9
1 Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and uncovered the sackcloth wherewith she was
clothed; and about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of
the Lord Judith cried with a loud voice, and said,
2 O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gavest a sword to take vengeance of the strangers, who loosened
the girdle of a maid to defile her, and discovered the thigh to her shame, and polluted her virginity
to her reproach; for thou saidst, It shall not be so; and yet they did so:
3 Wherefore thou gavest their rulers to be slain, so that they dyed their bed in blood, being deceived,
and smotest the servants with their lords, and the lords upon their thrones;
4 And hast given their wives for a prey, and their daughters to be captives, and all their spoils to be
divided among thy dear children; which were moved with thy zeal, and abhorred the pollution of their
blood, and called upon thee for aid: O God, O my God, hear me also a widow.
5 For thou hast wrought not only those things, but also the things which fell out before, and which ensued
after; thou hast thought upon the things which are now, and which are to come.
6 Yea, what things thou didst determine were ready at hand, and said, Lo, we are here: for all thy ways
are prepared, and thy judgments are in thy foreknowledge.
7 For, behold, the Assyrians are multiplied in their power; they are exalted with horse and man; they glory
in the strength of their footmen; they trust in shield, and spear, and bow, and sling; and know not that
thou art the Lord that breakest the battles: the Lord is thy name.
8 Throw down their strength in thy power, and bring down their force in thy wrath: for they have purposed
to defile thy sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle where thy glorious name resteth and to cast down
with sword the horn of thy altar.
9 Behold their pride, and send thy wrath upon their heads: give into mine hand, which am a widow, the power
that I have conceived.
10 Smite by the deceit of my lips the servant with the prince, and the prince with the servant: break down
their stateliness by the hand of a woman.
11 For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men: for thou art a God of the afflicted,
an helper of the oppressed, an upholder of the weak, a protector of the forlorn, a saviour of them that
are without hope.
12 I pray thee, I pray thee, O God of my father, and God of the inheritance of Israel, Lord of the heavens
and earth, Creator of the waters, king of every creature, hear thou my prayer: