The Book of Judith

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- Chapter 16 -

The canticle of Judith: her virtuous life and death.

Then Judith sang this canticle to the Lord, saying:

“Call to the Lord with drums, sing to the Lord with cymbals, play for him a new psalm, exalt and invoke his name.

The Lord crushes wars; the Lord is his name.

He has set up his camp in the midst of his people, to rescue us from the hand of all our enemies.

Assur came from the mountains, from the North, with the multitude of his strength. His multitude blockaded the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.(a)

He told himself that he would set fire to my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, to give my children into plunder and my virgins into captivity.(b)

But the almighty Lord has harmed him, and he has delivered him into the hands of a woman, and he has pierced him through.(c)

For their powerful one did not fall by young men, nor did the sons of Titan strike him, nor did lofty giants set themselves against him, but Judith, the daughter of Merari, dissolved him with the splendor of her face.

For she put away from herself the garments of widowhood, and she clothed herself with the garments of rejoicing, for the sake of the exultation of the sons of Israel.

She anointed her face with ointment, and she gathered the locks of her hair with a headdress; she accepted a new dress in order to deceive him.

Her sandals ravished his eyes; her beauty made his soul her captive; with a blade, she cut off his head.

The Persians were horrified at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.

Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my humble ones appeared, parched with thirst.

The sons of the servant girls have pierced them through, and, like fleeing servants, they have killed them. They perished in battle before the face of the Lord, my God.

Let us sing a canticle to the Lord; let us sing a new hymn to our God.

O Adonai, O Lord, you are great, and splendor is in your virtue, and no one is able to overcome you.

Let all your creatures serve you. For you spoke, and they became. You sent forth your Spirit, and they were created. And there is no one who can withstand your voice.

The mountains will be moved from the foundations by the waters. The rocks, like wax, will liquefy before your face.

But those who fear you will be great with you, throughout all things.

Woe to the people that rises up against my people. For the Lord almighty will be vindicated against them; in the day of judgment, he will visit them.

For he will bestow fire and worms on their flesh, so that they may burn and have sensations without ceasing.”(d)

And it happened that, after these things, all the people came to Jerusalem after the victory, to adore the Lord. And as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.

Moreover, Judith offered all the implements of war from Holofernes, which the people gave to her, and the canopy that she had taken away from his chamber, as an anathema unto oblivion.(e)

But the people were cheerful before the face of the sanctuary, and for three months the gladness of this victory was celebrated with Judith.

And after those days, each one returned to his own house, and Judith became great in Bethulia, and she had great splendor in all the land of Israel.

For chastity was one with her virtue, so that she did not know man all the days of her life, after the passing away of her husband, Manasseh.

And then, on feast days, she came forth with great glory.

But she remained in her husband’s house for one hundred and five years, and she set her handmaid free. And she passed away and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.

And all the people mourned her, for seven days.

And, during all the time of her life, there was no one who disturbed Israel, nor for many years after her death.

Moreover, the day of the festivity of this victory was accepted by the Hebrews in the numbering of holy days, and it was religiously observed by the Jews, from that time, even to the present day.

Footnotes

(a)16:5 The name Assur refers to a false god of the Assyrians. As such, it is also used by Scripture to refer to the Antichrist, who will be a false god from the area of the world formerly held by the Assyrians. He will hide the fact that he is from the Middle East (the kingdom of the South) and he will become the king of the North (Europe). He comes to the kingdom of the South with a vast army and their vehicles (‘horses’) and he blockades the sources of water and the passages for travel.(Conte)

(b)16:6 Even thought the word ‘infantes’ is the source of the English word ‘infant,’ it has a broader meaning in Latin. It can refer to infants, but, in other contexts, it refers more generally to children.(Conte)

(c)16:7 This verse gives credit to Judith, as the one to whom the enemy was handed over by God. However, the one who ‘confodit eum’ (runs him through), is the same one who ‘tradidit’ (same ending, same sentence construction), i.e. the Lord. The Book of Judith is actually about the Virgin Mary. Christ the Lord defeats the Antichrist, but he does so by means of the Virgin Mary. It is actually the Lord who defeats him, or runs him through, but the Virgin Mary – devotion to her, prayers of her Rosary, etc., and her ultimate return with Christ at the end of the Antichrist’s reign – are the means by which he is defeated.(Conte)

(d)16:21 Here is a description of Hell, which clearly indicates that Hellfire includes physical torments of various kinds and that it is never-ending.(Conte)

(e)16:23 An anathema of oblivion:That is, a gift or offering made to God, by way of an everlasting monument, to prevent the oblivion or forgetting so great a benefit.(Challoner)

The canticle of Judith: her virtuous life and death.

And Judith began to sing this song of thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang with loud voices this song of praise.

Judith said, “Begin a song to my God with timbrels. Sing to my Lord with cymbals. Make melody to him with psalm and praise. Exalt him, and call upon his name.

For the Lord is the God that crushes battles. For in his armies in the midst of the people, he delivered me out of the hand of those who persecuted me.

Asshur came out of the mountains from the north. He came with ten thousands of his army. Its multitude stopped the torrents. Their horsemen covered the hills.

He said that he would burn up my borders, kill my young men with the sword, throw my nursing children to the ground, give my infants up as prey, and make my virgins a plunder.

“The Almighty Lord brought them to nothing by the hand of a woman.

For their mighty one didn’t fall by young men, neither did sons of the Titans strike him. Tall giants didn’t attack him, but Judith the daughter of Merari made him weak with the beauty of her countenance.

“For she put off the apparel of her widowhood for the exaltation of those who were distressed in Israel. She anointed her face with ointment, bound her hair in a tiara, and took a linen garment to deceive him.

Her sandal ravished his eye. Her beauty took his soul prisoner. The sword passed through his neck.

“The Persians quaked at her daring. The Medes were daunted at her boldness.

“Then my lowly ones shouted aloud. My oppressed people were terrified and trembled for fear. They lifted up their voices and the enemy fled.

The children of slave-girls pierced them through, and wounded them as fugitives’ children. They perished by the army of my Lord.

“I will sing to my God a new song: O Lord, you are great and glorious, marvelous in strength, invincible.

Let all your creation serve you; for you spoke, and they were made. You sent out your spirit, and it built them. There is no one who can resist your voice.

For the mountains will be moved from their foundations with the waters, and the rocks will melt as wax at your presence: But you are yet merciful to those who fear you.

For all sacrifice is little for a sweet savor, and all the fat is very little for a whole burnt offering to you; but he who fears the Lord is great continually.

“Woe to the nations who rise up against my race! The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgment and put fire and worms in their flesh; and they will weep and feel their pain forever.”

Now when they came to Jerusalem, they worshiped God. When the people were purified, they offered their whole burnt offerings, their free will offerings, and their gifts.

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

And the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for three months, and Judith remained with them.

After these days, everyone departed to his own inheritance. Judith went away to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was honorable in her time in all the land.

Many desired her, but no man knew her all the days of her life from the day that Manasses her husband died and was gathered to his people.

She increased in greatness exceedingly; and she grew old in her husband’s house, to one hundred five years. She let her maid go free. Then she died in Bethulia. They buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.

The house of Israel mourned for her seven days. She distributed her goods before she died to all those who were nearest of kin to Manasses her husband, and to those who were nearest of her own kindred.

There was no one who made the children of Israel afraid any more in the days of Judith, nor for a long time after her death.