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Wycl JDT Chapter 13

13 Forsothe as euentid was maad, hise seruauntis hastiden to her ynnes; and Vagao closid togidere the doris of the closet, and yede forth. 2 For alle men weren maad feynt of wiyn; 3 and Judith aloone was in the closet. 4 Certis Holofernes lai in the bed, aslepid with ful myche drunkenesse. 5 And Judith seide to hir damesele, that sche schulde stonde with outforth bifor the dore of the closet, and aspie. 6 And Judith stood bifor the bed, preiynge with teeris, and with stiryng of lippis `in silence, 7 seiynge, Lord God of Israel, conferme me, and biholde in this our to the werkis of myn hondis, that, as thou bihiytist, thou reise Jerusalem thi citee; and that Y performe this thing, which thing Y bileuynge thouyte to mow be doon bi thee. 8 And whanne sche hadde seid this, sche neiyede to the piler that was at the heed of his bed, and sche loside his swerd, that hangide boundun `ther ynne. 9 And whanne sche hadde drawe out of the scheeth thilke swerd, sche took the heer of his heed; and seide, Lord God of Israel, conferme me in this our. 10 And sche smoot twies on his necke, and kittide awei his heed; and sche took awei his curteyn fro the pileris, and walewide awei his bodi heedles. 11 And aftir a litil sche yede out, and bitook the heed of Holofernes to hir handmaide, and comaundide, that sche schulde putte it in to hir scrippe. 12 And the twei wymmen yeden out `bi her custom as to preier, and passiden the castels of Assiriens, and thei cumpassiden the valei, and camen to the yate of the citee. 13 And Judith seide afer to the keperis of the wallis, `Opene ye the yatis, for God is with vs, that hath do greet vertu in Israel. 14 And it was doon, whanne the men hadden herd `her vois, thei clepiden the prestis of the citee. 15 And alle men fro the leest `til to the mooste runnen to hir; for thei hopiden not, that sche schulde come now. 16 And thei teendiden liytis, and alle men cumpassiden aboute hir. Sotheli sche stiede in to an hiyere place, and comaundide silence to be maad. And whanne alle men weren stille, 17 Judith seide, Herie ye `oure Lord God, that hath not forsake hem that hopen in hym, 18 and bi me, his handmaide, he hath fillid his merci, which he bihiyte to the hows of Israel, and hath slayn in myn hond the enemye of his puple `in this niyt. 19 And sche `brouyte forth of the scrippe the heed of Holofernes, and schewide it to hem, and seide, Lo! the heed of Holofernes, prince of the chiualrie of Assiriens; and, lo! his curteyn, in which he lay in his drunkenesse, where also oure Lord God killide hym bi the hond of a womman. 20 Forsothe the Lord God lyueth, for his aungel kepte me, bothe goynge fro hennus, and dwellynge there, and turnynge ayen fro thennus hidur; and the Lord `suffride not his handmaide to be defoulid, but with out defoulyng of synne he ayen clepid me to you, and Y haue ioie in his victorie, and in `my scapyng, and in youre delyueraunce. 21 Knouleche ye alle to hym, for he is good, for his mercy is in to `the world. 22 Sotheli alle men worschipiden the Lord, and seiden to hir, The Lord hath blessid thee in his vertu, for bi thee he hath brouyt to nouyt oure enemyes. 23 Certis Ozie, prince of the puple of Israel, seide to hir, Douytir, thou art blessid of the hiy Lord God, bifor alle wymmen on erthe. 24 Blessid be the Lord, that made heuene and erthe, and that dresside thee in to the woundis of the heed of the prince of oure enemyes; 25 for to dai he hath magnefied so thi name, that thi preisyng go not awei fro the mouth of men, that schulen be myndeful of the vertu of the Lord with outen ende; for whiche thou sparidist not thi lijf for the angwischis and tribulaciouns of thi kyn, but helpidist the fallinge bifor the siyt of oure God. 26 And al the puple seide, `Be it! be it! 27 Forsothe Achior was clepid, and cam; and Judith seide to hym, Thilke God of Israel, to whom thou yauest witnessyng, that he auengith hym of hise enemyes, hath kit of the heed of alle vnbileueful men in this niyt bi myn hond. 28 And that thou preue that it is so, lo! the heed of Holofernes, which in the dispit of his pride dispiside God of Israel, and manaasside deth to thee, and seide, Whanne the puple of Israel is takun, Y schal comaunde thi sidis to be persid with a swerd. 29 Sotheli Achior siy the heed of Holofernes, and was angwischid for drede, and felde doun on his face on the erthe, and his soule suffride eneyntisyng. 30 Sotheli aftir that he hadde take ayen spirit, and was coumfortid, he felde doun at `hir feet, and worschipide hir, 31 and seide, Blessid art thou of thi God in al the tabernacle of Jacob; for in ech folk, that schal here thi name, God of Israel schal be magnyfied in thee.

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