Judith 10

Judith had finished crying out to the God of Israel, and she had come to the end of all these words.

1Now after that she had ceased to cry unto the God of Israel, and had made an end of all these words.

2Then she got up from the place where she had thrown herself down. She called her maid and went down into the house where she lived on the Sabbath days and on her feast days.

2She rose where she had fallen down, and called her maid, and went down into the house in the which she abode in the sabbath days, and in her feast days,

NoteEarlier in the book Judith had made a shelter on the flat roof of her house and lived in it from the time her husband died, fasting and wearing widow's clothing. "Went down into the house" means she came down off the roof into the house proper, which she had been doing only on the Sabbath and on festival days, when fasting and mourning were set aside.

3She pulled off the sackcloth she was wearing and took off the clothes she wore as a widow. She washed her whole body with water and rubbed herself with costly perfumed oil. She braided the hair of her head and put a headdress on it. Then she put on the fine clothes she used to wear for happy times, back when her husband Manasses was alive.

3And pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her body all over with water, and anointed herself with precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tire upon it, and put on her garments of gladness, wherewith she was clad during the life of Manasses her husband.

NoteSackcloth was coarse dark cloth woven from goat hair, worn next to the skin as a public sign of grief or distress. A widow also wore distinctive clothing that marked her status to everyone who saw her; Judith had worn hers for more than three years. Rubbing the skin and hair with olive oil blended with perfume was ordinary grooming, and people in mourning gave it up, so taking it up again was a visible signal that the mourning was over. Where the King James says she "put on a tire upon it," tire is an old word related to attire and means a headdress or turban; it has nothing to do with wheels.

4She put sandals on her feet. She put on her bracelets, her anklets, her rings, her earrings, and all the rest of her jewelry. She made herself as beautiful as she could, so as to catch the eye of every man who saw her.

4And she took sandals upon her feet, and put about her her bracelets, and her chains, and her rings, and her earrings, and all her ornaments, and decked herself bravely, to allure the eyes of all men that should see her.

NoteThe King James "decked herself bravely" uses brave in its 1611 sense of finely dressed, showy, splendid to look at, not courageous. Its "chains" are ankle chains, worn as anklets. The Greek behind "to allure the eyes" is stronger than mere attraction: it carries the sense of deceiving or entrapping the eye.

5Then she gave her maid a leather skin of wine and a small jar of oil. She filled a bag with roasted grain, cakes of pressed figs, and fine bread. She wrapped all these things up together and laid them on her maid.

5Then she gave her maid a bottle of wine, and a cruse of oil, and filled a bag with parched corn, and lumps of figs, and with fine bread; so she folded all these things together, and laid them upon her.

NoteWine was carried in a bag sewn from a whole animal skin, not in glass. A cruse is a small pottery jar. "Parched corn" is roasted grain, usually barley or wheat: corn in the King James means grain of any kind, never maize, which was unknown in Europe in 1611. Figs were pressed into solid cakes that kept for months. Judith brings her own food and her own dishes because she will be eating in a foreign camp, where the food and the vessels would not meet Jewish food laws.

6So the two of them went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia. Standing there they found Ozias and the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis.

6Thus they went forth to the gate of the city of Bethulia, and found standing there Ozias and the ancients of the city, Chabris and Charmis.

NoteBethulia is known only from this book. It is described as a town on a height commanding the mountain pass that leads up from the plain toward Jerusalem, which is why the whole Assyrian army is stopped in front of it. The King James "ancients" simply means elders: the senior men who governed the town. Ozias, Chabris and Charmis are the three named in chapter 6 as its magistrates.

7When the men saw that her face was different and her clothes were changed, they were amazed at how beautiful she was. They said to her:

7And when they saw her, that her countenance was altered, and her apparel was changed, they wondered at her beauty very greatly, and said unto her.

8"May God, the God of our fathers, look on you with favor, and may he bring the things you have set out to do to a finish, for the glory of the people of Israel and the lifting up of Jerusalem." Then they bowed down and worshiped God.

8The God, the God of our fathers give thee favour, and accomplish thine enterprizes to the glory of the children of Israel, and to the exaltation of Jerusalem. Then they worshipped God.

Note"The exaltation of Jerusalem" means raising Jerusalem back up in standing and honor among the nations, the opposite of being brought low or humiliated. The King James "enterprizes" means the things she has undertaken to do.

9She said to them, "Give the order for the gates of the city to be opened for me, so I can go out and do the things you and I have spoken about." So they ordered the young men to open the gate for her, just as she had said.

9And she said unto them, Command the gates of the city to be opened unto me, that I may go forth to accomplish the things whereof ye have spoken with me. So they commanded the young men to open unto her, as she had spoken.

10When they had done it, Judith went out, she and her maid with her. The men of the city watched her go until she had gone down the mountain and crossed the valley, and they could not see her any longer.

10And when they had done so, Judith went out, she, and her maid with her; and the men of the city looked after her, until she was gone down the mountain, and till she had passed the valley, and could see her no more.

11The two of them went straight ahead through the valley, and the first Assyrian watch met her.

11Thus they went straight forth in the valley: and the first watch of the Assyrians met her,

NoteA watch is a body of sentries on duty for one fixed shift, and the phrase here means the forward line of guards, the first ones a traveler coming up the valley would run into.

12They took hold of her and asked, "What people do you belong to? Where are you coming from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am a Hebrew woman, and I have run away from them, because they are about to be handed over to you to be destroyed.

12And took her, and asked her, Of what people art thou? and whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, I am a woman of the Hebrews, and am fled from them: for they shall be given you to be consumed:

13I am coming to Holofernes, the chief commander of your army, to tell him true words. I will show him a road he can take, so that he can win the whole hill country without losing the body or the life of even one of his men."

13And I am coming before Holofernes the chief captain of your army, to declare words of truth; and I will shew him a way, whereby he shall go, and win all the hill country, without losing the body or life of any one of his men.

Note"Chief captain" is the King James term for a commander in chief, the officer over the whole army. The hill country is the high, broken limestone ridge running down the middle of the land, narrow passes and steep approaches, which is exactly what has stalled the Assyrians; a road through it without a fight is what she is offering.

14When the men heard what she said and looked at her face, they were amazed at how beautiful she was. They said to her:

14Now when the men heard her words, and beheld her countenance, they wondered greatly at her beauty, and said unto her,

15"You have saved your own life by hurrying down to our master. Now come to his tent. Some of us will go with you as your guides until they have handed you over to him.

15Thou hast saved thy life, in that thou hast hasted to come down to the presence of our lord: now therefore come to his tent, and some of us shall conduct thee, until they have delivered thee to his hands.

Note"Our lord" here means their master and commanding officer, Holofernes. In the King James the word lord is used for any superior, human or divine, and the context decides which.

16When you are standing in front of him, do not be afraid in your heart. Just tell him what you have told us, and he will treat you well."

16And when thou standest before him, be not afraid in thine heart, but shew unto him according to thy word; and he will entreat thee well.

NoteIn 1611 English, to entreat someone meant to treat them, to deal with them in a certain way. "He will entreat thee well" means he will treat you well, not that he will beg you.

17Then they picked out a hundred men from among themselves to go along with her and her maid, and they brought her to the tent of Holofernes.

17Then they chose out of them an hundred men to accompany her and her maid; and they brought her to the tent of Holofernes.

18A crowd gathered from all over the camp, because word that she had come spread among the tents. They came and stood around her while she waited outside the tent of Holofernes, until they had told him about her.

18Then was there a concourse throughout all the camp: for her coming was noised among the tents, and they came about her, as she stood without the tent of Holofernes, till they told him of her.

NoteA concourse is a crowd running together from all directions. "Her coming was noised among the tents" means word of it was passed by mouth from tent to tent.

19They were amazed at her beauty, and because of her they were amazed at the people of Israel. Each man said to the man next to him, "Who would look down on a people that has women like this among them? It is not good to leave even one of their men alive, for if they were let go they would be able to fool the whole world."

19And they wondered at her beauty, and admired the children of Israel because of her, and every one said to his neighbour, Who would despise this people, that have among them such women? surely it is not good that one man of them be left who being let go might deceive the whole earth.

NoteThe Greek behind "deceive" means to outwit or get the better of. "The whole earth" means the whole inhabited world, all of humankind, not the planet as a piece of ground.

20Then the men who stayed close to Holofernes came out, along with all his servants, and they brought her into the tent.

20And they that lay near Holofernes went out, and all his servants and they brought her into the tent.

NoteThese are the men who slept in and around the commander's tent: his personal attendants and bodyguard, the closest ring of his household.

21Holofernes was lying on his bed under a canopy woven with purple and gold and emeralds and precious stones.

21Now Holofernes rested upon his bed under a canopy, which was woven with purple, and gold, and emeralds, and precious stones.

NoteThe Greek word here is konopion, a fine net hung on posts above a bed to keep insects out, from the word for mosquito; it is the source of the English word canopy. This one is a luxury version, woven through with purple thread, gold, and set with stones. It is mentioned in this much detail because it matters later in the story.

22They told him about her, and he came out to the front of his tent, with silver lamps carried ahead of him.

22So they shewed him of her; and he came out before his tent with silver lamps going before him.

NoteHaving attendants walk ahead of you carrying lamps, silver ones at that, was a mark of high rank at court. It also tells the reader it is night.

23When Judith came in front of him and his servants, they were all amazed at the beauty of her face. She threw herself face down on the ground and bowed low before him, and his servants raised her up.

23And when Judith was come before him and his servants they all marvelled at the beauty of her countenance; and she fell down upon her face, and did reverence unto him: and his servants took her up.

NoteFalling face down on the ground was the ordinary way of greeting a king or a great lord in this part of the world, an act of formal respect toward a superior. His servants lifting her up is the expected courtesy in reply.