Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 66

Jdt 7:8 Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau, and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said,

Jdt 7:9 Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army.

Jdt 7:10 For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains.

Jdt 7:11 Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of thy people perish.

Jdt 7:12 Remain in thy camp, and keep all the men of thine army, and let thy servants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issueth forth of the foot of the mountain:

Jdt 7:13 For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of the city.

Jdt 7:14 So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with fire, and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.

Jdt 7:15 Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably.

Jdt 7:16 And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken.

Jdt 7:17 So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the a.s.syrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the children of Israel.

Jdt 7:18 Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the a.s.syrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great mult.i.tude.

Jdt 7:19 Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their G.o.d, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compa.s.sed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them.

Jdt 7:20 Thus all the company of a.s.sur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and hors.e.m.e.n, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhibitants of Bethulia.

Jdt 7:21 And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure.

Jdt 7:22 Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the pa.s.sages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.

Jdt 7:23 Then all the people a.s.sembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,

Jdt 7:24 G.o.d be judge between us and you: for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the children of a.s.sur.

Jdt 7:25 For now we have no helper: but G.o.d hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction.

Jdt 7:26 Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army.

Jdt 7:27 For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst: for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.

Jdt 7:28 We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our G.o.d and Lord of our fathers, which punisheth us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that he do not according as we have said this day.

Jdt 7:29 Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the a.s.sembly; and they cried unto the Lord G.o.d with a loud voice.

Jdt 7:30 Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which s.p.a.ce the Lord our G.o.d may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly.

Jdt 7:31 And if these days pa.s.s, and there come no help unto us, I will do according to your word.

Jdt 7:32 And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children into their houses: and they were very low brought in the city.

Jdt 8:1 Now at that time Judith heard thereof, which was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozel, the son of Elcia, the son of Ananias, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Acitho, the son of Eliu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Samael, the son of Salasadal, the son of Israel.

Jdt 8:2 And Mana.s.ses was her husband, of her tribe and kindred, who died in the barley harvest.

Jdt 8:3 For as he stood overseeing them that bound sheaves in the field, the heat came upon his head, and he fell on his bed, and died in the city of Bethulia: and they buried him with his fathers in the field between Dothaim and Balamo.

Jdt 8:4 So Judith was a widow in her house three years and four months.

Jdt 8:5 And she made her a tent upon the top of her house, and put on sackcloth upon her loins and ware her widow's apparel.

Jdt 8:6 And she fasted all the days of her widowhood, save the eves of the sabbaths, and the sabbaths, and the eves of the new moons, and the new moons and the feasts and solemn days of the house of Israel.

Jdt 8:7 She was also of a goodly countenance, and very beautiful to behold: and her husband Mana.s.ses had left her gold, and silver, and menservants and maidservants, and cattle, and lands; and she remained upon them.

Jdt 8:8 And there was none that gave her an ill word; ar she feared G.o.d greatly.

Jdt 8:9 Now when she heard the evil words of the people against the governor, that they fainted for lack of water; for Judith had heard all the words that Ozias had spoken unto them, and that he had sworn to deliver the city unto the a.s.syrians after five days;

Jdt 8:10 Then she sent her waitingwoman, that had the government of all things that she had, to call Ozias and Chabris and Charmis, the ancients of the city.

Jdt 8:11 And they came unto her, and she said unto them, Hear me now, O ye governors of the inhabitants of Bethulia: for your words that ye have spoken before the people this day are not right, touching this oath which ye made and p.r.o.nounced between G.o.d and you, and have promised to deliver the city to our enemies, unless within these days the Lord turn to help you.

Jdt 8:12 And now who are ye that have tempted G.o.d this day, and stand instead of G.o.d among the children of men?

Jdt 8:13 And now try the Lord Almighty, but ye shall never know any thing.

Jdt 8:14 For ye cannot find the depth of the heart of man, neither can ye perceive the things that he thinketh: then how can ye search out G.o.d, that hath made all these things, and know his mind, or comprehend his purpose? Nay, my brethren, provoke not the Lord our G.o.d to anger.

Jdt 8:15 For if he will not help us within these five days, he hath power to defend us when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies.

Jdt 8:16 Do not bind the counsels of the Lord our G.o.d: for G.o.d is not as man, that he may be threatened; neither is he as the son of man, that he should be wavering.

Jdt 8:17 Therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it please him.

Jdt 8:18 For there arose none in our age, neither is there any now in these days neither tribe, nor family, nor people, nor city among us, which worship G.o.ds made with hands, as hath been aforetime.

Jdt 8:19 For the which cause our fathers were given to the sword, and for a spoil, and had a great fall before our enemies.

Jdt 8:20 But we know none other G.o.d, therefore we trust that he will not dispise us, nor any of our nation.

Jdt 8:21 For if we be taken so, all Judea shall lie waste, and our sanctuary shall be spoiled; and he will require the profanation thereof at our mouth.

Jdt 8:22 And the slaughter of our brethren, and the captivity of the country, and the desolation of our inheritance, will he turn upon our heads among the Gentiles, wheresoever we shall be in bondage; and we shall be an offence and a reproach to all them that possess us.

Jdt 8:23 For our servitude shall not be directed to favour: but the Lord our G.o.d shall turn it to dishonour.

Jdt 8:24 Now therefore, O brethren, let us shew an example to our brethren, because their hearts depend upon us, and the sanctuary, and the house, and the altar, rest upon us.

Jdt 8:25 Moreover let us give thanks to the Lord our G.o.d, which trieth us, even as he did our fathers.