1 When she had ceased crying to the God of Israel and had completed all her words,
2 she arose from where she had prostrated herself, and summoned her maid and went down into the house, where she lived on the Sabbaths and her feast days.
3 There she took off the sackcloth she was wearing and removed her widow's garments. She washed her body with water and anointed herself with precious ointment. She braided her hair and put a headdress on her head, and put on festive attire she had worn when her husband Manasseh was alive.
4 She placed sandals on her feet, and put on her bracelets, her anklets, her rings, earrings, and all her jewelry. She made herself very beautiful, inviting to the eyes of all the men who might look on her.
5 Then she gave her maid a flask of wine and a cruse of oil, and filled a bag with grain and a cake of dried fruit and a loaf of bread; all these items she wrapped up together and gave them to her maid.
6 Then they went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia and found Uzziah standing there with the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis.
7 And they saw her, and her face was changed and her clothing was different, and they marveled at her beauty and said to her,
8“May the God of our fathers grant you favor and fulfill your pursuits, to the exaltation of the sons of Israel and the glory of Jerusalem.”
9 She bowed down to God and said to them, “Order the gates of the city to be opened, and I will go out to fulfill the words you spoke with me.” They commanded the young men to open the gates as she had requested.
10 And so they did, and Judith went out along with her maid, and the men of the city watched her until she went down the mountain and crossed the valley, until they could no longer see her.
11 The women traveled straight through the valley, and an Assyrian patrol met her.
12 They seized her and asked, “Who are you, and where are you coming from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fleeing from them, because they are about to be given over to you to be devoured.
13 I have come to see Holofernes, the commander of your forces, to give him an accurate report. I will show him the way he can go out and take all the hill country captive without losing the body or the life of any of his men.”
14 And as the men listened to her words, and beheld her face—for she was wondrously beautiful in their eyes—they said to her,
15 “You have spared your life by hastening to come down to see our lord. Now come with us to his tent, and we will escort you to him, to deliver you to him.
16 When you stand before him, do not be fainthearted, but report to him just as you said, for he will treat you well.”
17 They then chose a hundred men from among them to escort her and her maid, and they brought them to Holofernes’ tent.
18 There came about quite a commotion throughout the entire camp, for the rumor of her arrival quickly spread among the tents. They came and gathered around her as she stood outside the tent of Holofernes while they announced her presence to him.
19 They marveled at her beauty, and because of her, they wondered about the Israelites. Each said to his neighbor, “Who will dare despise this people with a woman like this among them? Surely it is not wise to leave even one of their men alive, for if we let them go they will be able to outwit the whole world!”
20 Then those guarding Holofernes and all his servants came out and led her into the tent.
21 Holofernes was reclining on his couch under a canopy of purple and gold, emeralds and other precious stones.
22 When they told him of her being there, he came out, preceded by silver lamps, to the entrance of the tent.
23 And when Judith came in before him and his servants, they were taken by the beauty of her face. She prostrated herself, paying homage to him, but his servants lifted her up.