1And it was done, when Judith, the widow, had heard these words, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Oziel, the son of Elkiah, the son of Ananias, the son of Gideon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Ahitub, the son of Elijah, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Salamiel, the son of Sarasadai, the son of Israel.
2And her husband was Manasseh, that was dead in the days of (the) barley harvest;
3for he stood busily over (the) men binding together reaps or sheaves in the field, and (the) heat came upon his head, and he was dead in Bethulia his city, and he was buried there with his fathers.
4And Judith left of (or by) him, or living after him, was (a) widow then three years and six months.
5And in the higher parts of her house she made to her (or for herself) a privy closet, in which she dwelled close with her damsels or handwomen;
6and she had an hair-shirt on her loins, and she fasted all the days of (her) life, except sabbaths, and the beginnings of months, or the first days of the moon or new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.
7And she was of full seemly beholding, to whom her husband had left many riches, and plenteous meine, (or household, or servants), and possessions full of or with droves of oxen, and of flocks of sheep.
8And this Judith was most famous among all men; for she dreaded God greatly, neither any was that spake of her an evil word or nor there was that should speak of her (an) evil word.
9Therefore when this Judith had heard, that Uzziah had promised, that when the fifth day was passed, he would betake the city to Holofernes, she sent to (or for Uzziah, and for) the priests Chabris and Charmis.
10And they came to her; and she said to them, What is this word, in which (thou) Uzziah hath consented to betake the city to (the) men of Assyria, if within five days help come not to us?
11And who be ye that tempt the Lord?
12This is no word that stirreth mercy; but rather it stirreth God’s wrath, and kindleth his madness (or his anger).
13Have ye set a time of (or for) the mercy doing of the Lord, and in your will (or by your determining) have ye set a day to (or for) him? Ye have set a time of mercy doing of the Lord, and in your doom ye have ordained a day to him.
14But for the Lord is patient, do we penance for this sin, and ask we with tears his forgiveness;
15for God shall not menace so as man, neither as a son of man he shall be inflamed to wrathfulness or wrath.
16And therefore meek we our souls to him, and in a contrite spirit and made meek serve we to him;
17and say we weeping to the Lord, that after his will so he do his mercy with us; and as our heart is troubled or disturbed in the pride of them, our enemies, so have we glory in our meekness.
18For we have not pursued or followed the sins of our fathers, that forsook their God, and worshipped alien gods;
19for which great trespass they were given to their enemies into sword, and into raven, and into confusion; but we know not another God besides him.
20Therefore, we being meek, abide we his comfort, and he shall seek, or avenge, our blood of (or for) the torments or the tormenting of (or from) our enemies; and he shall make meek all folks or all (the) Gentiles, whichever have risen against us; and the Lord God shall make them without honour.
21And now, brethren, for ye be priests in (or of) the people of God, and the soul of them hangeth (on the words) of you, raise ye up their hearts to God at (or with) your speech, (so) that they be mindful (or remember), that our fathers were tempted, (so) that they should be proved, whether they worshipped God verily (or truly) or if verily they praised their God.
22They owe to be mindful (or ought to remember), how our father Abraham was tempted, or assayed, and how he was proved by many tribulations, and he was made the friend of God.
23So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that pleased the Lord, passed forth faithful(ly) by (or after) many tribulations.
24And they that received not (or could not take the) temptations with the dread of the Lord, and brought forth their unpatience, and the shame or the reproof of their grutching (or grumbling) against the Lord,
25were destroyed of (or by) a destroyer, and they perished of (or by) serpents.
26And therefore avenge we not us or ourselves for these things which we suffer;
27but areckon we, that these same torments be less than our sins, and believe we, as servants of the Lord that be chastised, that the beatings, or the torments, or the scourges of the Lord be come to (or for) our amending, and not to (or for) our perdition.
28And Uzziah and the priests said to Judith, All these things, that thou hast spoken, be sooth (or be true), and no reproving is in thy words.
29Now therefore pray thou for us, for thou art an holy woman, and dreading God.
30And Judith said to them, As ye know (or So that ye know), that this thing, that I might speak, is of (or from) God,
31so prove ye, if this that I have purposed to do, is of (or from) God, and pray ye, that God make steadfast my counsel.
32Ye shall stand at the gate this night, and I shall go out, or I shall go forth, with my free handmaid; and pray ye, that, as ye said, the Lord behold his people Israel these five days.
33But I desire not, that ye inquire (into) my doing, and till I tell to you, none other thing be done, or be there done none other thing of (or by) you, no but prayer for me to our Lord God.
34And Uzziah, the prince of Judah, said to her, Go thou in peace, and the Lord be with thee in the vengeance or in the avenging of our enemies. And they, Uzziah and the priests, turned, and went away.
