The Book of Judith

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- Kapitel 10 -

Judith goes out towards the camp, and is taken, and brought to Holofernes.

And it happened that, when she had ceased to cry out to the Lord, she arose from the place where she lay prostrate before the Lord.

And she called her handmaid, and descending into her house, she took away from herself the haircloth, and she put away from herself the garments of her widowhood,

and she washed her body, and she anointed herself with the best ointment, and she plaited the hair of her head, and she put a headdress on her head, and she clothed herself with the garments of her elegance, and she put sandals on her feet, and she put on her little bracelets, and lilies, and earrings, and rings, and she adorned herself with all her ornaments.

And also, the Lord conferred upon her a splendor. For all this dressing up did not proceed from sensuality, but from virtue. And therefore, the Lord increased this, her beauty, so that she appeared with incomparable honor before the eyes of all.

And so, she appointed to her handmaid a wineskin, and a vessel of oil, and parched grain, and dried figs, and bread, and cheese, and they departed.(a)

And when they came to the gate of the city, they found Uzziah and the elders of the city waiting.

And when they saw her, being astounded, they wondered at her surpassing beauty.

So, not questioning her at all, they dismissed her to go forth, saying: “May the God of our fathers give you grace, and may he strengthen all the advice of your heart with his virtue, so that Jerusalem may glory over you, and your name may be counted among the holy and the just.”

And those who were there, all with one voice, said: “Amen. Amen.”

In truth, Judith was praying to the Lord as she crossed through the gates, she and her handmaid.

But it happened that, when she descended the mountain at about the break of day, the scouts of the Assyrians met her, and they stopped her, saying, “Where are you coming from? And where are you going?”(b)

And she answered: “I am a daughter of the Hebrews. This is why I have fled from their face: because I realized that in the future they would be given over to you with pillaging, for they hold you in contempt, and they would never be willing to surrender themselves, so that they might find mercy in your sight.(c)

For this reason, I thought to myself, saying: I will go to the face of the leader Holofernes, so that I may reveal to him their secrets, and show him by what means he may be able to prevail over them, without one man of his army being slain.”

And when the men had heard her words, they beheld her face, and their eyes were astounded, because they wondered exceedingly at her beauty.

And they said to her: “You have preserved your life by following such an excellent plan, to descend to our lord.

But know this, that when you will stand in his sight, he will treat you well, and you will be very pleasing to his heart.” And they led her to the tabernacle of Holofernes, announcing her.

And when she had entered before his face, immediately Holofernes was captivated by his eyes.

And his attendants said to him, “Who can hold the people of the Hebrews in contempt, who have such beautiful women? So, we ought to think it not worthwhile, for their sakes, to fight against them.”

And so, Judith looked upon Holofernes, sitting under a canopy, which was woven from purple and gold, with emeralds and precious stones.

And, after she had gazed into his face, she showed reverence for him, prostrating herself to the ground. And the servants of Holofernes lifted her up, at the command of their lord.

Fußnoten

(a)10:5 I cannot find any reference for the meaning of the word ‘palathas,’ except the Douay translation as ‘dried figs,’ which is the same in Challoner as in the original Douay-Rheims, and also is the same in the Wycliffe version.(Conte)

(b)10:11 Here is a good example where the word ‘aut,’ usually thought of as meaning ‘or,’ actually means something closer to the word ‘and.’ The scouts who intercepted Judith were not asking her two questions of which she could answer either. They wanted the answer to one questions ‘and’ the other. Also, in the translation of the first question, the participle ‘from’ is left dangling because that is the way that persons commonly speak in English, and the translation is that of dialogue.(Conte)

(c)10:12 Because I knew, etc:In this and the following chapter, some things are related to have been said by Judith, which seem hard to reconcile with truth. But all that is related in scripture of the servants of God is not approved by the scripture; and even the saints in their good enterprises may sometimes slip into venial sins.(Challoner)

Judith goes out towards the camp, and is taken, and brought to Holofernes.

It came to pass, when she had ceased to cry to the God of Israel, and had finished saying all these words,

that she rose up where she had fallen down, called her maid, and went down into the house that she lived on the Sabbath days and on her feast days.

She pulled off the sackcloth which she had put on, took off the garments of her widowhood, washed her body all over with water, anointed herself with rich ointment, braided the hair of her head, and put a tiara upon it. She put on her garments of gladness, which she used to wear in the days of the life of Manasses her husband.

She took sandals for her feet, and put on her anklet, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her jewelry. She made herself very beautiful to deceive the eyes of all men who would see her.

She gave her maid a leather container of wine and a flask of oil, and filled a bag with roasted grain, lumps of figs, and fine bread. She packed all her vessels together, and laid them upon her.

They went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia, and found Ozias and the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis standing by it.

But when they saw her, that her countenance was altered and her apparel was changed, they were greatly astonished by her beauty and said to her,

“May the God of our fathers give you favor, and accomplish your purposes to the glory of the children of Israel, and to the exaltation of Jerusalem.” Then she worshiped God,

and said to them, “Command that they open the gate of the city for me, and I will go out to accomplish the things you spoke with me about.” And they commanded the young men to open to her, as she had spoken;

and they did so. Then Judith went out, she, and her handmaid with her. The men of the city watched her until she had gone down the mountain, until she had passed the valley, and they could see her no more.

They went straight onward in the valley. The watch of the Assyrians met her;

and they took her, and asked her, “Of what people are you? Where are you coming from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am a daughter of the Hebrews. I am fleeing away from their presence, because they are about to be given you to be consumed.

I am coming into the presence of Holofernes the chief captain of your army, to declare words of truth. I will show him a way that he can go and win all the hill country, and there will not be lacking of his men one person, nor one life.”

Now when the men heard her words, and considered her countenance, the beauty thereof was exceedingly marvelous in their eyes. They said to her,

“You have saved your life, in that you have hurried to come down to the presence of our master. Now come to his tent. Some of us will guide you until they deliver you into his hands.

But when(a) you stand before him, don’t be afraid in your heart, but declare to him what you just said, and he will treat you well.”

They chose out of them a hundred men, and appointed them to accompany her and her maid; and they brought them to the tent of Holofernes.

And there was great excitement throughout all the camp, for her coming was reported among the tents. They came and surrounded her as she stood outside Holofernes’ tent, until they told him about her.

They marveled at her beauty, and marveled at the children of Israel because of her. Each one said to his neighbor, “Who would despise these people, who have among them such women? For it is not good that one man of them be left, seeing that, if they are let go, they will be able to deceive the whole earth.

Then the guards of Holofernes and all his servants came out and brought her into the tent.

And Holofernes was resting upon his bed under the canopy, which was woven with purple, gold, emeralds, and precious stones.

And they told him about her; and he came out into the space before his tent, with silver lamps going before him.

But when Judith had come before him and his servants, they all marveled at the beauty of her countenance. She fell down upon her face and bowed down to him, but his servants raised her up.

Fußnoten

(a)10:16 Gr. if.