Judith 15

¹ And Judith stood bifor the bed, preiynge with teeris, and with stiryng of lippis in silence, 2 seiynge, Lord God of Israel, conferme me, and biholde in this our to the werkis of myn hondis, that, as thou bihiytist, thou reise Jerusalem thi citee; and that Y performe this thing, which thing Y bileuynge thouyte to mow be doon bi thee. 3 And whanne sche hadde seid this, sche neiyede to the piler that was at the heed of his bed, and sche loside his swerd, that hangide boundun ther ynne. ⁴ And whanne sche hadde drawe out of the scheeth thilke swerd, sche took the heer of his heed; and seide, Lord God of Israel, conferme me in this our. ⁵ And sche smoot twies on his necke, and kittide awei his heed; and sche took awei his curteyn fro the pileris, and walewide awei his bodi heedles. ⁶ And aftir a litil sche yede out, and bitook the heed of Holofernes to hir handmaide, and comaundide, that sche schulde putte it in to hir scrippe. ⁷ And the twei wymmen yeden out bi her custom as to preier, and passiden the castels of Assiriens, and thei cumpassiden the valei, and camen to the yate of the citee. 8 And Judith seide afer to the keperis of the wallis, Opene ye the yatis, for God is with vs, that hath do greet vertu in Israel. ⁹ And it was doon, whanne the men hadden herd her vois, thei clepiden the prestis of the citee. 10 And alle men fro the leest til to the mooste runnen to hir; for thei hopiden not, that sche schulde come now. ¹¹ And thei teendiden liytis, and alle men cumpassiden aboute hir. Sotheli sche stiede in to an hiyere place, and comaundide silence to be maad. And whanne alle men weren stille, ¹² Judith seide, Herie ye oure Lord God, that hath not forsake hem that hopen in hym, 13 and bi me, his handmaide, he hath fillid his merci, which he bihiyte to the hows of Israel, and hath slayn in myn hond the enemye of his puple in this niyt. ¹⁴ And sche `brouyte forth of the scrippe the heed of Holofernes, and schewide it to hem, and seide, Lo! the heed of Holofernes, prince of the chiualrie of Assiriens; and, lo! his curteyn, in which he lay in his drunkenesse, where also oure Lord God killide hym bi the hond of a womman.