Judith 10

Geneva^{(i) 1} Nowe after she had ceased to cry vnto the God of Israel, and had made an ende of all these wordes, ² She rose where she had fallen down, & called her maide, and went downe into the house, in the which she abode in the Sabbath dayes and in the feast dayes, ³ And putting away the sackecloth wherewith she was clad, and putting off the garmentes of her widowhode, shee washed her bodie with water, and anointed it with much oyntment, and dressed the heare of her head, and put attire vpon it, and put on her garments of gladnesse, wherewith shee was clad during the life of Manasses her husbande. ⁴ And she put slippers on her feete, and put on bracelets, and sleeues, and rings, and earinges, and all her ornaments, and she decked her selfe brauely to allure the eyes of all men that should see her. ⁵ Then she gaue her maide a bottel of wine, & a potte of oyle, and filled a scrip with floure, & with drie figges, and with fine bread: so she lapped vp all these thinges together and layde them vpon her. ⁶ Thus they went forth to the gate of the citie of Bethulia, and found standing there Ozias, and the Ancients of the citie, Chabris and Charmis. ⁷ And when they sawe her that her face was changed, and that her garment was changed, they marueyled greaely at her wonderfull beautie, and sayde vnto her, ⁸ The God, the God of our fathers giue thee fauour, and accomplish thine enterprises to the glory of the children of Israel, and to the exaltation of Ierusalem. Then they worshipped God. ⁹ And she said vnto them, Command the gates of the citie to be opened vnto me, that I may goe forth to accomplish the things which you haue spoken to me. So they commanded the yong men to open vnto her, as she had spoken. ¹⁰ And when they had done so, Iudeth went out, she and her maide with her, & the men of the citie looked after her, vntill shee was gone downe the mountaine, and till she had passed the valley, & could see her no more. ¹¹ Thus they went streight forth in the valley, and the first watch of the Assyrians met her, ¹² And tooke her, and asked her, Of what people art thou? and whence commest thou? and whither goest thou? And shee saide, I am a woman of the Hebrewes, and am fledde from them: for they shall be giuen you to be consumed. ¹³ And I come before Olophernes, the chiefe captaine of your armie, to declare him true things, and I will shew before him the way whereby hee shall goe and win al the mountaines, without losing the bodie or life of anie of his men. ¹⁴ Now when the men heard her wordes, and behelde her countenance, they wondred greatly at her beautie, and sayd vnto her, ¹⁵ Thou hast saued thy life, in that thou hast hasted to come downe to the presence of our lorde nowe therefore come to his tent, and some of vs shall conduct thee vntill they haue deliuered thee into his hands. ¹⁶ And when thou standest before him, be not afraide in thine heart, but shew vnto him according as thou hast to say, and hee will intreate thee well. ¹⁷ Then they chose out of them an hundreth men, and prepared a charet for her and her maide, and brought her to the tent of Olophernes. ¹⁸ Then there was a running to and fro, through out the campe: for her comming was bruted amog the tentes: and they came and stoode round about her: for she stood without the tent of Olophernes vntil they had declared vnto him concerning her. ¹⁹ And they marueiled at her beautie, and wondred at the children of Israel because of her, and euery one sayde vnto his neighbour, Who would despise this people, that haue among them such women? surely it is not good that one man of them be left: for if they shoulde remaine, they might deceiue the whole earth. ²⁰ Then Olophernes garde went out, and all his seruants, and they brought her into the tent. ²¹ Now Olophernes rested vpon his bed vnder a conopie, which was wouen with purple and golde and emeraudes, and precious stones. ²² So they shewed him of her, & he came forth vnto the entrie of his tent, and they caryed lampes of siluer before him. ²³ And when Iudeth was come before him and his seruantes, they all marueyled at the beautie of her countenance, and she fel downe vpon her face, and did reuerence vnto him, and his seruants tooke her vp.