Judi 13:1 (NRSV) {Judith Beheads Holofernes} When evening came, his slaves quickly
withdrew. Bagoas closed the tent from outside and shut out the attendants from
his master's presence. They went to bed, for they all were weary because the
banquet had lasted so long. 2 But Judith was left alone in the tent, with Holofernes
stretched out on his bed, for he was dead drunk.
3 Now Judith had told her maid to stand outside the bedchamber and to wait for
her to come out, as she did on the other days; for she said she would be going
out for her prayers. She had said the same thing to Bagoas. 4 So everyone went
out, and no one, either small or great, was left in the bedchamber. Then Judith,
standing beside his bed, said in her heart, "O Lord God of all might, look
in this hour on the work of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem. 5 Now
indeed is the time to help your heritage and to carry out my design to destroy
the enemies who have risen up against us."
6 She went up to the bedpost near Holofernes' head, and took down his sword
that hung there. 7 She came close to his bed, took hold of the hair of his head,
and said, "Give me strength today, O Lord God of Israel!" 8 Then she
struck his neck twice with all her might, and cut off his head. 9 Next she rolled
his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the posts. Soon afterward
she went out and gave Holofernes' head to her maid, 10 who placed it in her
food bag.
{Judith Returns to Bethulia}Then the two of them went out together, as they
were accustomed to do for prayer. They passed through the camp, circled around
the valley, and went up the mountain to Bethulia, and came to its gates. 11
From a distance Judith called out to the sentries at the gates, "Open,
open the gate! God, our God, is with us, still showing his power in Israel and
his strength against our enemies, as he has done today!"
12 When the people of her town heard her voice, they hurried down to the town
gate and summoned the elders of the town. 13 They all ran together, both small
and great, for it seemed unbelievable that she had returned. They opened the
gate and welcomed them. Then they lit a fire to give light, and gathered around
them. 14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, "Praise God, O praise
him! Praise God, who has not withdrawn his mercy from the house of Israel, but
has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!"
15 Then she pulled the head out of the bag and showed it to them, and said,
"See here, the head of Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army,
and here is the canopy beneath which he lay in his drunken stupor. The Lord
has struck him down by the hand of a woman. 16 As the Lord lives, who has protected
me in the way I went, I swear that it was my face that seduced him to his destruction,
and that he committed no sin with me, to defile and shame me."
17 All the people were greatly astonished. They bowed down and worshiped God,
and said with one accord, "Blessed are you our God, who have this day humiliated
the enemies of your people."
18 Then Uzziah said to her, "O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High
God above all other women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who created
the heavens and the earth, who has guided you to cut off the head of the leader
of our enemies. 19 Your praise {Other ancient authorities read [hope] } will
never depart from the hearts of those who remember the power of God. 20 May
God grant this to be a perpetual honor to you, and may he reward you with blessings,
because you risked your own life when our nation was brought low, and you averted
our ruin, walking in the straight path before our God." And all the people
said, "Amen. Amen."
Web Author: Charles Wohlers
The Lectionary Page