Judith 14

Wycliffe Bible

14 Forsooth Judith said to all the people, Brethren, hear ye [or Heareth, brethren]; hang ye up this head upon your walls.

² And it shall be, when the sun riseth, each man take his armours, [or each man take his arms, (or his weapons)], and go ye out with fierceness, not that ye go all down beneath the hill, but as men making (an) assault.

³ And then it shall be need(ed), that the spyers of the land flee to raise up their prince to battle. [Then it shall need be, that the spies of the land flee to their prince to be reared up to the fight.]

⁴ And when the dukes of them shall run together to the tabernacle of Holofernes, and find him headless, wallowed, (or rolled up), in his (own) blood, dread shall fall down upon them. [And when the dukes of them come together to the tabernacles of Holofernes, and find him beheaded, in his blood wrapped (or wrapped in his own blood), dread shall fall upon them.]

⁵ And when ye know that they flee, go ye securely after them, for God shall all-break them under your feet. [And when he know them to flee, goeth after them secure, for God shall tread them under your feet.]

⁶ Then Achior saw the virtue that God of Israel had done, and he forsook the custom of heathenness, and he believed to (or in) God; and he circumcised the flesh of his rod, and he was put (or was joined) to the people of Israel, and all the after-coming of his kin till into this day, or unto this time. [Then Achior seeing the virtue that God of Israel had done, left (or let go of) the custom of his heathenness, and believed to God; and circumcised the flesh of his rod, and is put to the people of Israel, and all the succession of his kindred unto the day that is now.]

⁷ Forsooth anon (or at once) as the day rose, they hanged the head of Holofernes on the wall; and each man took his armours, (or his arms, or his weapons), and they went out with great noise and yelling. [Anon forsooth that sprung is day, they hung upon the walls the head of Holofernes; and each one took his arms, (or his weapons), and they went out with great noise and yelling.]

⁸ Which thing the spyers [or the spies] saw, and they ran to the tabernacle of Holofernes.

⁹ And they, that were in the tabernacle, came, and made noise before the entering of the bed-(place) of Holofernes, and they imagined by craft(y) unrestfulness for cause of up-raising (him), that Holofernes should awake(n) not (because) of the raisers, but (because) of the noise of (the) sounders. [Forsooth they, that were coming in(to) the tabernacle, and before the incoming of the privy chamber making noise, for end to rear him, by craft cast unrest, that not of the rearers, but of the noise makers Holofernes should awaken.]

¹⁰ For no man was hardy, (or bold enough), to open the tabernacle of the virtue, that is, of the prince of the chivalry, of (the) Assyrians by knocking, either by entering.

¹¹ But when his dukes, and his tribunes, [or the leaders of thousands], and all the greater men of the host of the king of Assyria were come, they said to the chamberlains,

¹² Enter ye, and raise ye him up; for mice be gone out of the caves, and they dare (to) move us to battle. [Goeth, and areareth him; for mice gone out of their caves be hardy to call forth us to battle.]

¹³ Then Bagoas entered into his closet [or into his privy chamber], and he stood before the curtain of his bed, and he made beating together (or clapping) with his hands; for he supposed him to sleep with Judith.

¹⁴ But when by the wit, or listening, of his ears he perceived not any stirring of (or by) Holofernes lying there, he came nigh and nighed (or approached) to the curtain, and he drew it up, or he raised it, and he saw the dead body of Holofernes without (his) head, defouled in his (own) blood, and lying upon the earth (or the ground), and he cried (out) with (a) great (or with a loud) voice with weeping, and rent his clothes. [But when no moving of him lying with the wit of ears perceived, he went to nighing (or approaching) to the curtain, and rearing it, and seeing the carrion of Holofernes without (a) head to lie rotting in his blood upon the earth, cried out with a great voice with weeping, and cut his clothes.]

¹⁵ And Bagoas entered into the tabernacle of Judith, and found not her [or (and) found her not], and anon (or at once) he went out to the people,

¹⁶ and said, An Hebrew woman hath made confusion in the house of king Nebuchadnezzar; for lo! Holofernes lieth in the earth (or on the ground), and his head is not with him.

¹⁷ And when the princes of the virtue, or the power, of (the) Assyrians had heard this thing, all they rent their clothes, and unsufferable dread and trembling felled down upon them, and their souls were troubled greatly. [The which thing when had heard the princes of the virtue of Assyrians, all cut their clothes, and intolerable dread and trembling fell upon then, and their inwit be disturbed greatly.]

¹⁸ And (an) uncomparable cry was made by the middle of their tents./And (a) cry that might not be comparisoned was made throughout their tents.