ad, and put on her
garments of gladness, wherewith she was wont to be clad in the days of
the life of Manasses her husband. And she took sandals for her feet,
and put her chains about her, and her bracelets, and her rings, and
her earrings, and all her ornaments, and decked herself bravely, to
beguile the eyes of all men that should see her. And she gave her maid
a leathern bottle of wine, and a cruse of oil, and filled a bag with
parched corn and lumps of figs and fine bread; and she packed all her
vessels together, and laid them upon her.

And they went forth to the gate of the city of Bethulia, and found
standing thereby Ozias, and the elders of the city. But when they saw
her, that her countenance was altered, and her apparel was changed,
they wondered much at her beauty, and said to her, "The God of our
fathers give thee favor, and accomplish thy purposes to the glory of
the children of Israel, and to the exaltation of Jerusalem."

{92}

And she worshiped God, and said to them, "Command that they open to me
the gate of the city, and I will go forth to accomplish the things
whereof ye spoke with me." And they commanded the young men to open
unto her, as she had spoken: and they did so.

And Judith went out, she, and her handmaid with her; and the men of
the city looked after her, until she was gone down the mountain, until
she had passed the valley, and they could see her no more. And they
went straight onward in the valley: and the outpost of the Assyrians
met her; and they took her, and asked her, "Of what people art thou?
and whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?"

And she said, "I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I flee away from
their presence; because they are about to be given you to be consumed:
and I am coming into the presence of Holofernes the chief captain of
your host, to declare words of truth; and I will show him a way,
whereby he shall go, and win all the hill country, without losing one
of his men."

Now when the men heard her words, and beheld her countenance, they
wondered greatly at her beauty, and they said to her, "Thou hast saved
thy life, in that thou hast hasted to come down to the presence of our
lord: and now come to his tent, and some of us shall conduct thee,
until they shall deliver thee into his hands. But when thou standest
before him, be not afraid in thine heart, but declare unto him
according to thy words; and he will treat thee well." And they chose
out of them a hu