Judith - Chapter 11

Passage

Then Holofernes said to her: Be of good comfort, and fear not in your heart: for I have never hurt a man that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor the king. And if your people had not despised me, I would never have lifted up my spear against them. But now tell me, for what cause have you left them, and why it has pleased you to come to us? And Judith said to him: Receive the words of your handmaid, for if you will follow the words of your handmaid, the Lord will do with you a perfect thing. For as Nabuchodonosor the king of the earth lives, and his power lives which is in you for chastising of all straying souls: not only men serve him through you, but also the beasts of the field obey him. For the industry of your mind is spoken of among all nations, and it is told through the whole world, that you only are excellent, and mighty in all his kingdom, and your discipline is cried up in all provinces. It is known also what Achior said, nor are we ignorant of what you have commanded to be done to him. For it is certain that our God is so offended with sins, that he has sent word by his prophets to the people, that he will deliver them up for their sins. And because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, your dread is upon them. Moreover also a famine has come upon them, and for drought of water they are already to be counted among the dead. And they have a design even to 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 design to consume the things which they ought not to touch with their hands: therefore because they do these things, it is certain they will be given up to destruction. And I your handmaid knowing this, am fled from them, and the Lord has sent me to tell you these very things. For I your handmaid worship God even now that I am with you, and your handmaid will go out, and I will pray to God, And 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 the midst of Jerusalem, and you shall have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no shepherd, and there shall not so much as one dog bark against you: Because these things are told me by the providence of God. And because God is angry with them, I am sent to tell these very things to you. And all these words pleased Holofernes, and his servants, and they admired her wisdom, and they said to one another: There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words. And Holofernes said to her: God has done well who sent you before the people, that 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 renowned through all the earth.