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Chapter 14

 

14:1 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 armour, 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 art 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 hast 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 bedchamber, 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 hath brought
shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lieth 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.