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9
1 Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and uncovered the sackcloth wherewith she was clothed; and about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord Judith cried with a loud voice, and said, 2 O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom you gave a sword to take vengeance of the strangers, who loosened the girdle of a maid to defile her, and revealed the thigh to her shame, and polluted her virginity to her reproach; for you said, It shall not be so; and yet they did so: 3 Therefore you gave their rulers to be slain, so that they dyed their bed in blood, being deceived, and struck the servants with their lords, and the lords upon their thrones; 4 And have given their wives for a prey, and their daughters to be captives, and all their spoils to be divided amongst your dear children; which were moved with your zeal, and abhorred the pollution of their blood, and called upon you for aid: O God, O my God, hear me also a widow. 5 For you have wrought not only those things, but also the things which fell out before, and which ensued after; you have thought upon the things which are now, and which are to come. 6 Yes, what things you did determine were ready at hand, and said, Behold, we are here: for all your ways are prepared, and your judgements are in your foreknowledge. 7 For, behold, the Assyrians are multiplied in their power; they are exalted with horse and man; they glory in the strength of their footmen; they trust in shield, and spear, and bow, and sling; and know not that you are the Lord that break the battles: the Lord is your name. 8 Throw down their strength in your power, and bring down their force in your wrath: for they have purposed to defile your sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle where your glorious name rests and to cast down with sword the horn of your altar. 9 Behold their pride, and send your wrath upon their heads: give into my hand, which am a widow, the power that I have conceived. 10 Strike by the deceit of my lips the servant with the prince, and the prince with the servant: break down their stateliness by the hand of a woman. 11 For your power stands not in multitude nor your might in strong men: for you are a God of the afflicted, an helper of the oppressed, an upholder of the weak, a protector of the forlorn, a saviour of them that are without hope. 12 I pray you, I pray you, O God of my father, and God of the inheritance of Israel, Lord of the heavens and earth, Creator of the waters, king of every creature, hear you my prayer: 13 And make my speech and deceit to be their wound and stripe, who have purposed cruel things against your covenant, and your hallowed house, and against the top of Sion, and against the house of the possession of your children. 14 And make every nation and tribe to acknowledge that you are the God of all power and might, and that there is none other that protects the people of Israel but you.

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