14
1 And Judith said unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the battlement of your wall. 2 And it shall be, so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, ye shall take up every one his weapons of war, and go forth every valiant man of you out of the city, and ye shall set a captain over them, as though ye would go down to the plain toward the watch of the children of Asshur; and ye shall not go down. 3 And these shall take up their panoplies, and shall go into their camp, and rouse up the captains of the host of Asshur, and they shall run together to the tent of Holofernes, and they shall not find him: and fear shall fall upon them, and they shall flee before your face. 4 And ye, and all that inhabit every coast of Israel, shall pursue them, and overthrow them as they go. 5 But before ye do these things, call me Achior the Ammonite, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us, as it were to death.
6 And they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; but when he came, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell upon his face, and his spirit failed. 7 But when * they had recovered him, he fell at Judith’s feet, and did reverence unto her, and said, Blessed art thou in every tent of Judah, and in every nation, which hearing thy name shall be troubled. 8 And now tell me all the things that thou hast done in these days. And Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all the things that she had done, from the day that she went forth until the time that she spake unto them. 9 But when she left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city. 10 But when Achior saw all the things that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God exceedingly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined unto the house of Israel, unto this day.
11 But as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took up his weapons, and they went forth by bands unto the ascents of the mountain. 12 But when the children of Asshur saw them, they sent hither and thither to their leaders; but they went to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers. 13 And they came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that was over all that he had, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed. 14 And Bagoas went in, and knocked at the outer door of the tent; for he supposed that he was sleeping with Judith. 15 But when none hearkened to him, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the threshold dead, and his head had been taken from him. 16 And he cried with a loud voice, with weeping and groaning and a mighty cry, and rent his garments. 17 And he entered into the tent where Judith lodged: and he found her not, and he leaped out to the people, and cried aloud, 18 The slaves have dealt treacherously: one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of king Nebuchadnezzar; for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground, and his head is not on him. 19 But when the rulers of the host of Asshur heard the words, they rent their coats, and their soul was troubled exceedingly, and there was a cry and an exceeding great noise in the midst of the camp.
* 14:7 Many authorities read he had recovered himself.