Judith

1And Judith said to them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the battlement of your wall.

2And it shall be, so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, you⌃ shall take up every one his weapons of war, and go forth every valiant man of you out of the city, and you⌃ shall set a captain over them, as though you⌃ would go down to the plain toward the watch of the children of Asshur; and you⌃ shall not go down.

3And these shall take up their panoplies, and shall go into their camp, and rouse up the captains of the host of Asshur, and they shall run together to the tent of Holofernes, and they shall not find him: and fear shall fall upon them, and they shall flee before your face.

4And you⌃, and all that inhabit every coast of Israel, shall pursue them, and overthrow them as they go.

5But before you⌃ 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 death.

6And they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; but when he came, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell upon his face, and his spirit failed.

7But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith’s feet, and did reverence to her, and said, Blessed are you in every tent of Judah, and in every nation, which hearing your name shall be troubled.

8And now tell me all the things that you have done in these days. And Judith declared to him in the midst of the people all the things that she had done, from the day that she went forth until the time that she spoke to them.

9But when she left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city.

10But when Achior saw all the things that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God exceedingly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the house of Israel, to this day.

11But as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took up his weapons, and they went forth by bands to the ascents of the mountain.

12But when the children of Asshur saw them, they sent hither and there to their leaders; but they went to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.

13And they came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that was over all that he had, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.

14And Bagoas went in, and knocked at the outer door of the tent; for he supposed that he was sleeping with Judith.

15But when none hearkened to him, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the threshold dead, and his head had been taken from him.

16And he cried with a loud voice, with weeping and groaning and a mighty cry, and tore his garments.

17And he entered into the tent where Judith lodged: and he found her not, and he leaped out to the people, and cried aloud,

18The slaves have dealt treacherously: one woman of the Hebrews has brought shame upon the house of king Nebuchadnezzar; for, behold, Holofernes lies upon the ground, and his head is not on him.

19But when the rulers of the host of Asshur heard the words, they tore their coats, and their soul was troubled exceedingly, and there was a cry and an exceeding great noise in the midst of the camp.