Page:KJV 1772 Oxford Edition, vol. 2.djvu/75

Apocrypha. Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the fauchion passed through his neck.

The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness.

Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.

The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugitives' children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.

I will sing unto the Lord a new song: O Lord, thou art great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.

Let all creatures serve thee: for thou spakest, and they were made, thou didst send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist thy voice.

For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: yet thou art merciful to them that fear thee.

For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee, and all the fat is not sufficient for thy burnt offering: but he that feareth the Lord is great at all times.

Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever.

Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts.

Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedchamber, for a gift unto the Lord.

So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months and Judith remained with them.

After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honourable in all the country.

And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.

But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in her husband's house, being an hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.

And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.

Then Mardocheus said, God hath done these things.

For I remember a dream which I saw concerning these matters, and nothing thereof hath failed.

A little fountain became a river, and there was light, and the sun, and much water: this river is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen:

And the two dragons are I and Aman.

And the nations were those that were assembled to destroy the name of the Jews:

And my nation is this Israel, which cried to God, and were saved: for the Lord hath saved his people, and the Lord hath delivered us from all those evils, and God hath wrought signs and great wonders, which have not been done among the Gentiles.

Therefore hath he made two lots, one for the people of God, and another for all the Gentiles.

And these two lots came at the hour, and time, and day of judgment, before God among all nations.

So God remembered his people, and justified his inheritance.

Therefore those days shall be unto