The Book of Judith

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- Chapter 4 -

The children of Israel prepare themselves to resist Holofernes. They cry to the Lord for help.

Then, upon hearing these things, the sons of Israel, who dwelt in the land of Judah, were very afraid before his face.

Trembling and horror invaded their senses, lest he should do the same thing to Jerusalem and to the temple of the Lord that he had done to other cities and their temples.

And they sent into all of Samaria, and by an indirect route even to Jericho, and they seized in advance all the tops of the mountains.

And they surrounded their villages with walls, and they gathered together grain in preparation for the fight.

And then Eliachim the priest wrote to all who were opposite Esdrelon, which is opposite the face of the great plain near Dothain, and to all whom he would be able to reach through a passable way:

that they should hold the ascents of the mountains, through which there might be any passage able to reach Jerusalem, and that they should keep watch where the passage was narrow, wherever possible, between the mountains.

And the sons of Israel did just as Eliachim, the priest of the Lord, had appointed them.

And all the people cried out to the Lord with great urgency, and they humbled their souls with fastings, and prayers, both they and their wives.

And the priests clothed themselves with haircloths, and they prostrated the little children opposite the face of the temple of the Lord, and they covered the altar of the Lord with haircloth.

And they cried out to the Lord God of Israel with one accord, lest their children should be given over as prey, and their wives into distribution, and their cities into extermination, and their holy things into defilement, and so that they might not become the disgrace of the Gentiles.

Then Eliachim, the high priest of the Lord, traveled all around Israel, and he was talking to them,

saying: “Know that the Lord will heed your prayers, if you continue to persevere in fastings and prayers in the sight of the Lord.

Recall that Moses, the servant of the Lord, overcame Amalek, who trusted in his own strength, and in his power, and in his army, and in his bronze shields, and in his swift chariots, and in his horsemen. He overcame him, not by fighting with iron, but by pleading with holy prayers.

So will it be with all the enemies of Israel, if you persevere in this work that you have begun.”

Therefore, by this exhortation and his prayer to the Lord, they continued in the sight of the Lord,

so that even those who offered holocausts to the Lord, offered the sacrifices to the Lord girded with haircloths, and there were ashes upon their heads.

And they all begged God with their whole heart, that he would visit his people Israel.

The children of Israel prepare themselves to resist Holofernes. They cry to the Lord for help.

The children of Israel who lived in Judea heard all that Holofernes the chief captain of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians had done to the nations, and how he had plundered all their temples and destroyed them utterly.

They were exceedingly afraid at his approach, and were troubled for Jerusalem and for the temple of the Lord their God;

because they had newly come up from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were recently gathered together; and the vessels, the altar, and the house were sanctified after being profaned.

And they sent into every coast of Samaria, to Konae, to Beth-horon, Belmaim, Jericho, to Choba, Aesora, and to the valley of Salem;

and they occupied beforehand all the tops of the high mountains, fortified the villages that were in them, and stored supplies for the provision of war, for their fields were newly reaped.

Joakim the high priest, who was in those days at Jerusalem, wrote to those who lived in Bethulia and Betomesthaim, which is opposite Esdraelon toward the plain that is near to Dothaim,

charging them to seize upon the ascents of the hill country; because by them was the entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them from approaching, inasmuch as the approach was narrow, with space for two men at the most.

And the children of Israel did as Joakim the high priest had commanded them, as did the senate of all the people of Israel, which was in session at Jerusalem.

And every man of Israel cried to God with great earnestness, and with great earnestness they humbled their souls.

They, their wives, their children, their cattle, and every sojourner, hireling, and servant bought with their money put sackcloth on their loins.

Every man and woman of Israel, including the little children and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell prostrate before the temple, cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out their sackcloth before the Lord. They put sackcloth around the altar.

They cried to the God of Israel earnestly with one consent, that he would not give their children as prey, their wives as plunder, the cities of their inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to being profaned and being made a reproach, for the nations to rejoice at.

The Lord heard their voice, and looked at their affliction. The people continued fasting many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.

And Joakim the high priest, and all the priests who stood before the Lord, and those who ministered to the Lord, had their loins dressed in sackcloth and offered the continual burnt offering, the vows, and the free gifts of the people.

They had ashes on their turbans. They cried to the Lord with all their power, that he would look upon all the house of Israel for good.