Judith 12

1And he ordered that she be brought in where his silverware was kept, and he directed that food be prepared for her from his own dishes and that she drink from his wine.

2And Judith said, “I will not eat from them, lest it become a stumbling block; instead, provision will be made for me from the things that have accompanied me.”

3And Holofernes said to her, “But if the things you have with you run out, from where shall we get for you provisions like them? For there is no one with us from your nation.”

4And Judith said to him, “As your life lives, my lord, your servant will not use up what is with me until he has accomplished by my hand what he has planned.”

5And Holofernes’s attendants brought her into the tent, and she slept until the middle of the night; then she rose at the morning watch,

6And she arose toward the morning watch, and sent to Holofernes, saying, “Let my lord now give orders to allow your servant to go out for prayer.”

7And Holofernes ordered the bodyguards not to hinder her. So she remained in the camp for three days, and went out at night into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself at the spring of water by the camp.

8And when she went up, she was praying to the Lord God of Israel to direct her way for the exaltation of the sons of his people.

9And when she went in, she remained in the tent purified until she brought in her food toward evening.

10And on the fourth day, Holofernes gave a banquet for his servants alone, and he did not invite any of those in attendance.

11And he said to Bagoas the eunuch, who was in charge of all that belonged to him, “Go now and persuade the Hebrew woman who is with you to come to us and eat and drink with us.”

12For look, it would be shameful for us if we let such a woman go without speaking with her; for if we do not draw her in, she will laugh at us.

13And Bagoas went out from the presence of Holofernes and went in to her and said, “Let this beautiful young woman not hesitate to come to my lord, to be honored before him, and to drink wine with us in gladness, and to become on this day like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who stand in the house of Nebuchadnezzar.”

14And Judith said to him, “And who am I to speak back to my lord? Whatever is pleasing in his eyes, I will quickly do, and this will be my joy until the day of my death.”

15And after disrobing, she adorned herself with her garments and with all her feminine adornment; and her female servant came and spread out for her on the ground opposite Holofernes the fleeces that she had received from Bagoas for her daily use, so that she might recline on them while eating.

16And when she entered, Judith reclined, and the heart of Holofernes was beside itself over her; his soul was shaken. He was very eager to have relations with her, and he was watching for an opportunity to deceive her from the day he saw her.

17And Holofernes said to her, “Do drink, and join us in gladness.”

18And Judith said, “I will drink now, my lord, because my life has been magnified within me today beyond all the days since my birth.”

19And taking it, she ate and drank before him what her maidslave had prepared.

20And Holofernes was delighted with her, and he drank a very great amount of wine—as much as he had never drunk in a single day since he was born.