Apocrypha. CHAP. I, II. Apocrypha. exalt his people; and all those which love the alms doeth, and how righteousness doth deliver. Lord God in truth and justice shall rejoice, When he had said these things, he gave up the shewing mercy to our brethren. ghost in the bed, being an hundred and eight and fifty years old; and he buried him honourably. 8 And now, my son, depart out of Nineve, because that those things which the prophet Jonas spake shall surely come to pass. 9 But keep thou the law and the commandments, and shew thyself merciful and just, that it may go well with thee. 12 And when Anna his mother was dead, he buried her with his father. But Tobias departed with his wife and children to Ecbatane to Raguel his father-in-law, 13 Where he became old with honour, and he 10 And bury me decently, and thy mother with me; but tarry no longer at Nineve. Re- buried his father and mother-in-law honourably, member, my son, how Aman handled Achia- and he inherited their substance, and his father charus that brought him up, how out of light Tobit's. he brought him into darkness, and how he re- 14 And he died at Ecbatane in Media, warded him again: yet Achiacharus was saved, being an hundred and seven and twenty years but the other had his reward: for he went down old. into darkness. Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of death which they had set for him: but Aman fell into the snare, and perished. 11 Wherefore now, my son, consider what he rejoiced over Nineve. IN CHAP. I. 15 But before he died, he heard of the destruction of Nineve, which was taken by Nabuchodonosor and Assuerus: and before his death ¶ JUDITH. N the twelfth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, who reigned in Nineve, the great city; in the days of Arphaxad, which reigned over the Medes in Ecbatane, 2 And built in Ecbatane walls round about of stones hewn three cubits broad and six cubits long, and made the height of the wall seventy cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits: 3 And set the towers thereof upon the gates of it, an hundred cubits high, and the breadth thereof in the foundation threescore cubits: 4 And he made the gates thereof, even gates that were raised to the height of seventy cubits, and the breadth of them was forty cubits, for the going forth of his mighty armies, and for the setting in array of his footmen : 5 Even in those days king Nabuchodonosor made war with king Arphaxad in the great plain, which is the plain in the borders of Ragau. 12 Therefore Nabuchodonosor was very angry with all this country, and sware by his throne and kingdom, that he would surely be avenged upon all those coasts of Cilicia, and Damascus, and Syria, and that he would slay with the sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all Judea, and all that were in Egypt, till ye come to the borders of the two seas. 13 Then he marched in battle-array with his power against king Arphaxad in the seventeenth year, and he prevailed in his battle: for he overthrew all the power of Arphaxad, and all his horsemen, and all his chariots, 14 And became lord of his cities, and came unto Ecbatane, and took the towers, and spoiled the streets thereof, and turned the beauty thereof into shame. 15 He took also Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau, and smote him through with his darts, 6 And there came unto him all they that and destroyed him utterly that day. dwelt in the hill-country, and all they that dwelt 16 So he returned afterward to Nineve, both by Euphrates, and Tigris, and Hydaspes, and he and all his company of sundry nations, being the plain of Arioch the king of the Elymeans, a very great multitude of men of war, and there and very many nations of the sons of Chelod, he took his ease, and banqueted, both he and his assembled themselves to the battle. army, an hundred and twenty days. CHAP. II. 7 Then Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt in Persia, and to all that dwelt westward, and to those that dwelt in Cilicia, and Damascus, and Libanus, and Antilibanus, and to all that dwelt upon the seacoast, 8 And to those among the nations that were of Carmel, and Galaad, and the higher Galilee, and the great plain of Esdrelom, 9 And to all that were in Samaria and the cities thereof, and beyond Jordan unto Jerusalem, and Betane, and Chellus, and Kades; and the river of Egypt, and Taphnes, and Ramesse, and all the land of Gesem, 10 Until ye come beyond Tanis and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, until ye come to the borders of Ethiopia. 11 But all the inhabitants of the land made light of the commandment of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, neither went they with him to the battle; for they were not afraid of him : yea, he was before them as one man, and they sent away his ambassadors from them without effect, and with disgrace. A twentieth was ND in the eighteenth year, the two and talk in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, that he should, as he said, avenge himself on all the earth. 2 So he called unto him all his officers, and all his nobles, and communicated with them his secret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of the whole earth out of his own mouth. 3 Then they decreed to destroy all flesh that did not obey the commandment of his mouth. 4 And when he had ended his counsel, Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians called Holofernes the chief captain of his army, which was next unto him, and said unto him, 5 Thus saith the great king, the lord of the whole earth, Behold, thou shalt go forth from my presence, and take with thee men that trust in their own strength, of footmen an hundred and twenty thousand; and the number of horses with their riders twelve thousand. 6 And thou shalt go against all the west country, because they disobeyed my commandment. Apocrypha. JUDITH. Apocrypha. 7 And thou shalt declare unto them, that they mascus in the time of wheat harvest, and burnt prepare for me earth and water: for I will go up all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and forth in my wrath against them, and will cover herds, also he spoiled their cities, and utterly the whole face of the earth with the feet of mine wasted their countries, and sinote all their young army, and I will give them for a spoil unto them: men with the edge of the sword. 8 So that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks, and the river shall be filled with their dead, till it overflow: 9 And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all the earth. 10 Thou therefore shalt go forth, and take beforehand for me all their coasts: and if they will yield themselves unto thee, thou shalt reserve them for me till the day of their punish ment. 11 But concerning them that rebel, let not thine eye spare them; but put them to the slaughter, and spoil them wheresoever thou goest. 12 For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, whatsoever I have spoken, that will I do by mine hand. 13 And take thou heed that thou transgress none of the commandments of thy lord, but accomplish them fully, as I have commanded thee, and defer not to do them. pre 14 Then Holofernes went forth from the sence of his lord, and called all the governors and captains, and the officers of the army of Assur; 15 And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, as his lord had commanded him, unto an hundred and twenty thousand, and twelve thousand archers on horseback; 16 And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered for the war. 17 And he took camels and asses for their carriages, a very great number; and sheep, and oxen, and goats without number, for their pro vision: 21 And they went forth of Nineve three days' journey toward the plain of Bectileth, and pitched from Bectileth near the mountain which is at the left hand of the upper Cilicia. 22 Then he took all his army, his footmen, and horsemen, and chariots, and went from thence into the hill-country; 28 Therefore the fear and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the sea-coasts, which were in Sidon and Tyrus, and them that dwelt in Sur and Ocina, and all that dwelt in Jemnaan; and they that dwelt in Azotus and Ascalon feared him greatly. CHAP. III. O they sent ambassadors unto him to treat S of peace, saying, 2 Behold, we the servants of Nabuchodonosor the great king lie before thee; use us as shall be good in thy sight. 3 Behold, our houses, and all our places, and all our fields of wheat, and flocks, and herds, and all the lodges of our tents, lie before thy face; use them as it pleaseth thee. 4 Behold, even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants; come and deal with them as seemeth good unto thee. 5 So the men came to Holofernes, and declared unto him after this manner. 6 Then came he down toward the sea-coast, both he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for aid. 7 So they and all the country round about received them with garlands, with dances, and with timbrels. 8 Yet he did cast down their frontiers, and cut down their groves: for he had decreed to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god. 9 Also he came over against Esdraelon near unto Judea, over against the great strait of Judea. 10 And he pitched between Geba and Seythopolis, and there he tarried a whole month, that he might gather together all the carriages of his army. N CHAP. IV. WOW the children of Israel that dwelt in Judea, heard all that Holofernes the chief captain of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians had done to the nations, and after what manner he had spoiled all their temples, and brought them to nought. 2 Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled for Jerusalem, and for the temple of the Lord their God: 3 For they were newly returned from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were lately gathered together: and the vessels, and the altar, and the house, were sanctified after the profanation. 23 And destroyed Phud and Lud, and spoiled all the children of Rasses, and the children of Ismael, which were toward the wilderness at 4 Therefore they sent into all the coasts of the south of the land of the Chellians. Samaria, and the villages, and to Bethoron, and Belmen, and Jericho, and to Choba, and Esora, and to the valley of Salem: 24 Then he went over Euphrates, and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyed all the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai, till ye come to the sea. 25 And he took the borders of Cilicia, and killed all that resisted him, and came to the borders of Japheth, which were toward the south, over against Arabia. 26 He compassed also all the children of Madian, and burned up their tabernacles, and spoiled their sheep-cotes. 5 And possessed themselves beforehand of all the tops of the high mountains, and fortified the villages that were in them, and laid up victuals for the provision of war: for their fields were of late reaped. 6 Also Joacim the high priest, which was in those days in Jerusalem, wrote to them that dwelt in Bethulia, and Betomestham, which is over against Esdraelon toward the open coun 27 Then he went down into the plain of Da-try, near to Dothaim, Apocrypha. CHAP. V, VI. Apocrypha. 7 Charging them to keep the passages of the 8 For they left the way of their ancestors, hill-country: for by them there was an entrance and worshipped the God of heaven, the God into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that whom they knew: so they cast them out from would come up, because the passage was strait, the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesofor two men at the most. potamia, and sojourned there many days. 8 And the children of Israel did as Joacim the high priest had commanded them, with the ancients of all the people of Israel, which dwelt at Jerusalem. 9 Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with great vehemency did they humble their souls: 10 Both they, and their wives, and their children, and their cattle, and every stranger and hireling, and their servants bought with money, put sackcloth upon their loins. 11 Thus every man and woman, and the little children, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the temple, and cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out their sackcloth before the face of the Lord: also they put sackcloth about the altar, 12 And cried to the God of Israel all with one consent earnestly, that he would not give their children for a prey, and their wives for a spoil, and the cities of their inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to profanation and reproach, and for the nations to rejoice at. 9 Then their God commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned, and to go into the land of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and were increased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle. 10 But when a famine covered all the land of Chanaan, they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a great multitude, so that one could not number their nation. 11 Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves. 12 Then they cried unto their God, and he smote all the land of Egypt with incurable plagues: so the Egyptians cast them out of their sight. 13 And God dried the Red Sea before them, 14 And brought them to mount Sina, and Cades Barne, and cast forth all that dwelt in the wilderness. 15 So they dwelt in the land of the Amor13 So God heard their prayers, and looked ites, and they destroyed by their strength all upon their afflictions: for the people fasted them of Esebon, and passing over Jordan they many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before possessed all the hill-country. the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty. 14 And Joacim the high priest, and all the priests that stood before the Lord, and they which ministered unto the Lord, had their loins girt with sackcloth, and offered the daily burntofferings, with the vows and free gifts of the people, 15 And had ashes on their mitres, and cried unto the Lord with all their power, that he would look upon all the house of Israel graciously. CHAP. V. Tchief captain of the army of Assur, that HEN was it declared to Holofernes, the the children of Israel had prepared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill-country, and had fortified all the tops of the high hills, and had laid impediments in the champaign countries: 16 And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, and the Sychemite and all the Gergesites, and they dwelt in that country many days. 17 And whilst they sinned not before their God, they prospered, because the God that hateth iniquity was with them. 18 But when they departed from the way which he appointed them, they were destroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captives into a land that was not theirs, and the temple of their God was cast to the ground, and their cities were taken by the enemies. 19 But now are they returned to their God, and are come up from the places where they were scattered, and have possessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and are seated in the hill-country; for it was desolate. 20 Now therefore, my lord and governor, if there be any error in this people, and they sin against their God, let us consider that this shall be their ruin, and let us go up, and we shall overcome them. 2 Wherewith he was very angry, and called all the princes of Moab, and the captains of Ammon, and all the governors of the sea-coast, 3 And he said unto them, Tell me now, ye sons of Chanaan, who this people is that dwell- 21 But if there be no iniquity in their nation, eth in the hill-country, and what are the cities let my lord now pass by, lest their Lord defend that they inhabit, and what is the multitude of them, and their God be for them, and we betheir army, and wherein is their power and come a reproach before all the world. strength, and what king is set over them, or cap- 22 And when Achior had finished these saytain of their army; ings, all the people standing round about the 4 And why have they determined not to come tent murmured, and the chief men of Holoand meet me, more than all the inhabitants of fernes, and all that dwelt by the sea-side, and in the west. Moab, spake that he should kill him. 5 Then said Achior, the captain of all the sons 23 For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of Ammon, Let my lord now hear a word from of the children of Israel: for lo, it is a people that the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare have no strength nor power for a strong battle. unto thee the truth concerning this people, 24 Now therefore, lord Holofernes, we will go which dwelleth near thee, and inhabiteth the up, and they shall be a prey to be devoured of hill-countries: and there shall no lie come out all thine army. of the mouth of thy servant. CHAP. VI. ND when the tumult of men that were 6 This people are descended of the Chaldeans: 7 And they sojourned heretofore in Mesopo- about the council was ceased, Holofernes tamia, because they would not follow the gods the chief captain of the army of Assur said unto of their fathers, which were in the land of Chal- Achior and all the Moabites before all the comdea. pany of other nations, Apocrypha. JUDITH. Apocrypha. 2 And who art thou, Achior, and the hire- 19 O Lord God of heaven, behold their pride, lings of Ephraim, that thou hast prophesied and pity the low estate of our nation, and look among us as to-day, and hast said, that we should upon the face of those that are sanctified unto not make war with the people of Israel, because thee this day. their God will defend them? and who is God but Nabuchodonosor ? 20 Then they comforted Achior, and praised him greatly. 3 He will send his power, and will destroy 21 And Ozias took him out of the assembly them from the face of the earth, and their God unto his house, and made a feast to the elders; shall not deliver them: but we his servants will and they called on the God of Israel all that destroy them as one man; for they are not able night for help. to sustain the power of our horses. 4. For with them we will tread there under foot, and their mountains shall be drunken with their blood, and their fields shall be filled with their dead bodies, and their footsteps shall not be able to stand before us, for they shall utterly perish, saith king Nabuchodonosor, lord of all the earth for he said, None of my words shall be in vain. 5 And thou, Achior, an hireling of Ammon, which hast spoken these words in the day of thine iniquity, shalt see my face no more from this day, until I take vengeance of this nation that came out of Egypt. 6 And then shall the sword of mine army, and the multitude of them that serve me, pass through thy sides, and thou shalt fall among their slain, when I return. 7 Now therefore my servants shall bring thee back into the hill-country, and shall set thee in one of the cities of the passages: 8 And thou shalt not perish, till thou be destroyed with them. 9 And if thou persuade thyself in thy mind that they shall not be taken, let not thy countenance fall: I have spoken it, and none of my words shall be in vain." 10 Then Holofernes commanded his servants, that waited in his tent, to take Achior, and bring him to Bethulia, and deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel. 11 So his servants took him, and brought him out of the camp into the plain, and they went from the midst of the plain into the hill-country, and came unto the fountains that were under Bethulia. 12 And when the men of the city saw them, they took up their weapons, and went out of the city to the top of the hill: and every man that used a sling kept them from coming up by casting of stones against them. 13 Nevertheless, having gotten privily under the hill, they bound Achior, and cast him down, and left him at the foot of the hill, and returned to their lord. 14 But the Israelites descended from their city, and came unto him, and loosed him, and brought him into Bethulia, and presented him to the governors of the city: 15 Which were in those days Ozias the son of Micha, of the tribe of Simeon, and Chabris the son of Gothoniel, and Charmis the son of Melchiel. CHAP. VII. The next day Holofernes which we all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill-country, and to make war against the children of Israel. 2 Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude. 3 And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia unto Cyamon, which is over against Esdraelom. 4 Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour, Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight. 5 Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night. 6 But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia; 7 And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward his people. 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 seacoast, and said, 9 Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army. 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. 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. 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: 13 For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have 16 And they called together all the ancients their water thence: so shall thirst kill them, of the city, and all their youth ran together, and they shall give up their city, and we and our and their women, to the assembly, and they sat Achior in the midst of all their people. Then Ozias asked him of that which was done. 17 And he answered and declared unto them the words of the council of Holofernes, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the princes of Assur, and whatsoever Holofernes had spoken proudly against the house of Israel. 18 Then the people fell down and worshipped God, and cried unto God, saying, 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. 14 So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with famine, and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell. 15 Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably. Apocrypha. CHAP. VIII. 16 And these words pleased Holofernes and CHAP. VIII. Аростурка. TOW at that time Judith heard thereof, all his servants, and he appointed to do as they which was the daughter of Merari, the son had spoken. 17 So the camp of the children of Ammon of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Oziel, the departed, and with them five thousand of the son of Elcia, the son of Ananias, the son of Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and Gideon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Acitho, took the waters, and the fountains of the wa- the son of Eliu, the son of Eliab, the son of ters of the children of Israel. Nathanael, the son of Samael, the son of Salasadai, the son of Israel. 18 Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hillcountry 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 Assyrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great multitude. 19 Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them. 20 Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhabitants of Bethulia. 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. 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 passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them. 23 Then all the people assembled 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, 24 God be judge between us and you for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the children of Assur. 25 For now we have no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction. 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. 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. 23 We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God 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 29 Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice 2 And Manasses was her husband, of her tribe and kindred, who died in the barley-harvest. 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. 4 So Judith was a widow in her house three years and four months. 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. 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. 7 She was also of a goodly countenance, and very beautiful to behold: and her husband Manasses had left her gold, and silver, and menservants, and maid-servants, and cattle, and lands; and she remained upon them. 8 And there was none that gave her an ill word; for she feared God greatly. 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 Assyrians after five days; 10 Then she sent her waiting-woman, that had the government of all things that she had, to call Ozias and Chabris and Charmis, the ancients of the city. 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 pronounced between God and you, and have promised to deliver the city to our enemies, unless within these days the Lord turn to help you. 12 And now who are ye that have tempted God this day, and stand instead of God among the children of men? 13 And now try the Lord Almighty, but ye shall never know any thing. 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 God, that hath made all these things, and know his mind, or comprehend his purpose? Nay, my brethren, provoke not the Lord our God to anger. 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 ene 30 Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mer-mies. cy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly. 16 Do not bind the counsels of the Lord our 31 And if these days pass, and there come no God for God is not as man, that he may be help unto us, I will do according to your word. threatened, neither is he as the son of man, 32 And he dispersed the people, every one that he should be wavering, 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. 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. 18 For there arose none in our age, neither is |