1And he commanded her to be brought in where his silver vessels were kept, and he ordered them to spread a place for her to eat of his delicacies and to drink of his wine.
2And Judith said, “I will not eat of them, so that it does not become an offense; rather, I will be provided for from the things that have come with me.”
3And Holofernes said to her, “But if the things with you run out, from where will we get similar things to give you? For there is no one from your nation with us.”
4And Judith said to him, “As your soul lives, my lord, your servant will not use up the things with me until he accomplishes by my hand what he has planned.”
5So the attendants of Holofernes led her into the tent, and she slept until midnight. Then she arose around the morning watch,
6and sent a message to Holofernes, saying, “Let my lord now command that your servant be permitted to go out for prayer.”
7And Holofernes ordered his bodyguards not to hinder her. So she remained in the camp for three days. Each night she would go out into the valley of Bethulia and wash herself in the camp at the spring of water.
8And when she came up from the water, she would pray to the Lord God of Israel to direct her way for the uplifting of the sons of his people.
9And returning clean, she would remain in her tent until she took her food in the evening.
10Now on the fourth day, Holofernes gave a banquet for his personal servants only, and he did not invite any of his officers who were in charge.
11And he said to Bagoas the eunuch, who was in charge of all his affairs, “Go and persuade the Hebrew woman who is in your care to come to us and to eat and drink with us.”
12“For it would be a disgrace for us to let such a woman go without having relations with her. If we do not seduce her, she will laugh at us.”
13So Bagoas went out from the presence of Holofernes, and he went in to her and said, “Let this beautiful young woman not hesitate to come to my lord to be honored in his presence, to drink wine with us for merriment, and to become today like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who serve in the house of Nebuchadnezzar.”
14And Judith said to him, “And who am I to refuse my lord? Indeed, whatever is pleasing in his eyes I will hasten to do, and this will be a joy to me until the day of my death.”
15And rising, she adorned herself with her clothing and all her womanly finery. Her servant went ahead and spread out for her on the ground before Holofernes the fleeces she had received from Bagoas for her daily use, for her to recline on them while eating.
16When Judith entered and reclined, Holofernes’ heart was captivated by her, and his soul was shaken. He was overcome with desire to be with her, and he had been watching for an opportunity to seduce her from the day he first saw her.
17And Holofernes said to her, “Drink now, and join us in our merriment.”
18And Judith said, “I will indeed drink, lord, for my life has been exalted today more than on any day since I was born.”
19And she took and ate and drank in his presence what her servant had prepared.
20And Holofernes was delighted with her, and he drank a great deal of wine—more than he had ever drunk on a single day in his entire life.
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