Judith 12
1 Then he commanded to bring her in
where his plate was set; and bade that they should prepare for her of his own
meats, and that she should drink of his own wine.
2 And Judith said, I will not eat
thereof, lest there be an offence: but provision shall be made for me of the
things that I have brought. 3 Then
Holofernes said unto her, If thy provision should fail, how should we give
thee the like? for there be none with us of thy nation.
4 Then said Judith unto him, As thy
soul liveth, my lord, thine handmaid shall not spend those things that I have,
before the Lord work by mine hand the things that he hath determined.
5 Then the servants of Holofernes
brought her into the tent, and she slept till midnight, and she arose when it
was toward the morning watch, 6 and
sent to Holofernes, saying, Let my lord now command that thine handmaid may go
forth unto prayer.
7 Then Holofernes commanded his guard
that they should not stay her: thus she abode in the camp three days, and went
out in the night into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain
of water by the camp. 8 And when she
came out, she besought the Lord God of Israel to direct her way to the raising
up of the children of her people. 9 So
she came in clean, and remained in the tent, until she did eat her meat at
evening.
10 And in the fourth day Holofernes
made a feast to his own servants only, and called none of the officers to the
banquet. 11 Then said he to Bagoas
the eunuch, who had charge over all that he had, Go now, and persuade this
Hebrew woman which is with thee, that she come unto us, and eat and drink with
us. 12 For, lo, it will be a shame
for our person, if we shall let such a woman go, not having had her company;
for if we draw her not unto us, she will laugh us to scorn.
13 Then went Bagoas from the presence
of Holofernes, and came to her, and he said, Let not this fair damsel fear to
come to my lord, and to be honoured in his presence, and drink wine, and be
merry with us, and be made this day as one of the daughters of the Assyrians,
which serve in the house of Nabuchodonosor.
14 Then said Judith unto him, Who am
I now, that I should gainsay my lord? surely whatsoever pleaseth him I will do
speedily, and it shall be my joy unto the day of my death.
15 So she arose, and decked herself
with her apparel and all her woman's attire, and her maid went and laid soft
skins on the ground for her over against Holofernes, which she had received of
Bagoas for her daily use, that she might sit and eat upon them.
16 Now when Judith came in and sat
down, Holofernes his heart was ravished with her, and his mind was moved, and
he desired greatly her company: for he waited a time to deceive her, from the
day that he had seen her.
17 Then said Holofernes unto her,
Drink now, and be merry with us.
18 So Judith said, I will drink now,
my lord, because my life is magnified in me this day more than all the days
since I was born. 19 Then she took
and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared.
20 And Holofernes took great delight
in her, and drank much more wine than he had drunk at any time in one day
since he was born.