Judith 15

1And when those who were in the tents heard, they were astonished at what had happened,

2And terror and fear fell upon them, and no man remained standing before his neighbor any longer; but, scattering in all directions, they fled along every road of the plain and of the hill country.

3And those encamped in the hill country around Bethulia turned to flight; then the sons of Israel, every man a warrior, poured out against them.

4And Uzziah sent men to Bethomesthaim and Choba and Chola, and to all the territory of Israel, to report what had happened, and that all should rush out against the enemies for their destruction.

5But when the sons of Israel heard, they all together fell upon them and kept striking them down as far as Choba. Likewise, those from Jerusalem and from all the hill country also arrived, for the things that had happened in the camp of their enemies had been reported to them; and those in Gilead and those in Galilee outflanked them with a great slaughter, until they had passed Damascus and its borders.

6But the rest, those living in Bethulia, fell upon the camp of Assyria, and they pursued them and plundered it greatly.

7But the sons of Israel, returning from the slaughter, took possession of the rest, and the villages and hamlets in the hill country and in the plain took much plunder, for there was a very great quantity.

8And Joakim the high priest and the council of the sons of Israel, who dwelt in Jerusalem, came to see the good things that the Lord had done for Israel, and to see Judith and speak peaceably with her.

9And when they entered to her, they all with one accord blessed her and said to her, “You are the exaltation of Jerusalem, you are the great boast of Israel, you are the great glory of our people.”

10You have done all these things by your hand; you have done good things for Israel, and God has been pleased with them. May you be blessed by the Almighty Lord forever.

11And all the people said, “Amen.”

12And all the people plundered the camp for thirty days,

13And they gave Judith the tent of Holofernes, and all the silver vessels, and the couches, and the utensils, and all his furnishings. And she took them and placed them on her mule, and harnessed her wagons, and piled them on them.

14And every woman of Israel ran together to see her, and they blessed her, and they made a dance for her from among themselves; and she took thyrsi in her hands and gave them to the women with her,

15And they crowned her with an olive wreath, she and the women with her. And she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women, and every man of Israel followed, armed, with wreaths and with hymns in their mouths.

16And Judith kept bringing forth this confession in all Israel, and all the people echoed this praise; and Judith said,