Judith 11

1And Holofernes said to her, “Take courage, woman; do not be afraid in your heart, for I have harmed no man who has chosen to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of all the earth.”

2And now, if your people who live in the hill country had not treated me with contempt, I would not have raised my spear against them; but they themselves have brought these things on themselves.

3And now tell me why you fled from them and came to us; for you have come for deliverance.

4Take courage; you will live through this night and beyond. For there is no one who will wrong you; rather, he will treat you well, as is done for the servants of my lord King Nebuchadnezzar.

5And Judith said to him, “Receive the words of your servant, and let your maidservant speak before you, and I will not tell a lie to my lord this night.”

6And if you follow the words of your servant girl, God will fully accomplish the matter with you, and my lord will not depart from his purposes.

7For King Nebuchadnezzar, of all the earth, lives, and his dominion lives—he who sent you for the success of every living soul. For not only will men serve him because of you, but also the wild animals and the cattle and the birds of the sky will live under your strength for Nebuchadnezzar and all his house.

8For we have heard of your wisdom and the cunning of your soul, and it has been reported throughout all the earth that you alone are good in all the kingdom, mighty in knowledge, and marvelous in the armies of war.

9And now, concerning the matter that Achior spoke in your council, we have heard his words, because the men of Bethulia spared him, and he reported to them everything that he had spoken from you.

10Therefore, master lord, do not disregard his word, but lay it up in your heart, because it is true; for our people are not avenged, nor does the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their God.

11And now, so that my lord may not become an outcast and ineffective, death will fall upon them, and sin has overtaken them, by which they provoke their God whenever they commit an offense.

12For when their food had run out and all water had become scarce, they decided to use their livestock, and they determined to consume everything that God had commanded them by his laws not to eat.

13And the firstfruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and of the oil, which they had set aside, having consecrated them for the priests who stand in Jerusalem before the face of our God—they have decided to consume, though it is not permitted for any of the people even to touch them with their hands.

14And he sent word to Jerusalem that those living there also had done these things, granting to those who had settled among them the release from the council of elders.

15And it will be that, when he reports it to them and they act, they will be given over to you for destruction on that day.

16Therefore I, your servant, having learned all these things, fled from before them, and God sent me to do with you things at which the whole earth will be astonished, whenever they hear of them.

17for your servant is God-fearing, and serves the God of heaven night and day. And now I will remain with you, my lord, and your servant will go out by night into the valley, and I will pray to God, and he will tell me when they have committed their sin.

18And when I come, I will open the way before you, and you will go out with all your force, and there is none among them who will stand against you.

19And I will lead you through the midst of Judea until you come opposite Jerusalem, and I will set your chariot in her midst, and you will drive them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will growl with its tongue against you; for these things were spoken to me according to my foreknowledge, and they were reported to me, and I was sent to tell you.

20And her words pleased Holofernes and all his attendants, and they marveled at her wisdom and said,

21There is no woman like this one from one end of the earth to the other, in beauty of face and wisdom of speech.

22Holofernes said to her, “God has done well to send you ahead of the people, so that power might be in our hands; but destruction is for those who have treated my lord with contempt.”

23And now you are beautiful in your appearance and good in your words. For if you do as you have spoken, your God will be my God, and you will dwell in the house of King Nabuchodonosor, and you will be renowned throughout all the earth.