11 Yehudit said afar off to the watchmen at the gates, “Open, open the gate, now. God is with us, even our god, to show his power yet in Yisrael (Israel), and his might against the enemy, as he has done even this day.”

12 It came to pass, when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called together the elders of the city. 13 They all ran together, both small and great, for it seemed unbelievable to them that she had come. They opened the gate and received them, making a fire to give light, and surrounded them. 14 She said to them with a loud voice, “Praise God! Praise him! Praise God, who has not taken away his mercy from the house of Yisrael, but has destroyed our enemies by my hand tonight!”

15 Then she took the head out of the bag and showed it, and said to them, “Listen, the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Ashur (Assyria), and behold, the canopy under which he laid in his drunkenness. The master struck him by the hand of a woman. 16 And as the master lives, who preserved me in my way that I went, my countenance deceived him to his destruction, and he didn’t commit sin with me, to defile and shame me.”

17 All the people were exceedingly amazed, and bowed themselves, and worshipped God, and said with one accord, “Blessed are you, Oh our god, who have this day humiliated the enemies of your people.”

18 Ozias said to her, “Blessed are you, daughter, in the sight of the Most High God, above all the women upon the earth; and blessed is the master God, who created the heavens and the earth, who directed you to cut off the head of the prince of our enemies. 19 Because your hope will not depart from the heart of men that remember the strength of God forever. 20 May God turn these things to you for a perpetual praise, to visit you with good things, because you didn’t spare your life by reason of the affliction of our race, but prevented our ruin, walking a straight way before our god.”

And all the people said, “Amen! Amen!”