CHAPTER 8
1 And it was done, when Judith, the widow, had heard these words, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Oziel, the son of Elkiah, the son of Ananias, the son of Gideon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Ahitub, the son of Elijah, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Salamiel, the son of Sarasadai, the son of Israel.
2 And her husband was Manasseh, that was dead in the days of (the) barley harvest;
3 for he stood busily over (the) men binding together reaps [or sheaves] in the field, and (the) heat came upon his head, and he was dead in Bethulia his city, and he was buried there with his fathers.
4 And Judith left of (or by) him, or living after him, was (a) widow then three years and six months.
5 And in the higher parts of her house she made to her (or for herself) a privy closet, in which she dwelled close with her damsels [or handwomen];
6 and she had an hair-shirt on her loins, and she fasted all the days of (her) life, except sabbaths, and the beginnings of months, or the first days of the moon [or new moons], and the feasts of the house of Israel.
7 And she was of full seemly beholding, to whom her husband had left many riches, and plenteous meine, (or household, or servants), and possessions full of [or with] droves of oxen, and of flocks of sheep.
8 And this Judith was most famous among all men; for she dreaded God greatly, neither any was that spake of her an evil word [or nor there was that should speak of her (an) evil word].
9 Therefore when this Judith had heard, that Uzziah had promised, that when the fifth day was passed, he would betake the city to Holofernes, she sent to (or for Uzziah, and for) the priests Chabris and Charmis.
10 And they came to her; and she said to them, What is this word, in which (thou) Uzziah hath consented to betake the city to (the) men of Assyria, if within five days help come not to us?
11 And who be ye that tempt the Lord?
12 This is no word that stirreth mercy; but rather it stirreth God’s wrath, and kindleth his madness (or his anger).
13 Have ye set a time of (or for) the mercy doing of the Lord, and in your will (or by your determining) have ye set a day to (or for) him? [Ye have set a time of mercy doing of the Lord, and in your doom ye have ordained a day to him.]
14 But for the Lord is patient, do we penance for this sin, and ask we with tears his forgiveness;
15 for God shall not menace so as man, neither as a son of man he shall be inflamed to wrathfulness [or wrath].
16 And therefore meek we our souls to him, and in a contrite spirit and made meek serve we to him;
17 and say we weeping to the Lord, that after his will so he do his mercy with us; and as our heart is troubled [or disturbed] in the pride of them, our enemies, so have we glory in our meekness.
18 For we have not pursued [or followed] the sins of our fathers, that forsook their God, and worshipped alien gods;
19 for which great trespass they were given to their enemies into sword, and into raven, and into confusion; but we know not another God besides him.
20 Therefore, we being meek, abide we his comfort, and he shall seek, or avenge, our blood of (or for) the torments [or the tormenting] of (or from) our enemies; and he shall make meek all folks [or all (the) Gentiles], whichever have risen against us; and the Lord God shall make them without honour.
21 And now, brethren, for ye be priests in (or of) the people of God, and the soul of them hangeth (on the words) of you, raise ye up their hearts to God at (or with) your speech, (so) that they be mindful (or remember), that our fathers were tempted, (so) that they should be proved, whether they worshipped God verily (or truly)[or if verily they praised their God].
22 They owe to be mindful (or ought to remember), how our father Abraham was tempted, or assayed, and how he was proved by many tribulations, and he was made the friend of God.
23 So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that pleased the Lord, passed forth faithful(ly) by (or after) many tribulations.
24 And they that received not (or could not take the) temptations with the dread of the Lord, and brought forth their unpatience, and the shame [or the reproof] of their grutching (or grumbling) against the Lord,
25 were destroyed of (or by) a destroyer, and they perished of (or by) serpents.
26 And therefore avenge we not us [or ourselves] for these things which we suffer;
27 but areckon we, that these same torments be less than our sins, and believe we, as servants of the Lord that be chastised, that the beatings, or the torments, [or the scourges] of the Lord be come to (or for)our amending, and not to (or for) our perdition.
28 And Uzziah and the priests said to Judith, All these things, that thou hast spoken, be sooth (or be true), and no reproving is in thy words.
29 Now therefore pray thou for us, for thou art an holy woman, and dreading God.
30 And Judith said to them, As ye know (or So that ye know), that this thing, that I might speak, is of (or from) God,
31 so prove ye, if this that I have purposed to do, is of (or from) God, and pray ye, that God make steadfast my counsel.
32 Ye shall stand at the gate this night, and I shall go out, or I shall go forth, with my free handmaid; and pray ye, that, as ye said, the Lord behold his people Israel these five days.
33 But I desire not, that ye inquire (into) my doing, and till I tell to you, none other thing be done, or be there done none other thing of (or by) you, no but prayer for me to our Lord God.
34 And Uzziah, the prince of Judah, said to her, Go thou in peace, and the Lord be with thee in the vengeance [or in the avenging] of our enemies. And they, Uzziah and the priests, turned, and went away.