Open English Translation JDT Chapter 14

14 Yehudit (Judith) said to them, “Hear me now, my kindred, and take this head, and hang it on the battlement of your wall. 2 As soon as morning comes and the sun rises over the earth, each of you must pick up your weapons, and every brave man must go out of the city. Put a captain in charge of them, as though you’d go down to the plain towards the watch of the children of Ashur (Assyria); but you men mustn’t go down. 3 These will take up their full armour, and will go into their camp and rouse up the captains of Ashur’s army. They’ll run together to Holofernes’ tent. They won’t find him. Fear will fall onto them, and they’ll flee before your face. 4 You men, and all that inhabit every border of Yisrael (Israel), must pursue them and overthrow them as they go. 5 But before you do these things, summon Ahior the Amoni to me, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Yisrael, and that sent him to us, as it were to death.

6 And they called Ahior out of Ozias’ house; but when he came, and saw Holofernes’ head in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell onto his face, and his spirit failed. 7 But when they’d recovered him,[fn] he fell at Yehudit’s feet, bowed down to her, and said, “Blessed are you in every tent of Yehudah (Judah)! In every nation, those who hear your name will be troubled. 8 Now tell me all the things that you’ve done in these days.”

And Yehudit declared to him among the people all the things that she’d done, from the day that she went out until the time that she spoke to them. 9 But when she finished speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city. 10 But when Ahior saw all the things that the god of Yisrael had done, he put deep trust in God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the house of Yisrael, to this day.

11 But as soon as the morning arose, they hanged Holofernes’ head on the wall, and every man took up his weapons, and they went forth by bands to the ascents of the mountain. 12 But when the children of Ashur (Assyria) saw them, they sent word to their leaders, and they went to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers. 13 They came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that was over all that he had, “Wake our lord up, now, for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.”

14 Bagoas went in, and knocked at the outer door of the tent; for he supposed that Holofernes was sleeping with Yehudit. 15 But when no one answered, he opened it, went into the bedchamber, and found him thrown on the threshold dead; and his head had been taken from him. 16 He cried with a loud voice, with weeping, groaning, and shouting, and tore his clothes. 17 He entered into the tent where Yehudit lodged, and he didn’t find her. He leapt out to the people, and cried aloud, 18 “The slaves have dealt treacherously! One woman of the Ivrim (Hebrews) has brought shame on King Nevukadnetsar’s (Nebuchadnezzar’s) house; for Holofernes lies on the ground, and his head isn’t on him!”

19 But when the rulers of Ashur’s army heard this, they tore their tunics, and they were deeply troubled. There were cries and a very great noise in the camp.