1And Judith said,

Begin a song to my God with tambourines,

sing to my Lord with cymbals.

Raise to him a new psalm;16.1 Other ancient authorities read a psalm and praise

exalt him, and call upon his name.

2For the Lord is a God who crushes wars;

he sets up his camp among his people;

he delivered me from the hands of my pursuers.

3The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north;

he came with myriads of his warriors;

their numbers blocked up the wadis,

and their cavalry covered the hills.

4He boasted that he would burn up my territory,

and kill my young men with the sword,

and dash my infants to the ground,

and seize my children as booty,

and take my virgins as spoil.

5But the Lord Almighty has foiled them

by the hand of a woman.16.5 Other ancient authorities add he has confounded them

6For their mighty one did not fall by the hands of the young men,

nor did the sons of the Titans strike him down,

nor did tall giants set upon him;

but Judith daughter of Merari

with the beauty of her countenance undid him.

7For she put away her widow's clothing

to exalt the oppressed in Israel.

She anointed her face with perfume;

8she fastened her hair with a tiara

and put on a linen gown to beguile him.

9Her sandal ravished his eyes,

her beauty captivated his mind,

and the sword severed his neck!

10The Persians trembled at her boldness,

the Medes were daunted at her daring.

11Then my oppressed people shouted;

my weak people cried out,16.11 Other ancient authorities read feared and the enemy16.11 Gk they trembled;

they lifted up their voices, and the enemy16.11 Gk they were turned back.

12Sons of slave-girls pierced them through

and wounded them like the children of fugitives;

they perished before the army of my Lord.

13I will sing to my God a new song:

O Lord, you are great and glorious,

wonderful in strength, invincible.

14Let all your creatures serve you,

for you spoke, and they were made.

You sent forth your spirit,16.14 Or breath and it formed them;16.14 Other ancient authorities read they were created

there is none that can resist your voice.

15For the mountains shall be shaken to their foundations with the waters;

before your glance the rocks shall melt like wax.

But to those who fear you

you show mercy.

16For every sacrifice as a fragrant offering is a small thing,

and the fat of all whole burnt-offerings to you is a very little thing;

but whoever fears the Lord is great for ever.

17Woe to the nations that rise up against my people!

The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgement;

he will send fire and worms into their flesh;

they shall weep in pain for ever.

18When they arrived at Jerusalem, they worshipped God. As soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt-offerings, their freewill-offerings, and their gifts. 19Judith also dedicated to God all the possessions of Holofernes, which the people had given her; and the canopy that she had taken for herself from his bedchamber she gave as a votive offering. 20For three months the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary, and Judith remained with them.

The Renown and Death of Judith

21After this they all returned home to their own inheritances. Judith went to Bethulia, and remained on her estate. For the rest of her life she was honoured throughout the whole country. 22Many desired to marry her, but she gave herself to no man all the days of her life after her husband Manasseh died and was gathered to his people. 23She became more and more famous, and grew old in her husband's house, reaching the age of one hundred and five. She set her maid free. She died in Bethulia, and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasseh; 24and the house of Israel mourned her for seven days. Before she died she distributed her property to all those who were next of kin to her husband Manasseh, and to her own nearest kindred. 25No one ever again spread terror among the Israelites during the lifetime of Judith, or for a long time after her death.