The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Judith 14
1 Judith said to them, “Hear me now, my
kindred, and take this head, and hang it
upon the battlement of your wall.
2 It will be, so soon as the morning appears,
and the sun comes up on the earth,
you shall each take up his weapons of war,
and every valiant man of you go out of the
city. You shall set a captain over them, as
though you would go down to the plain toward
the watch of the children of Asshur;
but you men shall not go down.
3 These will take up their full armor,
and shall go into their camp and rouse up
the captains of the army of Asshur. They
will run together to Holofernes’ tent. They
won’t find him. Fear will fall upon them,
and they will flee before your face.
4 You men, and all that inhabit every
border of Israel, shall pursue them and
overthrow them as they go.
5 But before you do these things, summon Achior
the Ammonite to me, that heay see and know
him that despised the house of Israel,
and that sent him to us, as it were to death.
6 And 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.
7 But when they had recovered him,† he
fell at Judith’s feet, bowed down to her,
and said, “Blessed are you in every tent of
Judah! In every nation, those who hear
your name will be troubled.
8 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 out until the time that she spoke to them.
9 But when she finished speaking, the
people shouted with a loud voice, and
made a joyful noise in their city.
10 But when Achior saw all the things
thatthe God ofIsraelhad done, he believed
in God exceedingly, and circumcised the
flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the
house of Israel, to this day.
11 But as soon as the morning arose, they
hanged the head of Holofernes upon the
wall, and every man took up his weapons,
andthey wentforthbybands to the ascents
of the mountain.
12 But when the children of Asshur saw
them, they sent word to their leaders, and
they went to their captains and tribunes,
and to every one of their rulers.
13 They came to Holofernes’ tent, and
said to him that was over all that he had,
“Wake our lord up, now, for the slaves
have been bold to come down against us to
battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.”
14 Bagoas went in, and knocked at the
outer door ofthe tent; for he supposed that
Holofernes was sleeping with Judith.
15 But when no one answered, he opened
it, went into the bedchamber, and found
him cast upon the threshold dead; and his
head had been taken from him.
16 He cried with a loud voice, with weeping,
groaning, and shouting, and tore his
garments.
17 He entered into the tent where Judith
lodged, and he didn’t find her. He leaped
out to the people, and cried aloud,
18 “The 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!”
19 But when the rulers of the army of
Asshur heard this, they tore their tunics,
and their souls were troubled exceedingly.
There were cries and an exceedingly great
noise in the midst of the camp.