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CAP 9
1 And while thei yeden awei, Judith entride in to hir oratorie, and sche clothide hir silf with an heire, and puttide aische on hir heed; and sche bowide doun hir silf to the Lord, and criede to the Lord, and seide,
2 Lord God of my fadir Symeon, which yauest to hym a swerd in to defence of aliens, that weren defouleris in her defoulyng, and maden nakid the hipe of a virgyn in to confusioun;
3 and thou yauest the wymmen of hem in to prey, the douytris of hem in to caitifte, and al the prey in to departyng to thi seruauntis, that loueden feruentli thi feruent loue; Lord, Y biseche, helpe thou me a widewe.
4 For thou madist the formere thingis, and thouytist tho thingis aftir tho, and this thing is maad, which thou woldist.
5 For alle thi weies ben redi, and thou has set thi domes in thi puruyaunce.
6 Biholde thou the castels of Assiriens now, as thou vouchidist saaf to biholde thanne the castels of Egipcians, whanne thei runnen armed after thi seruauntis, and tristiden in charis, and in multitude of her knyytis, and in multitude of werriours.
7 But thou biheldist on the castels of hem, and derknessis maden hem feynt; the botme of the see helde her feet,
8 and watris hiliden hem.
9 Lord, `also these men be maad so, that tristen in her multitude, and in her charis, and in scharp schaftis with oute irun, and in her arowis; and han glorie in her speris;
10 and witen not, that thou thi silf art oure God, that `al to-brekist batels fro the bigynnyng, and the Lord is name to thee.
11 Reise thin arm as at the bigynnyng, and hurle doun the power of hem `in thi vertu; the power of hem falle doun in thi wrathfulnesse, whiche biheten hem to defoule `thin hooli thingis, and to defoule the tabernacle of thi name, and to cast doun with her swerd the horn of thin auter.
12 Lord, make thou that the pride of hem be kit of with her owne swerd;
13 be he takun with the snare of hise iyen in me; and thou schalt smyte hym with the lippis of my charite.
14 Yyue thou to me stidfastnesse in soule, that Y dispise hym and his vertu, and distrie hym.
15 For it schal be a memorial of thi name, whanne the hondis of a womman han cast hym doun.
16 For whi, Lord, thi vertu is not in multitude, nether thi wille is in the strengthis of horsis; and proude spiritis plesiden not thee at the bigynnyng, but the preier of meke men and mylde `pleside euere thee.
17 God of heuenes, the creatour of watris, and Lord of alle creature, here thou me wretchid womman preiynge and tristynge of thi merci.
18 Lord, haue thou mynde of thi testament, and yyue thou a word in my mouth, and make thou strong the counsel in myn herte, that thin hows dwelle perfitly in thin halewyng;
19 and that alle folkis knowe, that thou art God, and noon other is outakun thee.