Judith cutteth off the head of Holofernes, and returneth to Bethulia.

 1 And when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings, and Vagao shut the chamber doors, and went his way.
Ut autem sero factum est, festinaverunt servi illius ad hospitia sua, et conclusit Vagao ostia cubiculi, et abiit.

 2 And they were all overcharged with wine.
Erant autem omnes fatigati a vino,

 3 And Judith was alone in the chamber.
eratque Judith sola in cubiculo.

 4 But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.
Porro Holofernes jacebat in lecto, nimia ebrietate sopitus.

 5 And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before the chamber, and to watch:
Dixitque Judith puellae suae ut staret foris ante cubiculum, et observaret.

 6 And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears, and the motion of her lips in silence,
Stetitque Judith ante lectum, orans cum lacrimis, et labiorum motu in silentio,

 7 Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.
dicens : Confirma me, Domine Deus Israel, et respice in hac hora ad opera manuum mearum, ut, sicut promisisti, Jerusalem civitatem tuam erigas : et hoc quod credens per te posse fieri cogitavit, perficiam.

 8 And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.
Et cum haec dixisset, accessit ad columnam, quae erat ad caput lectuli ejus, et pugionem ejus, qui in ea ligatus pendebat, exsolvit.

 9 And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour.
Cumque evaginasset illum, apprehendit comam capitis ejus, et ait : Confirma me, Domine Deus, in hac hora.

 10 And she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body.
Et percussit bis in cervicem ejus, et abscidit caput ejus, et abstulit conopeum ejus a columnis, et evolvit corpus ejus truncum.

 11 And after a while she went out, and delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.
Et post pusillum exivit, et tradidit caput Holofernis ancillae suae, et jussit ut mitteret illud in peram suam.

 12 And they two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer, and they passed the camp, and having compassed the valley, they came to the gate of the city.
Et exierunt duae, secundum consuetudinem suam, quasi ad orationem, et transierunt castra, et gyrantes vallem, venerunt ad portam civitatis.

 13 And Judith from afar off cried to the watchmen upon the walls: Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shewn his power in Israel.
Et dixit Judith a longe custodibus murorum : Aperite portas, quoniam nobiscum est Deus, qui fecit virtutem in Israel.

 14 And it came to pass, when the men had heard her voice, that they called the ancients of the city.
Et factum est, cum audissent viri vocem ejus, vocaverunt presbyteros civitatis.

 15 And all ran to meet her from the least to the greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come.
Et concurrerunt ad eam omnes, a minimo usque ad maximum : quoniam sperabant eam jam non esse venturam.

 16 And lighting up lights they all gathered round about her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace,
Et accendentes luminaria, congyraverunt circa eam universi : illa autem ascendens in eminentiorem locum, jussit fieri silentium. Cumque omnes tacuissent,

 17 Judith said: Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him.
dixit Judith : Laudate Dominum Deum nostrum, qui non deseruit sperantes in se :

 18 And by me his handmaid he hath fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel: and he hath killed the enemy of his people by my hand this night.
et in me ancilla sua adimplevit misericordiam suam, quam promisit domui Israel : et interfecit in manu mea hostem populi sui hac nocte.

 19 Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman.
Et proferens de pera caput Holofernis, ostendit illis, dicens : Ecce caput Holofernis principis militiae Assyriorum, et ecce conopeum illius, in quo recumbebat in ebrietate sua, ubi per manum feminae percussit illum Dominus Deus noster.

 20 But as the same Lord liveth, his angel hath been my keeper both going hence, and abiding there, and returning from thence hither: and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory, for my escape, and for your deliverance.
Vivit autem ipse Dominus, quoniam custodivit me angelus ejus et hinc euntem, et ibi commorantem, et inde huc revertentem, et non permisit me Dominus ancillam suam coinquinari, sed sine pollutione peccati revocavit me vobis gaudentem in victoria sua, in evasione mea, et in liberatione vestra.

 21 Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
Confitemini illi omnes, quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus.

 22 And they all adored the Lord, and said to her: The Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath brought our enemies to nought.
Universi autem adorantes Dominum, dixerunt ad eam : Benedixit te Dominus in virtute sua, quia per te ad nihilum redegit inimicos nostros.

 23 And Ozias the prince of the people of Israel, said to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth.
Porro Ozias princeps populi Israel dixit ad eam : Benedicta es tu, filia, a Domino Deo excelso prae omnibus mulieribus super terram.

 24 Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies.
Benedictus Dominus, qui creavit caelum et terram, qui te direxit in vulnera capitis principis inimicorum nostrorum :

 25 Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.
quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit, ut non recedat laus tua de ore hominum, qui memores fuerint virtutis Domini in aeternum, pro quibus non pepercisti animae tuae propter angustias et tribulationem generis tui, sed subvenisti ruinae ante conspectum Dei nostri.

 26 And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
Et dixit omnis populus : Fiat, fiat.

 27 And Achior being called for came, and Judith said to him: The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that he revengeth himself of his enemies, he hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this night by my hand.
Porro Achior vocatus venit, et dixit ei Judith : Deus Israel, cui tu testimonium dedisti quod ulciscatur se de inimicis suis, ipse caput omnium incredulorum incidit hac nocte in manu mea.

 28 And that thou mayst find that it is so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel: and threatened thee with death, saying: When the people of Israel shall be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.
Et ut probes quia ita est, ecce caput Holofernis, qui in contemptu superbiae suae Deum Israel contempsit, et tibi interitum minabatur, dicens : Cum captus fuerit populus Israel, gladio perforari praecipiam latera tua.

 29 Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.
Videns autem Achior caput Holofernis, angustiatus prae pavore cecidit in faciem suam super terram, et aestuavit anima ejus.

 30 But after he had recovered his spirits he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her and said:
Postea vero quam resumpto spiritu recreatus est, procidit ad pedes ejus, et adoravit eam, et dixit :

 31 Blessed art thou by thy God in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee.
Benedicta tu a Deo tuo in omni tabernaculo Jacob, quoniam in omni gente, quae audierit nomen tuum, magnificabitur super te Deus Israel.