lord Almighty has foiled them by the hand of a woman.

7. She laid aside her widow's dress to raise up those who were oppressed in Israel; she anointed her face with perfume,

7. For their mighty one did not fall by the hands of the young men, nor did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor did tall giants set upon him; but Judith the daughter of Merari undid him with the beauty of her countenance.

8. bound her hair under a turban, put on a linen gown to seduce him.

8. For she took off her widow's mourning to exalt the oppressed in Israel. She anointed her face with ointment and fastened her hair with a tiara and put on a linen gown to deceive him.

9. Her sandal ravished his eye, her beauty took his soul prisoner and the scimitar cut through his neck!

9. Her sandal ravished his eyes, her beauty captivated his mind, and the sword severed his neck.

10. The Persians trembled at her boldness, the Medes were daunted by her daring.

10. The Persians trembled at her boldness, the Medes were daunted at her daring.

11. These were struck with fear when my lowly ones raised the war cry, these were seized with terror when my weak ones shouted, and when they raised their voices these gave ground.

11. Then my oppressed people shouted for joy; my weak people shouted and the enemy trembled; they lifted up their voices, and the enemy were turned back.

12. The children of mere girls ran them through, pierced them like the offspring of deserters. They perished in the battle of my Lord!

12. The sons of maidservants have pierced them through; they were wounded like the children of fugitives, they perished before the army of my Lord.

13. I shall sing a new song to my God. Lord, you are great, you are glorious, wonderfully strong, unconquerable.

13. I will sing to my God a new song: O Lord, thou are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.

14. May your whole creation serve you! For you spoke and things came into being, you sent your breath and they were put together, and no one can resist your voice.

14. Let all thy creatures serve thee, for thou didst speak, and they were made. Thou didst send forth thy Spirit, and it formed them; there is none that can resist thy voice.

15. Should mountains be tossed from their foundations to mingle with the waves, should rocks melt like wax before your face, to those who fear you, you would still be merciful.

15. For the mountains shall be shaken to their foundations with the waters; at thy presence the rocks shall melt like wax, but to those who fear thee thou wilt continue to show mercy.

16. A little thing indeed is a sweetly smelling sacrifice, still less the fat burned for you in burnt offering; but whoever fears the Lord is great for ever.

16. For every sacrifice as a fragrant offering is a small thing, and all fat for burnt offerings to thee is a very little thing, but he who fears the Lord shall be great for ever.

17. Woe to the nations who rise against my race! The Lord Almighty will punish them on judgement day. He will send fire and worms in their flesh and they will weep with pain for evermore.

17. Woe to the nations that rise up against my people! The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgment; fire and worms he will give to their flesh; they shall weep in pain for ever.

18. When they reached Jerusalem they fell on their faces before God and, once the people had been purified, they presented their burnt offerings, voluntary offerings and gifts.

18. When they arrived at Jerusalem they worshiped God. As soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, their freewill offerings, and their gifts.

19. All Holofernes' property given her by the people, and the canopy she herself had stripped from his bed, Judith vowed to God as a dedicated offering.

19. Judith also dedicated to God all the vessels of Holofernes, which the people had given her; and the canopy which she took for herself from his bedchamber she gave as a votive offering to the Lord.

20. For three months the people gave themselves up to rejoicings in front of the Temple in Jerusalem, where Judith stayed with them.

20. So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for three months, and Judith remained with them.

21. When this was over, everyone returned home. Judith went back to Bethulia and lived on her property; as long as she lived, she enjoyed a great reputation throughout the country.

21. After this every one returned home to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained on her estate, and was honored in her time throughout the whole country.

22. She had many suitors, but all her days, from the time her husband Manasseh died and was gathered to his people, she never gave herself to another man.

22. Many desired to marry her, but she remained a widow all the days of her life after Manasseh her husband died and was gathered to his people.

23. Her fame spread more and more, the older she grew in her husband's house; she lived to the age of one hundred and five. She emancipated her maid, then died in Bethulia and was buried in the cave where Manasseh her husband lay.

23. She became more and more famous, and grew old in her husband's house, until she was one hundred and five years old. She set her maid free. She died in Bethulia, and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasseh,

24. The House of Israel mourned her for seven days. Before her death she had distributed her property among her own relations and those of her husband Manasseh.

24. and the house of Israel mourned for her seven days. Before she died she distributed her property to all those who were next of kin to her husband Manasseh, and to her own nearest kindred.

25. Never again during the lifetime of Judith, nor indeed for a long time after her death, did anyone trouble the Israelites.

25. And no one ever again spread terror among the people of Israel in the days of Judith, or for a long time after her death.