1 Then Holofernes said to her, Be thou comforted, and do not thou dread in thine heart, for I never annoyed man, that would serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Assyria.

2 And if thy people had not despised me, I had not raised mine hand or my power upon it.

3 But now say to me, for what cause wentest thou away from them, and why it pleased thee to come to us.

4 And Judith said, Take thou the words of thine handmaid; for, if thou pursuest [or followest] the words of thine handmaid, the Lord shall make [or shall do] a perfect thing with thee.

5 Forsooth Nebuchadnezzar, the king of [the] earth, liveth, and his virtue or his power liveth, which is in thee to the chastising of all souls or all lives erring; for not only by thee men shall serve him, but also beasts of the field shall obey to him by thee.

6 For the prudence of thy soul is told to all folks; and it is showed [or it is open] to all the world, that thou alone art good and mighty in all his realm; and thy teaching is preached in all provinces.

7 Neither this thing is hid, which Achior hath spoken, neither that thing is unknown, which thou commandedest to befall to him.

8 For it is known, that our God is so offended by sins, that he hath sent by his prophets to the people, that he would betake them to their enemies for their sins.

9 And for the sons of Israel know, that they have offended the Lord their God, the trembling of him [or his trembling] is upon them.

10 Furthermore also hunger hath assailed them, and for dryness [or the drought] of water they be reckoned [or counted] now among dead men.

11 And this thing they ordain, that they slay their beasts, and drink their blood;

12 and they have thought to give these holy things of their Lord to buy with, wheat, wine, and oil, which God commanded to be not touched, and they will waste the things, which they ought not to touch with hands; therefore for they do these things, it is certain that they shall be given into perdition.

13 Which thing I, thine handmaid, know, and therefore I fled from them, and the Lord hath sent me to tell these same things to thee.

14 For I, thine handmaid, worship God, also now with thee; and thine handmaid shall go forth, and I shall pray God;

15 and he shall say to me, when he shall yield to them their sin; and I shall come, and tell to thee, so that I bring thee through the midst [or by the middle] of Jerusalem, and thou shalt have all the people of Israel as sheep to which is no shepherd, and there shall not bark, or chide, either speak foul, against thee namely one;

16 for these things be said to me by the purveyance of God.

17 And for God is wroth to them, I am sent to tell to thee these same things.

18 Certainly all these words pleased before Holofernes, and before his servants; and they wondered [or marvelled] at the wisdom of her;

19 and one said to another [or the one said to the tother], There is not such a woman on earth in sight, in fairness, and in wit of words.

20 And Holofernes said to her, God did well, that sent thee before the people, that thou give or betake it into mine hands;

21 and for thy promise is good, if thy God doeth these things to me, he shall be also my God, and thou shalt be great in the house of Nebuchad-nezzar, and thy name shall be named in all earth.