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Judith 11
Then Holofernes said to her: Be of good comfort, and
fear not in thy heart: for I have never hurt a man that
was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor the king.
And if thy people had not despised me, I would never
have lifted up my spear against them.
But now tell me, for what cause hast thou left them,
and why it hath pleased thee to come to us?
And Judith said to him: Receive the words of thy handmaid,
for if thou wilt follow the words of thy handmaid, the
Lord will do with thee a perfect thing.
For as Nabuchodonosor the king of the earth liveth,
and his power liveth which is in thee for chastising
of all straying souls: not only men serve him through
thee, but also the beasts of the field obey him.
For the industry of thy mind is spoken of among all
nations, and it is told through the whole world, that
thou only art excellent, and mighty in all his kingdom,
and thy discipline is cried up in all provinces.
It is known also what Achior said, nor are we ignorant
of what thou hast commanded to be done to him.
For it is certain that our God is so offended with sins,
that he hath sent word by his prophets to the people,
that he will deliver them up for their sins.
And because the children of Israel know they have offended
their God, thy dread is upon them.
Moreover also a famine hath come upon them, and for
drought of water they are already to be counted among
the dead.
And they have a design even to kill their cattle, and
to drink the blood of them.
And the consecrated things of the Lord their God which
God forbade them to touch, in corn, wine, and oil, these
have they purposed to make use of, and they design to
consume the things which they ought not to touch with
their hands: therefore because they do these things,
it is certain they will be given up to destruction.
And I thy handmaid knowing this, am fled from them,
and the Lord hath sent me to tell thee these very things.
For I thy handmaid worship God even now that I am with
thee, and thy handmaid will go out, and I will pray
to God,
And he will tell me when he will repay them for their
sins, and I will come and tell thee, so that I may bring
thee through the midst of Jerusalem, and thou shalt
have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no
shepherd, and there shall not so much as one dog bark
against thee:
Because these things are told me by the providence of
God.
And because God is angry with them, I am sent to tell
these very things to thee.
And all these words pleased Holofernes, and his servants,
and they admired her wisdom, and they said one to another:
There is not such another woman upon earth in look,
in beauty, and in sense of words.
And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well who sent
thee before the people, that thou mightest give them
into our hands:
And because thy promise is good, if thy God shall do
this for me, he shall also be my God, and thou shalt
be great in the house of Nabuchodonosor, and thy name
shall be renowned through all the earth.
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