The Book of Judith

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

Judith’s prayer, to beg of God to fortify her in her undertaking.

And when they were gone, Judith entered her place of prayer. And clothing herself with haircloth, she placed ashes on her head. And prostrating herself to the Lord, she cried out to the Lord, saying:

“O Lord, God of my father Simeon, you gave him a sword to defend against foreigners, who stood out as violators by their defilement, and who uncovered the thigh of the virgin unto shame.(a)

And you gave their wives into plunder, and their daughters into captivity, and all their spoils to be divided to the servants, who were zealous with your zeal. Bring help, I ask you, O Lord my God, to me, a widow.

For you have acted in the past, and you have decided one thing after another. And what you have willed, this too has happened.

For all your ways have been prepared, and you have placed your judgments within your providence.

Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, just as you deigned to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when their weapons rushed after your servants, trusting in their four-horse chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors.

But you gazed upon their camp, and darkness wearied them.

The abyss took hold of their feet, and the waters covered them.

So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their swift chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and the glory in their lances.

And they do not know that you are our God, who crushes wars from the beginning, and the Lord is your name.

Raise up your arm, just as from the beginning, and throw down their power by your power. Let their power fall, in their anger, for they promise themselves to violate your sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle of your name, and to cut down by their sword the horn of your altar.

Act, O Lord, so that his arrogance may be cut off with his own sword.

Let him be seized by the snare of his own eyes in my regard, and may you strike him by the attraction of my lips.(b)

Give me constancy in my soul, so that I may hold him in contempt, and give me virtue, so that I may overthrow him.

For this will be a memorial to your name, when he will be overthrown by the hand of a woman.

For your power, O Lord, is not in numbers, nor is your will with the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the arrogant been pleasing to you. But the pleas of the humble and the meek have always pleased you.

O God of the heavens, Creator of the waters, and Lord of all creation, heed me, a miserable thing, pleading you and depending on your mercy.

Remember, O Lord, your covenant, and put your words in my mouth, and reinforce the plan in my heart, so that your house may continue with your sanctification,

and so that all the nations may acknowledge that you are God, and there is no other beside you.”

Footnotes

(a)9:2 Gavest him a sword, etc:The justice of God is here praised, in punishing by the sword of Simeon the crime of the Sichemites: and not the act of Simeon, which was justly condemned by his father, Gen. 49:5. Though even with regard to this act, we may distinguish between his zeal against the crime committed by the ravishers of his sister, which zeal may be considered just: and the manner of his punishing that crime, which was irregular and excessive.(Challoner)

(b)9:13 This last phrase is unusual. It literally says ‘from my lips of love (or affection).’ The meaning is that her lips are attractive, both in appearance and by charming words. She intends to trip him up by his attraction for her.(Conte)

Judith’s prayer, to beg of God to fortify her in her undertaking.

But Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and uncovered the sackcloth with which she was clothed. The incense of that evening was now being offered at Jerusalem in the house of God, and Judith cried to the Lord with a loud voice, and said,

“O Lord God of my father Simeon, into whose hand you gave a sword to take vengeance on the strangers who loosened the belt of a virgin to defile her, uncovered her thigh to her shame, and profaned her womb to her reproach; for you said, ‘It shall not be so;’ and they did so.

Therefore you gave their rulers to be slain, and their bed, which was ashamed for her who was deceived,(a) to be dyed in blood, and struck the servants with their masters, and the masters upon their thrones;

and gave their wives for a prey, and their daughters to be captives, and all their spoils to be divided among your dear children; which were moved with zeal for you, and abhorred the pollution of their blood, and called upon you for aid. O God, O my God, hear me also who am a widow.

For you did the things that were before those things, and those things, and such as come after; and you planned the things which are now, and the things which are to come. The things which you planned came to pass.

Yes, the things which you determined stood before you, and said, ‘Behold, we are here; for all your ways are prepared, and your judgment is with foreknowledge.’

For, behold, the Assyrians are multiplied in their power. They are exalted with horse and rider. They were proud of the strength of their footmen. They have trusted in shield, spear, bow, and sling. They don’t know that you are the Lord who breaks the battles. ‘The Lord’ is your name.

Break their strength in your power, and bring down their force in your wrath; for they intend to profane your sanctuary, and to defile the tabernacle where your glorious name rests, and to destroy the horn of your altar with the sword.

Look at their pride, and send your wrath upon their heads. Give into my hand, which am a widow, the might that I have conceived.

Strike by the deceit of my lips the servant with the prince, and the prince with his servant. Break down their arrogance by the hand of a woman.

For your power stands not in numbers, nor your might in strong men, but you are a God of the afflicted. You are a helper of the oppressed, a helper of the weak, a protector of the forsaken, a savior of those who are without hope.

Please, please, God of my father, and God of the inheritance of Israel, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, Creator of the waters, King of all your creation, hear my prayer.

Make my speech and deceit to be their wound and bruise, who intend hard things against your covenant, your holy house, the top of Zion, and the house of the possession of your children.

Make every nation and tribe of yours to know that you are God, the God of all power and might, and that there is no other who protects the race of Israel but you.”

Footnotes

(a)9:3 Some authorities read which was ashamed for their deceit that they practiced.