1And Holofernes said to her, “Take courage, woman; do not be afraid in your heart. For I have never harmed any person who has chosen to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of all the earth.
2And as for your people who live in the hill country, if they had not slighted me, I would not have raised my spear against them. But they themselves have done these things to themselves.
3So now, tell me for what reason you fled from them and came to us. For you have come to safety. Take courage; you will live tonight and for the future.
4For no one will wrong you; rather, you will be treated well, just as is done for the servants of my lord King Nebuchadnezzar.”
5And Judith said to him, “Receive the words of your servant-woman, and let your handmaid speak in your presence, and I will not report a lie to my lord this night.
6And if you will follow the words of your handmaid, God will bring a matter to completion with you, and my lord will not fail in his undertakings.
7For as King Nebuchadnezzar of all the earth lives, and as his power lives—he who sent you for the correction of every soul—not only do humans serve him through you, but also the beasts of the field, the cattle, and the birds of the sky will live for Nebuchadnezzar and all his house through your strength.
8For we have heard of your wisdom and the clever deeds of your mind, and it has been reported to all the earth that you alone are excellent in the whole kingdom, powerful in knowledge, and wonderful in the strategies of war.
9And now, as for the speech that Achior spoke in your council, we have heard his words, for the men of Bethulia took him in, and he reported to them everything he had spoken in your presence.
10Therefore, master and lord, do not disregard his word, but keep it in your heart, for it is true. For our nation is not punished, nor does the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their God.
11And now, so that my lord may not be repulsed and unsuccessful, death will fall upon them, for a sin has seized them by which they will provoke their God to anger, as soon as they commit this folly.
12For since their food has failed them and all their water has become scarce, they have resolved to lay hands on their cattle and have determined to consume everything that God in his laws commanded them not to eat.
13And the firstfruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and the oil, which they had set apart and consecrated for the priests who minister in Jerusalem before the face of our God—these they have decided to consume, things which it was not lawful for any of the people even to touch with their hands.
14And they have sent to Jerusalem—since the inhabitants there have also done these things—to bring back for themselves permission from the council of elders.
15And it will be that when the report reaches them and they act on it, they will be given to you for destruction on that very day.
16Therefore I, your servant-woman, knowing all these things, fled from their presence. And God has sent me to accomplish things with you at which all the earth will be astonished—all who hear of them.
17For your servant-woman is God-fearing and serves the God of heaven night and day. And now I will remain with you, my lord, and your servant-woman will go out each night into the valley and pray to God, and he will tell me when they have committed their sins.
18And I will come and report it to you, and you will go out with all your force, and there will be no one among them who will resist you.
19And I will lead you through the midst of Judea until you come before Jerusalem, and I will set your throne in its midst. And you will lead them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will growl with its tongue at you. For these things were spoken to me according to my foreknowledge and were reported to me, and I was sent to report them to you.”
20And her words were pleasing in the sight of Holofernes and all his attendants, and they marveled at her wisdom and said,
21“There is no other woman like her from one end of the earth to the other, for beauty of face and intelligence of speech.”
22And Holofernes said to her, “God has done well to send you ahead of your people, so that strength might be in our hands and destruction might be for those who slighted my lord.
23And now, you are beautiful in your appearance and skilled in your words. For if you do as you have said, your God will be my god, and you will dwell in the house of King Nebuchadnezzar and be famous throughout all the earth.”
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