Judith 8
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1Now at that time, Iudeth heard thereof, which was the daughter of Merari the sonne of Ox, the sonne of Ioseph, the sonne of Oziel, the sonne of Elcia, the sonne of Ananias, the sonne of Gedeon, the sonne of Raphaim, the sonne of Acito, the sonne of Eliu, the sonne of Eliab, the sonne of Nathanael, the sonne of Samael, the sonne of Salasadai, the sonne of Israel. 2And Manasses was her housband, of her stocke and kinred, who dyed in the barely haruest. 3For as he was diligent ouer them that bounde sheaues in the field, the heat came vpon his head, & he fel vpon his bed, & dyed in the citie of Bethulia, & thei buryed him with his fathers in the field betwene Dothaim and Balamo. 4So Iudeth was in her house a widowe thre yeres and foure moneths. 5And she made her a tente vpon her house, and put on sackecloth on her loynes, and ware her widowes apparel. 6And she fasted all the daies of her widowhode, saue the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbaths, and the day before the newe moones, & in the feastes & solemne daies of the house of Israel. 7She was also of a goodlie countenance & very beautiful to beholde: & her housband Manasses had left her golde & siluer, and men seruants, and maide seruants, and cattel, and possessions, where she remained. 8And there was none that colde bring an euil reporte of her: for she feared God greatly. 9Now when she heard the euil wordes of the people against the gouernour, because thei fainted for lacke of waters (for Iudeth had heard all the wordes that Ozias had spoken vnto them, and that he had sworne vnto them to deliuer the citie vnto the Assyrians within fiue daies) 10Then she sent her maide that had the gouernement of all things that she had, to call Ozias and Chabris and Charmis the Ancients of the Citie. 11And they came vnto her, and she said vnto them, Heare me, ô ye gouernours of the inhabitants of Bethulia: for your wordes that ye haue spoken before the people this day, are not right, touching this othe which ye made & pronounced betwene God & you, & haue promised to deliuer the citie to the enemies, vnles within these daies the Lord turne to helpe you. 12And now who are you that haue tempted God this day, & set your selues in the place of God among the children of men? 13So now you seke the Lord almightie, but you shal neuer knowe any thing. 14For you can not finde out the depth of the heart of man, nether can ye perceiue the things that he thinketh: then how can you search out God, that hathe made all these things, and knowe his minde, or comprehend his purpose? Nay my brethren, prouoke not the Lord our God to anger. 15For if he wil not helpe vs within these fiue daies, he hathe power to defend vs when he wil, euen euerie day, or to destroy vs before our enemies. 16Do not you therefore binde the counsels of the Lord our God: for God is not as man that he may be threatned, nether as the sonne of man to be broght to iudgement. 17Therefore let vs waite for saluacion of him & call vpon him to helpe vs, & he wil heare our voyce if it please him. 18For there appeareth none in our age, nether is there any now in these daies, nether tribe, nor familie, nor people, nor citie among vs, which worship the gods made with hands, as hathe bene afore time. 19For the which cause our fathers were giuen to the sworde, & for a spoile, & had a great fall before our enemies. 21Nether when we shalbe taken, shal Iudea be so famous: for our Sanctuarie shalbe spoiled, and he wil require the prophanacion thereof at our mouth, 22And the feare of our brethren, and the captiuitie of the countrey, & the desolation of our inheritance wil he turne vpon our heads among the Gentiles, wheresoeuer we shalbe in bondage, & we shalbe an offence & a reproche to all them that possesse vs. 23For our seruitude shal not be directed by fauour, but the Lord our God shal turne it to dishonour. 24Now therefore, ô brethren, let vs shewe an example to our brethren, because their hearts depend vpon vs, & the Sanctuarie, & the House, and the altar rest vpon vs. 25Moreouer, let vs giue thankes to the Lord our God, which tryeth vs euen as he did our fathers. 26Remember what things he did to Abraham, and how he tryed Isaac, and all that he did to Iacob in Mesopotamia of Syria when he kept the shepe of Laban his mothers brother. 27For he hathe not tryed vs as he did them to the examination of their hearts, nether doeth he take vengeance on vs, but the Lord punisheth for instruction them that come nere to him. 28¶Then said Ozias to her, All that thou hast spoken, hast thou spoken with a good heart, and there is none that is able to resist thy wordes. 29For it is not to day that thy wisdome is knowen, but from the beginning of thy life all the people haue knowen thy wisdome: for the deuice of thine heart is good. 30But the people were very thirstie, and compelled vs to do vnto them, as we haue spoken, & haue broght vs to an othe which we may not transgresse. 31Therefore now pray for vs, because thou art an holy woman, that the Lord may send vs rayne to fill our cisternes, and that we may faint no more. 32Then said Iudeth vnto them, Heare me, and I wil do a thing, which shalbe declared in all generations, to the children of our nacion. 33You shal stand this night in the gate, and I wil go forthe with mine handmaid: and within the daies that ye haue promised to deliuer the citie to our enemies, the Lord wil visit Israel by mine hand. 34But inquire not you of mine acte: for I wil not declare it vnto you, til the things be finished that I do. 35Then said Ozias & the princes vnto her, Go in peace, and the Lord God be before thee, to take vengeance on our enemies. 36So they returned from the tent, and went to their wardes.