The Koine Bible

And it happened, when she had ceased crying out to the God of Israel and had completed all these words,

And she rose from her bed and called her maidservant and went down into the house in which she stayed in it on the days of the sabbaths and on her festivals.

And she took off the sackcloth which she had put on, and stripped off the garments of her widowhood, and bathed her body with water, and anointed herself with rich myrrh, and combed out the hair of her head, and put a mitre upon herself, and put on the garments of her gladness, with which she used to adorn herself in the days of the life of her husband Manasseh.

And she took sandals for her feet and put on the anklets and the bracelets and the rings and the earrings and all her adornment, and she beautified herself greatly for the deception of the eyes of men, as many as might see her.

And he gave to her maidservant a wineskin of wine and a flask of oil and filled a bag with barley flour and dates and clean loaves, and wrapped up all her vessels and put them on her

And they went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia, and they found Uziah standing over it, and the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis.

And when they saw her, and her face was changed, and her dress altered, they marveled at her beauty very greatly for a long time, and they said to her

May the God of our fathers give you into favor and complete your undertakings for boasting of the sons of Israel and exaltation of Jerusalem

And she worshiped God and said to them, Order to open the gate of the city for me, and I will go out for the completion of the words which you spoke with me. And they commanded the young men to open it to her, just as she had spoken.

And they did so, and Judith herself went out, and her maidservant with her; and the men of the city were watching her until she went down the mountain, until she passed through the valley, and they no longer saw her.

And they were going in the valley straight on, and a guard of the Assyrians met her.

And they took her and asked her, Whose are you, and from where do you come, and where are you going? And she said, I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from before them, because they are about to be given to you for food.

And I come before Holofernes, the chief general of your force, to tell words of truth, and I will show before his face a way by which he will go and will rule over all the hill country, and not one flesh of his men will disagree, nor a spirit of life.

And when the men heard her words and observed her face, and it was marvelous before them, exceedingly in beauty, they said to her:

You have saved your life by hastening to go down before our lord, and now come to his tent, and from us they will escort you until they hand you over into his hands

But if you stand before him, do not fear in your heart, but declare according to your words, and he will do you well.

And they chose from them a hundred men, and they yoked to her and to her maid, and they brought them to the tent of Holofernes

And there was a rushing together in all the camp, for her coming had been cried out in the tents, and they came and surrounded her as she stood outside the tent of Holofernes until they reported to him about her.

And they marveled at her beauty, and they marveled at the sons of Israel because of her, and each one said to his neighbor, Who will despise this people, who has such women among them? For it is not good for one man to be left from them, for they, being left, will be able to deceive all the earth.

And those who were lying beside Holofernes and all his servants went out, and they brought her into the tent.

And Holofernes was resting on his bed in the mosquito net which was of purple and gold and emerald and precious stones woven in.

And they reported to him about her, and he went out into the forecourt, and silver lamps going before him

And when Judith and his attendants came before him, all marveled at the beauty of her face, and she fell on her face and worshiped him, and his servants raised her up.