Content

CAP 14
1 Forsothe Judith seide to al the puple, Britheren, here ye; hang ye this heed on youre wallis.
2 And it schal be, whanne the sunne `goith out, ech man take hise armuris, and go ye out with feersnesse, not that ye go doun binethe, but as makyng asauyt.
3 Thanne it schal be nede, that the spieris of the lond fle to reise her prynce to batel.
4 And whanne the duykis of hem rennen togidere to the tabernacle of Holofernes, and fynden hym heedles, waltrid in his blood, dreed schal falle doun on hem.
5 And whanne ye knowen that thei fleen, go ye sikirli aftir hem, for God schal al to-breke hem vndur youre feet.
6 Thanne Achior siy the vertu that God of Israel hadde do, and he forsook the custom of hethenesse, and bileuede to God; and he circumcidede the fleisch of his yerde, and he was put to the puple of Israel, and al the aftircomyng of his kyn `til in to this dai.
7 Forsothe anoon as the dai roos, thei hangiden the heed of Holofernes on the wallis; and ech man took his armuris, and thei yeden out with grete noise and yellyng.
8 Which thing the aspieris sien, and runnen to the tabernacle of Holofernes.
9 Certis thei, that weren in the tabernacle, camen, and maden noise bifore the entryng of the bed, and ymagyneden by craft vnrestfulnesse for cause of reisyng, that Holofernes schulde awake not of the reiseris, but of sowneris.
10 For no man was hardi to opene the tabernacle of the vertu of Assiriens bi knockyng ethir bi entryng.
11 But whanne hise duykis, and tribunes, and alle the grettere men of the oost of the kyng of Assiriens weren comen, thei seiden to the chaumburleyns, Entre ye, and reise ye hym;
12 for myis ben goon out of her caues, and doren excite vs to batel.
13 Thanne Vagao entride in to his closet, and stood bifor the curtyn, and made betyng togidere with hise hondis; for he supposide hym to slepe with Judith.
14 But whanne he perseyuede not `with wit of eeris ony stiryng of Holofernes liggynge, he cam neiyynge to the curtyn, and he `reiside it, and siy the deed bodi with out the heed `of Holofernes `maad slow in his blood ligge on the erthe, and he criede bi grete vois with weping, and to-rente hise clothis.
15 And he entride in to the tabernacle of Judith, and foond not hir, and he skippide out to the puple,
16 and seide, Oon Ebrew womman hath maad confusioun in the hows of kyng Nabugodonosor; for lo! Holofernes liggith in the erthe, and his heed is not in hym.
17 And whanne the prynces of the vertu of Assiriens hadden herd this thing, alle thei to-renten her clothis, and vnsuffrable drede and tremblyng felde doun on hem, and her soulis weren troblid greetli.
18 And `vncomparable cry was maad `bi the myddil of her tentis.