The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Judith 16
1 And Judith began to sing this song
of thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the
people sang with loud voices this song of
praise.
2 Judith said, “Begin a song to my God with
timbrels. Sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Make melody to him with psalm and
praise. Exalt him, and call upon his name.
3 For the Lord is the God that crushes battles.
For in his armies in the midst of the
people, he delivered me out of the hand of
those who persecuted me.
4 Asshur came out of the mountains from
the north. He came with ten thousands of his
army. Its multitude stopped the torrents.
Their horsemen covered the hills.
5 He said that he would burn up my borders,
kill my young men with the sword,
throw my nursing children to the
ground, give my infants up as prey,
and make my virgins a plunder.
6 “The Almighty Lord brought them to
nothing by the hand of a woman.
7 For their mighty one didn’t fall by
young men, neither did sons of the Titans strike
him. Tall giants didn’t attack him,
but Judith the daughter of Merari
made him weak with the beauty of
her countenance.
8 “For she put off the apparel of her widowhood
for the exaltation of those who were
distressed in Israel. She anointed her
face with ointment, bound her hair in a tiara,
and took a linen garment to deceive him.
9 Her sandal ravished his eye.
Her beauty took his soul prisoner.
The sword passed through his neck.
10 “The Persians quaked at her daring.
The Medes were daunted at her boldness.
11 “Then my lowly ones shouted aloud.
My oppressed people were terrified
and trembled for fear. They lifted up
their voices and the enemy fled.
12 The children of slave-girls pierced them
through, and wounded them as fugitives’ children.
They perished by the army of my Lord.
13 “I will sing to my God a new song:
O Lord, you are great and glorious,
marvelous in strength, invincible.
14 Let all your creation serve you;
for you spoke, and they were made.
You sent out your spirit, and it built them.
There is no one who can resist your
voice.
15 For the mountains will be moved from
their foundations with the waters,
and the rocks will melt as wax at your
presence: But you are yet merciful to
those who fear you.
16 For all sacrifice is little for a sweet savor,
and all the fat is very little for a whole
burnt offering to you; but he who fears
the Lord is great continually.
17 “Woe to the nations who rise up against
my race! The Lord Almighty will take
vengeance on them in the day of judgment
and put fire and worms in their flesh;
and they will weep and feel their pain
forever.”
18 Now when they came to Jerusalem,
they worshiped God. When the people
were purified, they offered their whole
burnt offerings, their free will offerings,
and their gifts.
19 Judith dedicated all Holofernes’ stuff,
which the people had given her, and gave
the canopy, which she had taken for herself
out of his bedchamber, for a gift to the Lord.
20 And the people continued feasting in
Jerusalem before the sanctuary for three
months, and Judith remained with them.
21 After these days, everyone departed to
his own inheritance. Judith went away to
Bethulia, and remained in her own possession,
and was honorable in her time in all the land.
22 Many desired her, but no man knew
her all the days of her life from the day
that Manasses her husband died and was
gathered to his people.
23 She increased in greatness exceedingly;
and she grew old in her husband’s
house, to one hundred five years. She
let her maid go free. Then she died in
Bethulia. They buried her in the cave of
her husband Manasses.
24 The house of Israel mourned for her
seven days. She distributed her goods before
she died to all those who were nearest
of kin to Manasses her husband, and to
those who were nearest of her own kindred.
25 There was no one who made the children
of Israel afraid any more in the days
of Judith, nor for a long time after her
death.