Bishops(i)
1 Then sang Iudith this song vnto the Lorde, saying:
2 Beginne vnto the Lorde vpon the tabrettes, sing vnto the Lorde vpon the cymbales, O sing vnto him a newe song of thankes geuing, be ioyfull and call vpon his name.
3 It is the Lord that destroyeth warres, euen the Lorde is his name.
4 Which hath pitched his tentes in the middest of his people, that he might deliuer vs from the hand of al our enemies.
5 Assur came out of the mountaines of the north in the multitude of his strength: his people stopped the water brookes, and their horses couered the valleyes.
6 He purposed to haue brent vp my land, and to slay my young men with the sword.
7 He woulde haue caried away my children and virgins into captiuitie, but the almightie Lorde hindred him, and deliuered him into the handes of a woman, which brought him to confusion.
8 For their mightie was not destroyed of the young men, it it was not the sonnes of Titan that slue him, neither haue the great giauntes set them selues against him: but Iudith the daughter of Merari with her faire beautie hath discomfited him, [and brought him to naught.]
9 For she layed away her wydowes garment, and put on the apparell of gladnesse to the reioycing of the children of Israel.
10 She annoynted her face with oyntment & bounde vp her heere in a coyffe, and tooke a newe stole to beguile him.
11 Her slippers rauished his eyes, her beautie captiuated his minde, with the sword smote she of his necke.
12 The Persians were astonied at her stedfastnesse, & the Medes at her boldenesse.
13 Then howled the armies of the Assyrians, when my simples appeared, drye of thirst.
14 The sonnes of the daughters haue pearsed them through, and slaine them as fugitiue children: they perished in the battaile, for the very feare of the Lord my God.
15 Let vs sing a song of thankesgeuing vnto the Lorde, a newe song of prayse wyll we sing vnto our God.
16 Lorde, Lorde thou art a great God, mightie in power, whom no man may ouercome.
17 All thy creatures must serue thee: For thou spakest but the worde, and they were made, thou sentest thy spirite, and they were created, and no man can withstand thy voyce.
18 The mountaynes shall mooue from the foundations with the waters, the stony rockes shall melt before thee like waxe.
19 But they that feare thee, shalbe great with thee in all thinges.
20 Wo vnto the people that rise vp against my generation: for the almightie Lorde wyll auenge him selfe of them, and in the day of iudgement wyll he visite the.
21 For he shall geue fire and wormes in their fleshe, that they may burne and feele it for euermore.
22 After this it happened, that after the victorie all the people came to Hierusalem, to geue prayse and thankes vnto the Lorde: And when they were purified, they offred all their burnt sacrifices and their vowes, and their promised offeringes.
23 And Iudith offered all Holophernes weapons [and all the iewels] that the people had geuen her, and the canapie that she toke from his bed, and hanged them vp vnto the Lorde.
24 The people were ioyfull as the vse is: and this ioy with Iudith, by reason of the victorie, endured three monethes.
25 So after these dayes euery man went home againe, and Iudith was in great reputation at Bethulia, and right honourably taken in al the land of Israel.
26 Unto her vertue also was chastitie ioyned, so that after her husbande Manasses dyed, she neuer knewe man all the dayes of her life.
27 Upon the hye solempne dayes she went out with great worship.
28 She dwelt in her husbandes house an hundred and fiue yeres, and left her handmayden Abra free,
29 And dyed, and was buried beside her husbande in Bethulia: And all the people mourned for her seuen dayes.
30 So long as she liued, there was none that troubled Israel, and many yeres also after her death.
31 The day wherein this victorie was gotten, was solemply holden, & reckened of the Iewes in the number of the holy dayes, and it is yet greatly holden of the Iewes euer since, vnto this day.