Judith 11

Then Holofernes said to her, "Woman, take heart. Do not be afraid inside. I have never hurt anyone who was willing to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of all the earth.

1Then said Holofernes unto her, Woman, be of good comfort, fear not in thine heart: for I never hurt any that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor, the king of all the earth.

NoteThroughout the book Nebuchadnezzar is presented as ruling the Assyrians from Nineveh, which does not match what is known of the historical Babylonian king of that name; the story uses him as a type of the world conqueror. The title "king of all the earth," repeated by his officers, is the kind of language normally used of a god, and Holofernes' men use it deliberately.

2Now then: if your people who live in the hill country had not treated me as nothing, I would not have raised my spear against them. They have brought this on themselves.

2Now therefore, if thy people that dwelleth in the mountains had not set light by me, I would not have lifted up my spear against them: but they have done these things to themselves.

NoteThe King James "set light by me" is an old idiom meaning to make light of someone, to treat him as of no account. The same idiom returns in verse 22 as "lightly regard."

3But now tell me why you ran away from them and came to us. You have come to be safe. Take heart. You will live tonight, and after tonight too.

3But now tell me wherefore thou art fled from them, and art come unto us: for thou art come for safeguard; be of good comfort, thou shalt live this night, and hereafter:

4No one will harm you. They will all treat you well, the way the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar my master are treated."

4For none shall hurt thee, but entreat thee well, as they do the servants of king Nabuchodonosor my lord.

5Then Judith said to him, "Accept the words of your servant, and allow me, your servant, to speak in front of you. I will tell my lord no lie tonight.

5Then Judith said unto him, Receive the words of thy servant, and suffer thine handmaid to speak in thy presence, and I will declare no lie to my lord this night.

Note"Handmaid" and "servant" are the ordinary self-lowering words a petitioner used when addressing a ruler; they do not mean Judith is offering herself as a household slave. Note also that from here on her speech is built so that almost every sentence can be heard two ways: Holofernes takes "my lord" to mean himself, while the words are equally true if "my lord" means her God. The Greek preserves the ambiguity rather than settling it, and so does the rendering.

6And if you will follow the words of your servant, God will bring the matter to a perfect finish through you, and my lord will not fail to get what he intends.

6And if thou wilt follow the words of thine handmaid, God will bring the thing perfectly to pass by thee; and my lord shall not fail of his purposes.

7As surely as Nebuchadnezzar king of all the earth lives, and as his power lives: he who sent you to keep every living thing safe, not only will people serve him through you, but the wild animals, the cattle, and the birds of the sky will live by your strength, under Nebuchadnezzar and his whole household.

7As Nabuchodonosor king of all the earth liveth, and as his power liveth, who hath sent thee for the upholding of every living thing: for not only men shall serve him by thee, but also the beasts of the field, and the cattle, and the fowls of the air, shall live by thy power under Nabuchodonosor and all his house.

Note"As Nabuchodonosor ... liveth" is the standard form of a solemn oath, which in Hebrew usage normally swore by the life of God ("as the LORD liveth"). Swearing by the life of the king, and by his "power" as if it were a second divine name, is exactly what a subject of Nebuchadnezzar would expect to hear. "All his house" means his dynasty and royal household.

8For we have heard about your wisdom and your clever plans. It is reported all over the earth that you alone are outstanding in the whole kingdom, mighty in knowledge, and remarkable in acts of war.

8For we have heard of thy wisdom and thy policies, and it is reported in all the earth, that thou only art excellent in all the kingdom, and mighty in knowledge, and wonderful in feats of war.

Note"Policies" in 1611 English means cunning, shrewd stratagems, the craft of a clever schemer. It has nothing to do with policy in the modern sense of official positions or rules.

9Now about the matter that Achior spoke of in your council: we have heard his words. The men of Bethulia spared him, and he told them everything he had said to you.

9Now as concerning the matter, which Achior did speak in thy council, we have heard his words; for the men of Bethulia saved him, and he declared unto them all that he had spoken unto thee.

NoteAchior is the Ammonite commander who warned Holofernes in council that Israel could not be beaten unless the people first sinned against their God. Holofernes had him tied up and left outside Bethulia to share the town's fate, and the townspeople took him in. Bethulia is the hill town blocking the pass into the Judean highlands; it is not known from any other source.

10So, my lord and ruler, do not brush his word aside. Store it up in your heart, because it is true. Our nation will not be punished, and no sword can win against them, unless they sin against their God.

10Therefore, O lord and governor, respect not his word; but lay it up in thine heart, for it is true: for our nation shall not be punished, neither can sword prevail against them, except they sin against their God.

NoteThe King James "respect not his word" reads to a modern ear as "pay no attention to it," which contradicts the rest of the sentence. The Greek means "do not set his word aside," and the clause that follows, "but lay it up in thine heart, for it is true," shows that is the sense intended.

11And now, so that my lord will not be beaten and cheated of his aim, death has now fallen on them, and their sin has caught up with them, the sin by which they will make their God angry whenever they do what ought not to be done.

11And now, that my lord be not defeated and frustrate of his purpose, even death is now fallen upon them, and their sin hath overtaken them, wherewith they will provoke their God to anger whensoever they shall do that which is not fit to be done:

Note"Frustrate" here is an old past form used as an adjective, meaning thwarted or balked. The Greek of this verse is awkward and the ancient manuscripts differ over whether death has already fallen on the town or Judith is praying that it will; translations divide on the point.

12Their food has run out, and all their water is nearly gone. They have decided to lay hands on their cattle, and have made up their minds to eat all the things that God has forbidden them to eat in his laws.

12For their victuals fail them, and all their water is scant, and they have determined to lay hands upon their cattle, and purposed to consume all those things, that God hath forbidden them to eat by his laws:

NoteThe siege has forced a choice that would break the food laws. Animals killed in a panic are not drained of blood as the law required, and the flocks include beasts the law does not allow at all; eating them would be the "sin" Achior said was the only thing that could expose Israel.

13They have also decided to use up the first part of the grain harvest and the tenth part of the wine and oil, which they had set apart and kept back for the priests who serve in Jerusalem before our God. Not one of the people is allowed even to touch those things with his hands.

13And are resolved to spend the firstfruits of the tenths of wine and oil, which they had sanctified, and reserved for the priests that serve in Jerusalem before the face of our God; the which things it is not lawful for any of the people so much as to touch with their hands.

NoteThe first part of each harvest, and a tenth of the wine and oil, were set aside as holy and sent to the priests at the Jerusalem temple as their income. Once set apart, such produce belonged to the sanctuary; ordinary people could not eat it or even handle it. Judith is claiming the starving town means to consume the priests' portion, a deliberate act of sacrilege.

14They have sent people to Jerusalem to bring them permission from the council of elders, because those who live there have been doing the same thing.

14For they have sent some to Jerusalem, because they also that dwell there have done the like, to bring them a licence from the senate.

NoteThe King James "senate" translates a Greek word for the council of elders, the standing body of leading men at Jerusalem. "Licence" here means a formal grant of permission, a ruling that in this emergency the sacred portion may be eaten.

15Now when word is brought back to them, they will do it at once, and on that same day they will be handed over to you to be destroyed.

15Now when they shall bring them word, they will forthwith do it, and they shall be given to thee to be destroyed the same day.

16So I, your servant, knowing all this, have run away from them. God has sent me to do things with you that will astonish the whole earth, and everyone who hears of them.

16Wherefore I thine handmaid, knowing all this, am fled from their presence; and God hath sent me to work things with thee, whereat all the earth shall be astonished, and whosoever shall hear it.

17For your servant is devout, and serves the God of heaven day and night. So now, my lord, I will stay with you, and your servant will go out at night into the valley. I will pray to God, and he will tell me when they have committed their sins.

17For thy servant is religious, and serveth the God of heaven day and night: now therefore, my lord, I will remain with thee, and thy servant will go out by night into the valley, and I will pray unto God, and he will tell me when they have committed their sins:

Note"Religious" in 1611 English means devout and careful in religious duty, a personal quality, not simply belonging to a religion. The nightly trip out to the valley to pray is the practical point of the whole speech: it gives Judith a standing excuse to walk out through the Assyrian camp after dark.

18Then I will come and tell you. Then you can march out with your whole army, and not one of them will stand up to you.

18And I will come and shew it unto thee: then thou shalt go forth with all thine army, and there shall be none of them that shall resist thee.

19And I will lead you right through Judea, until you come to Jerusalem. I will set your throne in the middle of it. You will drive them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not even a dog will open its mouth at you. All this was told to me beforehand, and it was made known to me, and I was sent to tell you."

19And I will lead thee through the midst of Judea, until thou come before Jerusalem; and I will set thy throne in the midst thereof; and thou shalt drive them as sheep that have no shepherd, and a dog shall not so much as open his mouth at thee: for these things were told me according to my foreknowledge, and they were declared unto me, and I am sent to tell thee.

Note"Sheep that have no shepherd" was a stock image for a people whose leaders have been killed or have fled. "A dog shall not so much as open his mouth at thee" is likewise proverbial for complete, unresisting quiet; the same expression is used in Exodus of the night Israel left Egypt. "Foreknowledge" here means knowledge given her in advance, not a claim about her own powers.

20Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants. They were amazed at her wisdom, and said,

20Then her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; and they marvelled at her wisdom, and said,

21"There is no woman like this from one end of the earth to the other, for a beautiful face and for wise words."

21There is not such a woman from one end of the earth to the other, both for beauty of face, and wisdom of words.

22Holofernes also said to her, "God has done well to send you ahead of your people, so that strength would be in our hands and ruin would fall on those who treated my lord as nothing.

22Likewise Holofernes said unto her. God hath done well to send thee before the people, that strength might be in our hands and destruction upon them that lightly regard my lord.

Note"Lightly regard" is the same idiom as "set light by" in verse 2: to treat someone as beneath notice.

23And now you are beautiful to look at, and wise in what you say. If you really do as you have said, your God will be my God, and you will live in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, and you will be famous through the whole earth."

23And now thou art both beautiful in thy countenance, and witty in thy words: surely if thou do as thou hast spoken thy God shall be my God, and thou shalt dwell in the house of king Nabuchodonosor, and shalt be renowned through the whole earth.

Note"Witty" in 1611 English means quick-minded, clever, shrewd; it does not mean amusing. The words "thy God shall be my God" are the same pledge Ruth made to Naomi, and an ancient reader would have caught the echo; in Holofernes' mouth it is a courtier's flourish conditional on Judith's information proving good.