Judith 9

¹ Judith threw herself face to the ground, scattered ashes on her head, uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing and cried loudly to the Lord. At the same time in Jerusalem the evening incense was being offered in the Temple of God. Judith said:

² ‘Lord, God of my father Simeon, you armed him with a sword to take vengeance on the foreigners who had undone a virgin’s girdle to her shame, laid bare her thigh to her confusion, violated her womb to her dishonour, since though you said, “This must not be”, they did it.

³ For this you handed their leaders over to slaughter, their bed, defiled by their deceit, to blood. You struck the slaves down with the chiefs and the chiefs with their servants.

⁴ You left their wives to be carried off, their daughters to be taken captive, and their spoils to be shared out among the sons you loved, who had been so zealous for you, had loathed the stain put on their blood and called on you for help.God, my God, now hear this widow too;

⁵ for you have made the past, and what is happening now, and what will follow. What is, what will be, you have planned; what has been, you designed.

⁶ Your purposes stood forward; “See, we are here!” they said. For all of your ways are prepared and your judgements delivered with foreknowledge.

⁷ See the Assyrians, boasting in their army, glorying in their horses and their riders, exulting in the strength of their infantry. Trust as they may in shield and spear,in bow and sling, in you they have not recognised the Lord, the shatterer of war;

⁸ yours alone the title of Lord. Break their violence with your might, in your anger bring down their strength. For they plan to profane your holy places, to defile the tabernacle, the resting place of your glorious name, and to throw down with iron the horn of your altar.

⁹ Observe their arrogance, send your fury on their heads, give the needful courage to this widow’s hand.

¹⁰ By guile of my lips strike slave down with master, and master with his servant. Break their pride by a woman’s hand.

¹¹ ‘Your strength does not lie in numbers, nor your might in violent men since you are the God of the humble, the help of the oppressed, the support of the weak, the refuge of the forsaken, the saviour of the despairing.

¹² Please, please, God of my father, God of the heritage of Israel, Master of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of your whole creation, hear my prayer.

¹³ Give me a beguiling tongue to wound and kill those who have formed such cruel designs against your covenant, against your holy dwelling place, against Mount Zion, against the house belonging to your sons.

¹⁴ And demonstrate to every nation, every tribe, that you are Yahweh, God almighty, all-powerful, and that the race of Israel has you for sole protector.’