Holofernes

11As soon as morning came, they hung the head of Holofernes on the wall. Every man took his weapons. They went out in groups to the paths up the mountain.

And as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by bands unto the straits of the mountain.

12When the Assyrians saw them, they sent word to their leaders. Those leaders went to their captains and officers and to all their rulers.

But when the Assyrians saw them, they sent to their leaders, which came to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.

13So they came to the tent of Holofernes. They said to the man in charge of all his things, "Wake our master now. The slaves have dared to come down and fight us. Now they will be wiped out."

So they came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that had the charge of all his things, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.

NoteThe Assyrians called the town people "slaves." It was a mean name. They thought everyone should have to serve their king.

14Then Bagoas went in and knocked at the door of the tent. He thought Holofernes was in bed with Judith.

Then went in Bagoas, and knocked at the door of the tent; for he thought that he had slept with Judith.

NoteBagoas was the servant who looked after everything Holofernes owned. A tent had a cloth flap for a door.

15No one answered him. So he opened the door and went into the bedroom. He found Holofernes thrown down dead on the doorstep. His head had been taken away.

But because none answered, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the floor dead, and his head was taken from him.

16So he cried out with a loud voice. He wept and groaned and wailed. He tore his clothes.

Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and sighing, and a mighty cry, and rent his garments.

NoteLong ago people tore their clothes when something terrible happened. It showed everyone how sad and upset they were.

17Then he went into the tent where Judith had stayed. He did not find her. He rushed out to the people and shouted,

After he went into the tent where Judith lodged: and when he found her not, he leaped out to the people, and cried,

18"The slaves have tricked us! One woman of the Hebrews has shamed the house of king Nabuchodonosor. Look! Holofernes is lying on the ground with no head!"

These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground without a head.

NoteHebrews is another name for the people of Israel. Nabuchodonosor is how this book spells Nebuchadnezzar, the great king these soldiers served.

19The captains of the Assyrian army heard these words. They tore their coats, and their hearts were badly shaken. Crying and a very great noise filled the whole camp.

When the captains of the Assyrians’ army heard these words, they rent their coats and their minds were wonderfully troubled, and there was a cry and a very great noise throughout the camp.

1The men in the tents heard what had happened. They were shocked.

And when they that were in the tents heard, they were astonished at the thing that was done.

NoteThese men were the enemy soldiers in their camp. Their leader Holofernes had just been killed. Judith did it, and the news scared them.

2Fear and shaking came over them. No man dared to stay where his neighbor could see him. They all rushed out together. They ran away in every direction, out over the flat land and the hills.

And fear and trembling fell upon them, so that there was no man that durst abide in the sight of his neighbour, but rushing out all together, they fled into every way of the plain, and of the hill country.

NoteHere "neighbor" means the man standing next to him. They were too frightened to stay together at all.

3The men camped in the hills around Bethulia ran away too. Then every fighting man of Israel rushed out at them.

They also that had camped in the mountains round about Bethulia fled away. Then the children of Israel, every one that was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them.

NoteBethulia was a town of Israel up in the hills. The enemy army had camped around it to trap it.

4Ozias sent word to Betomasthem, and to Bebai, and Chobai, and Cola. He sent word to every part of Israel's land. His men told what had happened. They said everyone should rush out at their enemies and destroy them.

Then sent Ozias to Betomasthem, and to Bebai, and Chobai, and Cola and to all the coasts of Israel, such as should tell the things that were done, and that all should rush forth upon their enemies to destroy them.

NoteOzias was the leader of the town of Bethulia. Betomasthem, Bebai, Chobai, and Cola were other towns nearby.

5When the people of Israel heard, they all attacked together. They struck them down as far as Chobai. People from Jerusalem and from all the hill country came too. Men had told them what happened in the enemy camp. The men in Galaad and Galilee attacked their side and killed many. They chased them past Damascus and the land around it.

Now when the children of Israel heard it, they all fell upon them with one consent, and slew them unto Chobai: likewise also they that came from Jerusalem, and from all the hill country, (for men had told them what things were done in the camp of their enemies) and they that were in Galaad, and in Galilee, chased them with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and the borders thereof.

NoteGalaad and Galilee were parts of Israel far to the north. Damascus was a big city even farther north.

6The rest of the people who lived in Bethulia attacked the camp of Assur. They took everything in it. They became very rich.

And the residue that dwelt at Bethulia, fell upon the camp of Assur, and spoiled them, and were greatly enriched.

NoteAssur is another name for Assyria. That was the faraway country the army came from.

7The men of Israel came back from the fighting and took what was left. The villages and cities in the hills and on the flat land took much too. There was a very great amount.

And the children of Israel that returned from the slaughter had that which remained; and the villages and the cities, that were in the mountains and in the plain, gat many spoils: for the multitude was very great.

NoteLong ago, an army that won a battle kept what the losers left behind. Tents, food, animals, and gold all became theirs.

8Joacim the high priest, the leader of the priests, came from Jerusalem. The elders of Israel who lived there came with him. They came to see the good things God had shown Israel. They came to see Judith and greet her.

Then Joacim the high priest, and the ancients of the children of Israel that dwelt in Jerusalem, came to behold the good things that God had shewed to Israel, and to see Judith, and to salute her.

NoteThe high priest was the leader of all the priests. Priests were the men who served God at the temple. The elders were the older men who helped lead the people.

9When they came to her, they all blessed her together. They said, "You lift Jerusalem up high. You are the great glory of Israel. You are the great joy of our people."

And when they came unto her, they blessed her with one accord, and said unto her, Thou art the exaltation of Jerusalem, thou art the great glory of Israel, thou art the great rejoicing of our nation:

NoteTo lift a city up high means to bring it honor. They meant Judith made her whole city proud.

10"You did all this with your own hand. You have done good things for Israel. God is pleased with it. May the Almighty Lord bless you forever." And all the people said, "So be it!"

Thou hast done all these things by thine hand: thou hast done much good to Israel, and God is pleased therewith: blessed be thou of the Almighty Lord for evermore. And all the people said, So be it.

Note"So be it" is how people said "yes, we agree." Another word for it is "amen." "Almighty" means God is stronger than anything.

11The people took things from the camp for thirty days. They gave Judith the tent of Holofernes. They gave her his silver cups, his beds, his bowls, and all his things. She took it all and put it on her mule. She got her wagons ready and piled it on them.

And the people spoiled the camp the space of thirty days: and they gave unto Judith Holofernes his tent, and all his plate, and beds, and vessels, and all his stuff: and she took it and laid it on her mule; and made ready her carts, and laid them thereon.

NoteA mule is an animal a little like a horse. People used mules to carry heavy loads.

12All the women of Israel ran together to see her. They blessed her, and they made a dance for her. She took branches in her hand. She gave branches to the women with her.

Then all the women of Israel ran together to see her, and blessed her, and made a dance among them for her: and she took branches in her hand, and gave also to the women that were with her.

NotePeople waved leafy branches when they were happy. It was a way to celebrate, like waving flags.

13Then she and the women with her made olive wreaths and put them on. She went in front of all the people in the dance. She led all the women. All the men of Israel followed in their armor. They wore wreaths and sang songs.

And they put a garland of olive upon her and her maid that was with her, and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women: and all the men of Israel followed in their armour with garlands, and with songs in their mouths.