Judith 11 Then said Holophernes vnto her, Be of good cheare, and feare not in thyne heart: for I neuer hurt man that would serue Nabuchodonosor the king.

Bishops⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Then said Holophernes vnto her, Be of good cheare, and feare not in thyne heart: for I neuer hurt man that would serue Nabuchodonosor the king. ² As for thy people, if they had not despysed me, I should not haue lyft vp my speare against them. ³ But tell me nowe what is the cause that thou art departed from them, and wherefore art thou come vnto vs? ⁴ And Iudith saide vnto him, Syr, vnderstand the wordes of thy handemayden: for if thou wylt do after the wordes of thy handmayden, the Lorde shall bryng thy matter to a prosperous effect. ⁵ As Nabuchodonosor the king of the earth lyueth, and as his power liueth which is in thee to the punishment of all men that go wrong, al men shal not onely be subdued vnto him through thee, but al the beastes also of the fielde. ⁶ For all people speake of thy prudent actiuitie, and it hath euer ben reported how thou onely art good and mightie in all his kingdome, and thy discretion is commended in all landes. ⁷ The thing is manifest also that Achior spake, & it is well knowen what thou commaundest to do vnto him. ⁸ For this is playne and of a suretie, that our God is so wroth with vs by the reason of our sinnes, that he hath shewed by his prophetes vnto the people, howe that for their sinnes he wyll delyuer them ouer [vnto the enemie.] ⁹ And for so much as the children of Israel knowe that they haue so displeased their God, they are sore afrayde of thee. ¹⁰ They suffer great hunger also, and for want of water they are dead now in a maner. ¹¹ Moreouer, they are appoynted to slay all their cattaile, that they may drinke the blood of them: ¹² And are purposed to spend the holy thinges of their God which he hath forbydden them to touch, [as] of corne, wine, and oyle, & they wil consume those thinges which they ought not to touch with their handes: Seing nowe that they do these thinges, it is a playne case that they must needes be destroyed. ¹³ Which when I thy handmayden perceaued, I fled from them: and the Lord hath sent me to shewe thee these thinges. ¹⁴ For I thy handmayden worship God euen here now besyde thee, and thy handmayden shal go foorth, and I wyl make my prayer vnto God: ¹⁵ And he shall tell me when he wyll rewarde them their sinne, then shall I come and shewe thee, and bring thee through the middest of Hierusalem, so that thou shalt haue al the people of Israel as sheepe without a shephearde, & there shall not so much as one dogge barke against thee. ¹⁶ For these thinges are shewed me by the prouidence of God. ¹⁷ And for so much as God is displeased with them, he hath sent me to tell thee the same. ¹⁸ These wordes pleased Holophernes, and all his seruauntes: which marueyled at the wysedome of her, and said one to another: ¹⁹ There is not such a woman vpo earth, in fauour, in beautie, and discretion of wordes. ²⁰ And Holophernes said vnto her: God hath done well that he hath sent thee hither before thy people, that thou mayest geue them into our handes. ²¹ And for so much as thy promise is good, if thy God perfourme it vnto me, he shalbe my God also, and thou shalt be excellent and great in the court of Nabuchodonosor, and thy name shalbe spoken of in all the lande.