Judith

1When evening came, his servants hurried away. Bagoas shut the tent from the outside. He sent away the ones who served his master. They all went to bed, tired, because the feast had been long.

Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence of his lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because the feast had been long.

NoteBagoas was the servant in charge of Holofernes' tent. He looked after his master's meals and guests.

2Judith was left alone in the tent. Holofernes lay alone on his bed. He was drunk with wine.

And Judith was left alone in the tent, and Holofernes lying alone upon his bed: for he was filled with wine.

NoteHolofernes was the general of the huge army camped outside Judith's town. Drunk means he had drunk so much wine that he could not think or move well.

3Judith had told her maid to stand outside the bedroom and wait for her to come out. The maid did this every day. Judith had said she was going out to pray. She told Bagoas the same thing.

Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and to wait for her. coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose.

NoteA maid is a servant. This maid went everywhere with Judith and helped her.

4So everyone went out. No one at all was left in the bedroom. Judith stood by his bed and said in her heart, "O Lord God of all power, look now at the work of my hands, to lift up Jerusalem."

So all went forth and none was left in the bedchamber, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of all power, look at this present upon the works of mine hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem.

Note"Said in her heart" means she prayed quietly, without speaking out loud. Jerusalem was the most important city of her people.

5"Now is the time to help your inheritance. Do the thing I have planned, to break the enemies who have risen up against us."

For now is the time to help thine inheritance, and to execute thine enterprizes to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.

Note"Your inheritance" means God's own people, Israel. An inheritance is something precious that belongs to a family.

6Then she came to the post of the bed by Holofernes' head. She took his sword down from there.

Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his fauchion from thence,

NoteThe King James calls the sword a "fauchion." That was a heavy sword with a curved blade.

7She came close to the bed. She took hold of the hair of his head. She said, "Make me strong, O Lord God of Israel, today."

And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.

8She struck his neck twice with all her strength. She cut his head off.

And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him.

9She pushed his body down off the bed. She pulled the canopy down from the posts. A little later she went out. She gave Holofernes' head to her maid.

And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid;

NoteA canopy is a cloth roof hung over a bed. Rich people slept under one.

10The maid put it in her bag of food. Then the two of them went out together to pray, the way they always did. They passed through the camp, went around the valley, and up the mountain of Bethulia. They came to its gates.

And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together according to their custom unto prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.

NoteJudith carried her own food from home. She would not eat food from the enemy camp. She and her maid had walked out to pray every night, so the guards were used to seeing them go.

11From far off Judith called to the watchmen at the gate. "Open, open the gate now! God is with us, our own God. He is still showing his power in Jerusalem, and his strength against the enemy, as he has done today."

Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open now the gate: God, even our God, is with us, to shew his power yet in Jerusalem, and his forces against the enemy, as he hath even done this day.

NoteWatchmen were men who stood guard. They watched from the wall for enemies coming.

12When the men of her city heard her voice, they hurried down to the gate. They called for the elders of the city.

Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city.

NoteThe elders were the older men who made decisions for the city.

13They all ran together, small and great. They could hardly believe she had come. So they opened the gate and let the two women in. They made a fire to give light and stood all around them.

And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strange unto them that she was come: so they opened the gate, and received them, and made a fire for a light, and stood round about them.

Note"Small and great" means everyone, children and grown-ups together. There were no lamps in the street, so they lit a fire to see.

14Then she said to them in a loud voice, "Praise God! Praise God! Praise God, I say! He has not taken his mercy away from the house of Israel. Tonight he destroyed our enemies by my hands."

Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise God, praise God, I say, for he hath not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but hath destroyed our enemies by mine hands this night.

Note"The house of Israel" means all the people of Israel, like one big family. Mercy means kindness, even when you do not have to give it.

15She took the head out of the bag and showed it. She said, "Look, the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur. And look at the canopy he lay under while he was drunk. The Lord struck him down by the hand of a woman."

So she took the head out of the bag, and shewed it, and said unto them, behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman.

NoteAssur is another name for Assyria, a strong country far away. Its army had come to attack Judith's town. The chief captain was the leader over the whole army.

16"As surely as the Lord lives, he kept me safe on the way I went. My face fooled him, and it ruined him. But he did not sin with me. He did not shame me or make me unclean."

As the Lord liveth, who hath kept me in my way that I went, my countenance hath deceived him to his destruction, and yet hath he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.

Note"As surely as the Lord lives" was a strong promise. It was like saying, "I really mean this." Unclean here does not mean dirty. It means not ready to come and worship God.

17All the people were greatly amazed. They bowed down and worshiped God. They said together, "Blessed are you, our God. Today you have brought the enemies of your people to nothing."

Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves and worshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be thou, O our God, which hast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people.

Note"Blessed are you" was a way of praising God and thanking him.

18Then Ozias said to her, "Daughter, the Most High God has blessed you above all the women on earth. And blessed be the Lord God, who made the heavens and the earth. He led you to cut off the head of the chief of our enemies."

Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which hath created the heavens and the earth, which hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies.

NoteOzias was one of the leaders of Judith's town. "Most High God" means the God who is above everything.

19"Your trust in God will not leave the hearts of people who remember God's power forever."

For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, which remember the power of God for ever.

NoteThis means people will keep remembering how much Judith trusted God.

20"May God turn all this into praise for you that never ends. May he come to you with good things. You did not hold back your own life when our nation was hurting. You stopped our downfall, and you walked a straight path before our God." And all the people said, "So be it! So be it!"

And God turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit thee in good things because thou hast not spared thy life for the affliction of our nation, but hast revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God. And all the people said; So be it, so be it.

Note"So be it" is what the word "amen" means. People said it to show they agreed with a prayer.

1Then Judith said to them, "Listen to me now, my brothers. Take this head. Hang it on the highest part of your wall."

Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the highest place of your walls.

NotePutting an enemy leader's head on the wall showed everyone that he was dead. "My brothers" here means the men of her town, not her own family.

2"As soon as morning comes and the sun rises, each man must take his weapons. Every brave man must go out of the city. Choose a captain, a leader, to go in front of them. March as if you will go down to the flat land, toward the Assyrian guards. But do not go down."

And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out of the city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into the field toward the watch of the Assyrians; but go not down.

NoteThe Assyrians were soldiers from a faraway land. They had come with a huge army to attack Judith's town.

3"Then the Assyrians will take up their armor. They will go into their camp. They will wake the leaders of the army of Assur. They will run to the tent of Holofernes. They will not find him. Then fear will fall on them. They will run away from you."

Then they shall take their armour, and shall go into their camp, and raise up the captains of the army of Assur, and shall run to the tent of Holofernes, but shall not find him: then fear shall fall upon them, and they shall flee before your face.

NoteArmor is hard clothing that soldiers wore so they would not get hurt. Assur is another name for Assyria, the land these soldiers came from.

4"Then you, and all who live along the borders of Israel, will chase them. You will strike them down as they go."

So ye, and all that inhabit the coast of Israel, shall pursue them, and overthrow them as they go.

5"But before you do these things, call Achior the Ammonite to me. Let him see and know the man who looked down on the people of Israel. That man sent Achior to us, as if sending him to his death."

But before ye do these things, call me Achior the Ammonite, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us as it were to his death.

NoteAn Ammonite was a person from Ammon, a land near Israel. Achior had told Holofernes that God would keep Israel safe. Holofernes was angry, so he sent Achior to this town to die with it.

6So they called Achior out of the house of Ozias. He came and saw the head of Holofernes in a man's hand. All the people were gathered there. He fell on his face, and he fainted.

Then they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; and when he was come, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of the people, he fell down on his face, and his spirit failed.

NoteOzias was the leader of the town.

7They helped him wake up again. Then he fell at Judith's feet and bowed low to her. He said, "You are blessed in every tent of Juda. In every nation, people who hear your name will be troubled."

But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith’s feet, and reverenced her, and said, Blessed art thou in all the tabernacles of Juda, and in all nations, which hearing thy name shall be astonished.

NoteLong ago many families lived in tents, so "every tent" means every home. Juda is another way of writing Judah, part of the land of Israel.

8"Now tell me everything you have done these days." So Judith told him, while all the people listened. She told all she had done, from the day she went out until that very hour.

Now therefore tell me all the things that thou hast done in these days. Then Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all that she had done, from the day that she went forth until that hour she spake unto them.

9When she stopped speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice. They made a happy noise in their city.

And when she had left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice, and made a joyful noise in their city.

10Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done. He believed in God very much. He was circumcised. He joined the house of Israel, and is part of it to this day.

And when Achior had seen all that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God greatly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined unto the house of Israel unto this day.

NoteCircumcised means a little piece of skin was cut from his body. It was a sign that a man belonged to God's people.

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.

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.

1Then Judith sang this thank-you song for all Israel. And all the people sang this song of praise with her.

Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise.

NoteIsrael is the name for God's people, all their families together. A thank-you song like this was sung out loud in a crowd. One person sang a line, and everyone sang it back.

2Judith said: Start a song for my God with drums. Sing to my Lord with cymbals. Make him a new song. Lift him high, and call on his name.

And Judith said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name.

NoteCymbals are round metal plates. You bang them together to make a loud clang. Drums and cymbals were the happy, noisy instruments for a party.

3For God is the one who breaks battles apart. In the camps, among the people, he saved me. He took me out of the hands of those who chased me.

For God breaketh the battles: for among the camps in the midst of the people he hath delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me.

4Asshur came out of the mountains from the north. He came with ten thousands of soldiers. There were so many that they stopped up the streams. Their horsemen covered the hills.

Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents, and their horsemen have covered the hills.

NoteAsshur is another name for Assyria, a strong country far to the north. "Ten thousands" was a way of saying a huge number, too many to count. Horsemen are soldiers who ride into a fight on horses.

5He said he would burn up my land. He would kill my young men with the sword. He would throw my nursing babies to the ground. He would carry off my little ones and my young women as prizes.

He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mine infants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil.

NoteWhen an army won, it carried people home to work as servants for the rest of their lives. The song calls them prizes because the soldiers counted them like things they had won.

6But the Lord who is over all brought them to nothing. He did it by the hand of a woman.

But the Almighty Lord hath disappointed them by the hand of a woman.

Note"By the hand of a woman" simply means a woman was the one who did it. Hands stood for doing something yourself.

7Their strong man did not fall to young men. The sons of the Titans did not strike him. Tall giants did not attack him. Judith, the daughter of Merari, made him weak with her lovely face.

For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance.

NoteTheir strong man is Holofernes, the leader of the enemy army. The Titans were huge, powerful beings in old stories people told. The song is saying no giant beat him; one woman did. Merari was Judith's father.

8She took off the clothes she wore as a widow. She did it to lift up the people of Israel who were being hurt. She put sweet oil on her face. She tied up her hair in a headband. She put on a linen dress to fool him.

For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment, and bound her hair in a tire, and took a linen garment to deceive him.

NoteA widow is a woman whose husband has died. Widows wore plain, dull clothes so everyone could see they were sad. Judith put those away and dressed up instead. People rubbed sweet-smelling oil on their skin, a bit like perfume today. Linen is a light, fine cloth made from a plant.

9Her sandal caught his eye. Her beauty took his mind prisoner. The sword went through his neck.

Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the fauchion passed through his neck.

NoteThe song is remembering the story in a few quick words. Holofernes stared at Judith, and later she cut off his head with his own sword while he slept.

10The Persians shook at how bold she was. The Medes lost heart at how brave she was.

The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness.

NoteThe Persians and the Medes were peoples who lived far to the east. They had big armies, so hearing that they shook means everyone was amazed.

11Then my hurting people shouted for joy. My weak ones cried out loud. The enemy was filled with fear. My people lifted their voices, and the enemy ran away.

Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.

12The sons of servant girls stabbed them through. They wounded them like the children of runaways. They died before the army of my Lord.

The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugatives’ children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.

Note"The sons of servant girls" means the men of Israel, who looked small and unimportant next to a huge army. Runaways are people running away from a fight. Fighters chasing them can strike them from behind, so it means the enemy was easy to beat.

13I will sing a new song to my God. O Lord, you are great and full of glory. Your strength is amazing. No one can beat you.

I will sing unto the Lord a new song: O Lord, thou art great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.

14Let everything you made serve you. You spoke, and they were made. You sent out your spirit, and it made them. No one can stand against your voice.

Let all creatures serve thee: for thou spakest, and they were made, thou didst send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist thy voice.

NoteSpirit here means God's breath, the power that goes out from him. People pictured God speaking, and the words themselves making things.

15The mountains will be shaken loose from their roots by the waters. The rocks will melt like wax when you come near. Yet you are kind to those who fear you.

For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: yet thou art merciful to them that fear thee.

NoteTo fear God here does not mean being scared of him. It means loving him so much that you treat him as the most important of all.

16Every gift burned for you is too small to make a sweet smell. All the fat is not enough for a burnt offering to you. But the one who fears the Lord is great at all times.

For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee, and all the fat is not sufficient for thy burnt offering: but he that feareth the Lord is great at all times.

NoteA burnt offering was a gift given to God. People burned an animal on an altar, a special stone table. The smoke floated up, and they called that smell a gift God liked. The fat was the richest part, so it was the best part to give.

17Trouble is coming to the nations that rise up against my people! The Lord who is over all will pay them back on the day he judges. He will put fire and worms in their flesh. They will feel it and cry forever.

Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever.

Note"The day he judges" means a day when God says who did right and who did wrong. Flesh is another word for a person's body.

18As soon as they came into Jerusalem, they worshiped the Lord. As soon as the people were made clean, they brought their burnt offerings. They also brought their free gifts and their other gifts.

Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts.

NoteBefore going near God's house, people washed and did special things to get ready. That is what being made clean means. Free gifts were presents people brought because they wanted to, not because they had to.

19Judith gave to God everything that had belonged to Holofernes. The people had given all of it to her. She also gave the canopy she had taken from his bedroom as a gift to the Lord.

Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedchamber, for a gift unto the Lord.

NoteA canopy is a cloth roof hung above a bed. Holofernes had a fancy one. Giving something to the Lord meant handing it over to God's house to keep.

20So the people kept on feasting in Jerusalem in front of the holy place. They did this for three months, and Judith stayed with them.

So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months and Judith remained with them.

NoteThe holy place is the temple in Jerusalem, the special house built for God. Feasting means eating big meals together for days to celebrate.

21After that, everyone went back to his own land. Judith went to Bethulia and stayed on her own land. In her lifetime the whole country honored her.

After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honourable in all the country.

NoteEach family had land passed down from parents and grandparents. That land was called their inheritance, and they always came back to it. Bethulia was Judith's own town.

22Many men wanted her, but no man ever knew her. That was true all her life after her husband Manasses died and was buried with his people.

And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.

Note"No man ever knew her" is an old, gentle way of saying she never married again. Being buried with his people means being laid in the same family grave as those who died before him.

23She was honored more and more. She grew old in her husband's house and lived to be a hundred and five. She set her servant woman free. Then she died in Bethulia. They buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.

But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in her husband’s house, being an hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.

NoteJudith's servant woman was not free to leave and work for herself. Judith set her free, so from then on the woman belonged to no one but herself.

24The people of Israel cried for her for seven days. Before she died, she gave her things away. She gave them to the closest family of her husband Manasses, and to her own closest family.

And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

NoteWhen someone died, families and friends cried out loud together for seven days. That was how they showed their love. Judith had no children, so she shared her things with the family closest to her.

25No one made the people of Israel afraid any more while Judith lived. And no one did for a long time after she died.

And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.