Content

CAP 10
1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche hadde ceessid to crie to the Lord, sche roos fro the place, in which sche lay bowid doun to the Lord.
2 And sche clepide hir fre handmaide, and cam doun in to hir hows; and sche took awei fro hir the heire, and vnclothide hir silf fro the clothing of hir widewehod.
3 And sche waischide hir bodi, and anoyntide hir with beste myrre, and sche schedide the heer of hir heed, and settide a mytre on hir heed, and sche clothide hir with the clothis of hyr gladnesse, and clothide hir feet with sandalies; and sche took ournementis of the armes, and lilies, and eeryngis, and ryngis, and ournede hir silf with alle hir ournementis.
4 To whom also the Lord yaf briytnesse, for al this ourenement hangide not of letcherie, but of vertu; and therfor the Lord `made large this fairnesse on hir, that bi `vncomparable fairnesse sche apperide to the iyen of alle men.
5 Therfor sche puttide on hir fre handmaide a botel of wyn, and a vessel of oile, and meet maad of meele, and dried figus, and looues, and cheese, and yeden forth.
6 And whanne thei weren comen to the yate of the citee, thei founden Ozie and the prestis of the citee abidynge hir.
7 And whanne thei hadden seyn hir, thei weren astonyed, and wondriden ful myche on hir fairnesse.
8 Netheles thei axiden hir no thing, and leeten passe, and seiden, The God of oure fadris yyue grace to thee, and make strong with his vertu al the counsel of thin herte, and Jerusalem haue glorie on thee, and thi name be in the noumbre of hooli and iust men.
9 And alle thei, that weren there, seiden with o vois, Be it doon! be it doon!
10 Therfor Judith preiede the Lord, and passide thorouy the yatis, sche and hir fre handmayde.
11 Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche cam doun of the hil aboute the risynge of the dai, the aspieris of Assiriens metten hir, and helden hir, and seiden, Fro whennus comest thou, ether whidur goist thou?
12 And sche answeride, Y am a douyter of Ebreis, and therfor Y fledde fro the face of hem, for Y knew, that it schal come, that thei schulen be youun to you in to prey, for thei dispisiden you, and nolde bitake hem silf wilfuli, that thei schulden fynde grace in youre siyt.
13 For this cause Y thouyte with me, and seide, Y schal go to the face of the prynce Holofernes, for to schewe to hym the priuytees of hem, and Y schal schewe to hym, bi what entryng he mai gete hem, so that not o man of his oost falle doun.
14 And whanne tho men hadden herd the wordis of hir, thei bihelden hir face, and wondryng was in her iyen, for thei wondriden greetli on hir fairnesse.
15 And thei seiden to hir, Thou hast kept thi lijf, for thou hast founde sich a counsel, that thou woldist come doun to oure lord.
16 Sotheli wite thou this, that, whanne thou `hast stonde in his siyt, he schal do wel to thee, and thou schalt be moost acceptable in his herte. And thei ledden hir to the tabernacle of Holofernes, and thei schewiden hir to hym.
17 And whanne sche hadde entrid bifor his face, anoon Holofernes was takun bi hise iyen.
18 And hise knyytis seiden to hym, Who schal dispise the puple of Jewis, whiche han so faire wymmen, that we owen not to fiyte skilfuli ayenus hem for these wymmen?
19 Therfor Judith siy Holofernes sittynge in a curteyn, round bynethe and scharp aboue, that was wouun of purpur, and gold, and smaragde, and moost preciouse stoonys,
20 and whanne sche hadde lokid in to his face, sche worschipide hym, and bowide doun hir silf on the erthe; and the seruauntis of Holofernes reisiden hir, for her lord comaundide.