fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and
uncovered the sackcloth wherewith she was clothed; and the incense of
that evening was now being offered at Jerusalem in the house of God,
and Judith cried unto the Lord with a loud voice, and said:--

{90}

THE PRAYER OF JUDITH.

"O God, O my God, hear me! Behold, the Assyrians are multiplied in
their power; they are exalted with horse and rider; they have gloried
in the strength of their footmen; they have trusted in shield and
spear and bow and sling; and they know not that thou art the Lord that
breaketh the battles: the Lord is thy name. Dash thou down their
strength in thy power, and bring down their force in thy wrath: for
they have purposed to profane thy sanctuary, and to defile the
tabernacle where thy glorious name resteth, and to cast down with the
sword the horn of thine altar. Look upon their pride, and send thy
wrath upon their heads: give into my hand, who am a widow, the might
that I have conceived. Smite by the deceit of my lips the servant with
the prince, and the prince with his servant: break down their
stateliness by the hand of a woman. For thy power standeth not in
multitude, nor thy might in strong men: but thou art a God of the
afflicted, thou art a helper of the oppressed, an upholder of the
weak, a protector of the forlorn, a saviour of them that are without
hope. I pray thee, I pray thee, God of my father, and God of the
inheritance of Israel, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, Creator
of the waters, King of every creature, hear thou my prayer: and make
my speech and deceit to be their wound and stripe, who have purposed
hard things against thy covenant, and thy hallowed house, and the top
of Sion, and the house of the possession of thy children. And make
every nation and tribe of thine to know that thou art God, the God of
all power and might, and that there is none other that protecteth the
race of Israel but thou."

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_Judith Goes to the Camp of the Enemy_.

And it came to pass, when she had ceased to cry to the God of Israel,
and had made an end of all these words, that she rose up where she had
fallen down, and called her maid, and went down into the house, in the
which she was wont to abide on the Sabbath days and on her feast days,
and pulled off her sackcloth which she had put on, and put off the
garments of her widowhood, and washed with water, and anointed herself
with rich ointment, and braided the hair of her he