Judith was a widow. Her husband was Manasses who had died in Bethulia, where he had lived, and was buried there where his fathers were buried. Judith had been a widow for 3 years and 6 months. She had made herself a private chamber in her house were she stayed with her maids. She wore haircloth and fasted every day except on the Sabbaths, new moons, and feasts of the house of Israel. Judith was exceedingly beautiful, and her husband had left her very rich, lots of servants, many large herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep. She feared the Lord very much and all honored her, and no one spoke ill of her.

One day she heard that Ozias, the prince of Juda, had promised that he would give up the city to the Assyrians in five days if no help had come by then. Judith then sent immediately for 2 older men of the city, Chabri and Charmi. She rebuked them for giving up so easily in God. What they were doing was not going to make God merciful, but it made Him more angry at them. She told them that they should immediately beg God for forgiveness and that he would pour His mercy out upon them. Judith told the two ancients to tell the people this so that they might be comforted, and to remind them how their fathers of old had been tempted and that after succeeded after many tribulations they became friends of God. And Ozias and the ancients said to Judith, “All that you have said is true. Therefore pray for us, for you are a holy woman, and one who fears God.” Judith said to them, “You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with my maid servant. But I do not want you to search into what I am doing until I bring you word. But pray for me to the Lord our God.” And Ozias said to her, “Go in peace, and the Lord be with you,” and they departed.

When they had left, Judith put on haircloth and laid ashes on her head. She fell down prostrate before the Lord and she prayed to Him, begging Him for his help and asking Him to strengthen her. When she had stopped praying and crying to God she rose and called her maid. She took off her haircloth and her clothes of a widow and put on clothes of her gladness. She washed and anointed herself with the best ointment, braided her hair and put on a hat. She put on sandals, took all of her bracelets, lilies, earrings, and rings and adorned herself with all of her ornaments. And God gave her even more beauty because all of this dressing up did not come from vanity, but from her virtue. And she was so beautiful she appeared to all men perfectly lovely. Judith gave her maid a bottle of wine, some oil, parched corn, dry figs, bread, and cheese to bring, and they left. And when they came to the gate of the city, they found Ozias, and the ancients of the city waiting. When they saw her they were astonished, and admired her beauty. But they asked her no question, only they let her pass. “The God of our fathers give you grace, and may He strengthen all the counsel of your heart with His power,” they said, “that Jerusalem may glory in you, and your name may be in the number of the holy and just.” And they that were there said with one voice “So be it, so be it.” But Judith, praying to God passed with her maid through the gates.

When they went down the hill at break of day the Assyrian watchmen stopped her saying, “Where did you come from and where are you going?” Judith replied, “I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from them because I know they would be made a sport by you because you despise them. So that is why I have come here, and I have also come here to tell Prince Holofernes their secrets and show him how he can take them without loosing one man of his army.” The men said to her, “You have saved yourself by choosing to do so. Be assured that when you shall stand before our Prince you will be treated well.” For they had seen her face and wondered at her beauty. When Holofernes saw Judith he was impressed by her beauty. Judith looked at Holofenres who was sitting. He was sitting under a canopy that was woven of purple and gold, with emeralds and other precious gems. She bowed before him. “Do not fear,” said Holofernes, “I have never hurt a man who was willing to serve the King. But tell me, what has caused you to leave them, and why did you come to us?” And Judith said to him: “Listen to the words of your handmaid, for if you will follow my words, the Lord will do with you a great thing. Because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, your dread is upon them. A famine has come for them, and for want of water they are already to be counted among the dead. They have a way to even kill their cattle, and to drink the blood of them. And the consecrated things of the Lord their God which God forbade them to touch, in corn, wine, and oil, these have they purposed to make use of, and they consume the things which they ought not to touch with their hands. Because they do these things, it is certain they will be given up to destruction.  I, your handmaid, knowing this have fled from them, and the Lord has sent me to tell you these things. For I worship God even now that I am with you, and I will go out, and I will pray to God. He will tell me when He will repay them for their sins, and I will come and tell you, so that I may bring you through Jerusalem, and you shall have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no shepherd, and not one dog shall bark against you. Because God is angry with them.” What Judith had said had pleased Holofernes, and his servants. They admired her wisdom, and they said to each other, “There is no other woman on earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.” Holofernes said to her, “God has done well to send you before the people, so you might give them into our hands. And because your promise is good, if your God shall do this for me, he shall also be my God, and you shall be great in the house of Nabuchodonosor, and your name shall be honored through all the earth.” Then he ordered that she should go in where his treasures were, and told her to stay there. His servants brought her into the tent which he had commanded. When Judith was going in, she asked that she might have liberty to go out at night and before day to pray to the Lord.  Holofernes told his servants, that for three days she might go in and out, to adore her God as she pleased.  And she went out in the nights into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself. As she would come up she would pray to God of Israel, that He would direct her to the deliverance of His people.

On the fourth day, Holofernes made a supper and told Vagao, his personal servant, to get Judith. Vagao then went to Judith, and said, “My good maid go to my lord, you may be honored before him, and you may eat with him and drink wine and be merry.” Judith answered him, “Who am I, that I should deny my lord?” She arose and went in with Vagao. Holofernes said to Judith, “Drink now, and sit down and be merry; for you have favor before me.” Judith said, “I will drink, because my life is raised this day above all my other days.” She ate and drank what her maid had prepared for her. Holofernes was merry on her affair, and drank very much wine, so much that he had never drunk in his life. It had grown late, and Holofernes’ servants went to their lodgings, and Vagao shut the chamber doors, and left . They all were drunk with wine. Judith was alone in the chamber. But Holofernes lay on his bed, and was fast asleep, being very drunk. Judith told her maid to stand before the chamber, and watch. Then Judith stood before the bed praying with tears, and moving of her lips in silence saying, “Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and look on the works of my hands, as you have promised, that you may raise up Jerusalem your city.” When she had prayed this, she went to the pillar that was at the head of his bed, and untied his sword that hung upon it. When she had drawn it out, she took him by his hair and said, “Strengthen me, O Lord God.” And she struck his neck twice with the sword, and cut off his head. Judith took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body. She went out, and gave the head of Holofernes to her maid, and told her put it into her bag. And the two of them went out according to their custom, as if they were going to pray, and passed the camp.

At the break of day they hung up the head of Holofernes on their walls, and all the men got ready for battle, and rushed out of the city with noises and shouts. The watchman saw them and ran to Holofernes’ tent. They knocked on his door trying to wake him, for no man dares to go into the chambers of the general. Then they said to Vagao, “Go in and wake the general. The mice have come out of their holes and have challenged us to a fight.” Vagao went in and stood before the curtains and clapped his hands to wake the general. When he saw that no one was moving he went to the curtain and looked in. He saw the body of Holofernes on the ground with no head. Vagao cried out with a loud voice and rent his garments. He ran to Judith’s tent and saw that she was not there. He ran to all the people and told them what he saw. The chiefs of Assyrians heard this they became afraid and they were greatly troubled. There was a great cry in the midst of the Assyrian camp. Everyone in the camp then thought only to save themselves, and leaving everything behind they ran out of the camp, hearing that the Israelites were there armed. They fled by the fields and paths of the hills. The Israelites saw the Assyrians from the walls and rushed down after them. The Assyrians were not united together and were fleeing without any order. But since the Israelites were in one body they defeated all they could find. Ozias sent messengers to all the cities telling them of the fleeing Assyrians. The cities got their men and went after them and killed all those Assyrians in their kingdoms, leaving none of them alive. Meanwhile, in Bethulia, those who were in the city went to the Assyrians camp and collected all that was in it. There was so much that all the people from the least to the greatest were made rich from all that the Assyrians had. The people then gave to Judith the treasures that seemed to be particularly Holofernes’, and all the people rejoiced playing on instruments and harps. Judith then went back to living in her house. When she came out on festival days she was received in great glory. She lived in her house 105 years and set her maid free. She died and was buried next to her husband in Bethulia. The people mourned her death for 7 days. While she was alive nothing troubled Israel, nor many years after.

Through Judith God saved Israel. A simple woman who trusted in God and prayed for His help and guidance. The strong brave men had grown afraid and had given up in God. God showed His power by saving all of Israel by a woman who just trusted in Him. Now Judith did not just immediately walk out of Bethulia and take action. She prayed and fasted hard before she did anything. We need to have faith in God and pray to Him asking Him to strengthen and guide us in our times of temptation and trouble. And when He does help us, thank Him and give all the credit to Him as Judith did.