Judith 13 • Holofernes killed; Judith returns — Greek text and reception

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When evening came, his slaves hurried to leave. Bagoas closed the tent from outside and dismissed those attending his lord; they went away to their beds, for all were weary because the drinking feast had gone on so long.

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Judith was left alone in the tent, while Holofernes lay collapsed on his couch, for the wine had overwhelmed him.

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Judith had told her slave woman to stand outside her bedchamber and watch for her departure as she did each day, for she said she would go out for her prayer. She had spoken these same words to Bagoas.

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Everyone had gone out of sight, and no one, small or great, was left in the bedchamber. Judith stood beside his couch and said in her heart, “Lord, God of all power, look at this hour upon the works of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.

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For now is the time to help Your inheritance and to make my undertaking a blow against the enemies who have risen against us.”

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She approached the bedpost at Holofernes' head and took down his short sword from it.

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She drew near the couch, grasped the hair of his head, and said, “Strengthen me this day, Lord God of Israel.”

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She struck his neck twice with her strength and cut off his head.

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She rolled his body off the bedding and removed the canopy from its posts. A little later she went out and handed Holofernes' head to her maid,

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who put it into her food bag. The two went out together for prayer as was their custom. They passed through the camp, went around that ravine, climbed the mountain of Bethulia, and came to its gates.

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From a distance Judith said to those guarding the gates, “Open, open the gate now! God, our God, is with us, to work strength again in Israel and might against our enemies, just as He has done today.”

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When the men of her city heard her voice, they hurried down to their city gate and called together the city elders.

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They all ran together, small and great, because her return was unexpected to them. They opened the gate, welcomed the women, lit a fire for light, and surrounded them.

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She said to them loudly, “Praise God, praise Him! Praise God, who has not withdrawn His mercy from the house of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand this night.”

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She took the head from the bag, showed it, and said to them, “Look, the head of Holofernes, commander-in-chief of the army of Asshur! And look, the canopy beneath which he lay in his drunkenness. The Lord struck him by the hand of a woman.

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As the Lord lives, who guarded me along the way I traveled, my face deceived him to his destruction, and he committed no sin with me to bring defilement and shame.”

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All the people were exceedingly amazed. They bowed, worshiped God, and said with one accord, “Blessed are You, our God, who this day have brought the enemies of Your people to nothing.”

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Uzziah said to her, “Blessed are you, daughter, by God Most High, above all the women on the earth. Blessed is the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth, who guided you to strike the head of the ruler of our enemies.

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Your hope will never depart from the heart of people who remember the strength of God forever.

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May God make these things an everlasting exaltation for you, visiting you with good things, because you did not spare your life on account of the humiliation of our race, but went out against our downfall, walking straight before our God.” All the people said, “May it be so, may it be so.”