Judith 14
1Forsothe Judith seide to al the puple, Britheren, here ye; hang ye this heed on youre wallis. 2And 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. 3Thanne it schal be nede, that the spieris of the lond fle to reise her prynce to batel. 4And 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. 5And whanne ye knowen that thei fleen, go ye sikirli aftir hem, for God schal al to-breke hem vndur youre feet. 6Thanne 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. 7Forsothe 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. 8Which thing the aspieris sien, and runnen to the tabernacle of Holofernes. 9Certis 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. 10For no man was hardi to opene the tabernacle of the vertu of Assiriens bi knockyng ethir bi entryng. 11But 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; 12for myis ben goon out of her caues, and doren excite vs to batel. 13Thanne 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. 14But 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. 15And he entride in to the tabernacle of Judith, and foond not hir, and he skippide out to the puple, 16and 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. 17And 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. 18And `vncomparable cry was maad `bi the myddil of her tentis.
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