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Judith 14
And Judith said to all the people: Hear me, my brethren,
hang ye up this head upon our walls.
And as soon as the sun shall rise, let every man take
his arms, and rush ye out, not as going down beneath,
but as making an assault.
Then the watchmen must needs run to awake their prince
for the battle.
And when the captains of them shall run to the tent
of Holofernes, and shall find him without his head wallowing
in his blood, fear shall fall upon them.
And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after
them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under
your feet.
Then Achior seeing the power that the God of Israel
had wrought, leaving the religion of the gentiles, he
believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin,
and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the
succession of his kindred until this present day.
And immediately at break of day, they hung up the head
of Holofernes upon the walls, and every man took his
arms, and they sent out with a great noise and shouting.
And the watchmen seeing this, ran to the tent of Holofernes.
And they that were in the tent came, and made a noise
before the door of the chamber to awake him, endeavoring
by art to break his rest, that Holofernes might awake,
not by their calling him, but by their noise.
For no man durst knock, or open and go into the chamber
of the general of the Assyrians.
But when his captains and tribunes were come, and all
the chiefs of the army of the king of the Assyrians,
they said to the chamberlains
Go in, and awake him, for the mice coming out of their
holes, have presumed to challenge us to fight.
Then Vagao going into his chamber, stood before the
curtain, and made a clapping with his hands: for he
thought that he was sleeping with Judith.
But when with hearkening, he perceived no motion of
one lying, he came near to the curtain, and lifting
it up, and seeing the body of Holofernes, lying upon
the ground, without the head, sweltering in his blood,
he cried out with a loud voice, with weeping, and rent
his garments.
And he went into the tent of Judith, and not finding
her, he ran out to the people,
And said: One Hebrew woman hath made confusion in the
house of king Nabuchodonosor: for behold Holofernes
lieth upon the ground, and his head is not upon him.
Now when the chiefs of the army of the Assyrians had
heard this, they all rent their garments, and an intolerable
fear and dread fell upon them, and their minds were
troubled exceedingly.
And there was a very great cry in the midst of their
camp.
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