Judith 16

1Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying:

2Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto him a new psalm, extol and call upon his name.

3The Lord putteth an end to wars, the Lord is his name.

4He hath set his camp in the midst of his people, to deliver us from the hand of all our enemies.

5The Assyrians came out of the mountains from the north in the multitude of his strength: his multitude stopped up the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.

6He bragged that he would set my borders on fire, and kill my young men with the sword, to make my infants a prey, and my virgins captives.

7But the almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a woman, and hath slain him.

8For their mighty one did not fall by young men, neither did the sons of Titan strike him, nor tall giants oppose themselves to him, but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her face.

9For she put off her the garments of widowhood, and put on her the garments of joy, to give joy to the children of Israel.

10She anointed her face with ointment, and bound up her locks with a crown, she took a new robe to deceive him.

11Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.

12The Persians quaked at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.

13Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my lowly ones appeared, parched with thirst.

14The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and they have killed them like children fleeing away: they perished in battle before the face of the Lord my God.

15Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God.

16O Adonai, Lord, great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.

17Let all thy creatures serve thee: because thou hast spoken, and they were made: thou didst send forth thy spirit, and they were created, and there is no one that can resist thy voice.

18The mountains shall be moved from the foundations with the waters: the rooks shall melt as wax before thy face.

19But they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.

20Woe be to the nation that riseth up against my people: for the Lord almighty will take revenge on them, in the day of judgment he will visit them.

21For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever.

22And it came to pass after these things, that all the people, after the victory, came to Jerusalem to adore the Lord: and as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.

23And Judith offered for an anathema of oblivion all the arms of Holofernes, which the people gave her, and the canopy that she had taken away out of his chamber.

24And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.

25And after those days every man returned to his house, and Judith was made great in Bethulia, and she was most renowned in all the land of Israel.

26And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses her husband.

27And on festival days she came forth with great glory.

28And she abode in her husband’s house a hundred and five years, and made her handmaid free, and she died, and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.

29And all the people mourned for seven days.

30And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.

31But the day of the festivity of this victory is received by the Hebrews in the number of holy days, and is religiously observed by the Jews from that time until this day.

1Tunc cantavit canticum hoc Domino Judith, dicens:

2[Incipite Domino in tympanis; cantate Domino in cymbalis; modulamini illi psalmum novum: exaltate, et invocate nomen ejus.

3Dominus conterens bella, Dominus nomen est illi.

4Qui posuit castra sua in medio populi sui, ut eriperet nos de manu omnium inimicorum nostrorum.

5Venit Assur ex montibus ab aquilone in multitudine fortitudinis suæ: cujus multitudo obturavit torrentes, et equi eorum cooperuerunt valles.

6Dixit se incensurum fines meos, et juvenes meos occisurum gladio; infantes meos dare in prædam, et virgines in captivitatem.

7Dominus autem omnipotens nocuit eum, et tradidit eum in manus feminæ, et confodit eum.

8Non enim cecidit potens eorum a juvenibus, nec filii Titan percusserunt eum, nec excelsi gigantes opposuerunt se illi: sed Judith filia Merari in specie faciei suæ dissolvit eum.

9Exuit enim se vestimento viduitatis, et induit se vestimento lætitiæ in exultatione filiorum Israël.

10Unxit faciem suam unguento, et colligavit cincinnos suos mitra; accepit stolam novem ad decipiendum illum.

11Sandalia ejus rapuerunt oculos ejus; pulchritudo ejus captivam fecit animam ejus: amputavit pugione cervicem ejus.

12Horruerunt Persæ constantiam ejus, et Medi audaciam ejus.

13Tunc ululaverunt castra Assyriorum, quando apparuerunt humiles mei, arescentes in siti.

14Filii puellarum compunxerunt eos, et sicut pueros fugientes occiderunt eos: perierunt in prælio a facie Domini Dei mei.

15Hymnum cantemus Domino; hymnum novum cantemus Deo nostro.

16Adonai Domine, magnus es tu, et præclarus in virtute tua: et quem superare nemo potest.

17Tibi serviat omnis creatura tua, quia dixisti, et facta sunt; misisti spiritum tuum, et creata sunt: et non est qui resistat voci tuæ.

18Montes a fundamentis movebuntur cum aquis; petræ, sicut cera, liquescent ante faciem tuam.

19Qui autem timent te, magni erunt apud te per omnia.

20Væ genti insurgenti super genus meum: Dominus enim omnipotens vindicabit in eis; in die judicii visitabit illos.

21Dabit enim ignem et vermes in carnes eorum, ut urantur et sentiant usque in sempiternum.]

22Et factum est post hæc, omnis populus post victoriam venit in Jerusalem adorare Dominum: et mox ut purificati sunt, obtulerunt omnes holocausta, et vota, et repromissiones suas.

23Porro Judith universa vasa bellica Holofernis, quæ dedit illi populus, et conopeum quod ipsa sustulerat de cubili ipsius, obtulit in anathema oblivionis.

24Erat autem populus jucundus secundum faciem sanctorum: et per tres menses gaudium hujus victoriæ celebratum est cum Judith.

25Post dies autem illos, unusquisque rediit in domum suam: et Judith magna facta est in Bethulia, et præclarior erat universæ terræ Israël.

26Erat enim virtuti castitas adjuncta, ita ut non cognosceret virum omnibus diebus vitæ suæ, ex quo defunctus est Manasses vir ejus.

27Erat autem, diebus festis, procedens cum magna gloria.

28Mansit autem in domo viri sui annos centum quinque, et dimisit abram suam liberam: et defuncta est ac sepulta cum viro suo in Bethulia.

29Luxitque illam omnis populus diebus septem.

30In omni autem spatio vitæ ejus non fuit qui perturbaret Israël, et post mortem ejus annis multis.

31Dies autem victoriæ hujus festivitatis ab Hebræis in numero sanctorum dierum accipitur, et colitur a Judæis ex illo tempore usque in præsentem diem.

1Then Judith sang this canticle to the Lord, saying:

2“Call to the Lord with drums, sing to the Lord with cymbals, play for him a new psalm, exalt and invoke his name.

3The Lord crushes wars; the Lord is his name.

4He has set up his camp in the midst of his people, to rescue us from the hand of all our enemies.

5Assur came from the mountains, from the North, with the multitude of his strength. His multitude blockaded the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.

6He told himself that he would set fire to my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, to give my children into plunder and my virgins into captivity.

7But the almighty Lord has harmed him, and he has delivered him into the hands of a woman, and he has pierced him through.

8For their powerful one did not fall by young men, nor did the sons of Titan strike him, nor did lofty giants set themselves against him, but Judith, the daughter of Merari, dissolved him with the splendor of her face.

9For she put away from herself the garments of widowhood, and she clothed herself with the garments of rejoicing, for the sake of the exultation of the sons of Israel.

10She anointed her face with ointment, and she gathered the locks of her hair with a headdress; she accepted a new dress in order to deceive him.

11Her sandals ravished his eyes; her beauty made his soul her captive; with a blade, she cut off his head.

12The Persians were horrified at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.

13Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my humble ones appeared, parched with thirst.

14The sons of the servant girls have pierced them through, and, like fleeing servants, they have killed them. They perished in battle before the face of the Lord, my God.

15Let us sing a canticle to the Lord; let us sing a new hymn to our God.

16O Adonai, O Lord, you are great, and splendor is in your virtue, and no one is able to overcome you.

17Let all your creatures serve you. For you spoke, and they became. You sent forth your Spirit, and they were created. And there is no one who can withstand your voice.

18The mountains will be moved from the foundations by the waters. The rocks, like wax, will liquefy before your face.

19But those who fear you will be great with you, throughout all things.

20Woe to the people that rises up against my people. For the Lord almighty will be vindicated against them; in the day of judgment, he will visit them.

21For he will bestow fire and worms on their flesh, so that they may burn and have sensations without ceasing.”

22And it happened that, after these things, all the people came to Jerusalem after the victory, to adore the Lord. And as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.

23Moreover, Judith offered all the implements of war from Holofernes, which the people gave to her, and the canopy that she had taken away from his chamber, as an anathema unto oblivion.

24But the people were cheerful before the face of the sanctuary, and for three months the gladness of this victory was celebrated with Judith.

25And after those days, each one returned to his own house, and Judith became great in Bethulia, and she had great splendor in all the land of Israel.

26For chastity was one with her virtue, so that she did not know man all the days of her life, after the passing away of her husband, Manasseh.

27And then, on feast days, she came forth with great glory.

28But she remained in her husband’s house for one hundred and five years, and she set her handmaid free. And she passed away and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.

29And all the people mourned her, for seven days.

30And, during all the time of her life, there was no one who disturbed Israel, nor for many years after her death.

31Moreover, the day of the festivity of this victory was accepted by the Hebrews in the numbering of holy days, and it was religiously observed by the Jews, from that time, even to the present day.