When evening came, his servants hastened to their homes, and Bagoas shut the doors of the chamber and departed.

And they were all heavy with wine: for thou hast this day magnified thy name, so that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who remember the power of the Lord forever, for whose sake thou didst not spare thy life because of the distress and tribulation of thy kindred, but didst turn away destruction before our God.

And Judith was left alone in the chamber.

And Holofernes lay upon his bed, sleeping soundly, for he was drunken beyond measure.

Then Judith commanded her maid to stand outside before the chamber and watch.

And Judith stood before the bed, and prayed with tears, and moved her lips silently,

saying, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and look in this hour upon the work of my hands, that Jerusalem thy city may rise up as thou hast promised. And I will fulfill what I have resolved, trusting that I can accomplish it by thy help.

And after she had said this, she drew near to the pillar that was at the head of his bed, and loosed his scimitar which hung there, bound to it.

And she drew it out, and took hold of his hair, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God, in this hour.

Then she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head, and took his canopy from the pillars, and rolled his body off the bed.

And after a little while she went forth and delivered the head of Holofernes to her handmaid, and bade her put it in her provision bag.

And they both went out, as though they were going forth to prayer, and passed through the camp, and went round the valley, until they came to the gate of the city.

Then Judith called afar off to the watchmen of the wall, and said, Open the gates, for God is with us, and hath wrought strength in Israel.

And it came to pass, when the men heard her voice, they called the elders of the city.

And they all hastened unto her, from the least to the greatest, for they had no expectation that she would return again.

Then they lit lamps and gathered around her all of them; and she ascended to the highest place, and commanded silence. And when they all were silent,

Judith said, Praise the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that trust in him.

And I, his handmaid, have fulfilled his mercy that he promised to the house of Israel, and hath slain the enemy of his people this night.

Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the provision bag, and showed it unto them, saying, Behold, the head of the captain of the host of the Assyrians, and behold the canopy whereon he did lie in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God smote him by the hand of a woman.

As the Lord liveth, his angel hath kept me in my going hence, and in my sojourning there, and in my returning hither, and the Lord hath not suffered his handmaid to be defiled; but hath brought me again to you without the defilement of sin, rejoicing in his victory and your salvation and my own.

Therefore give thanks unto him, all of you, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.

And they all bowed down to the Lord and said to her, Blessed art thou of the Lord, for by his power he hath destroyed our enemies.

And Uzziah, the chief of the people of Israel, said unto her, Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord God most high above all women on the earth.

Blessed be the Lord, who created the heaven and the earth, who hath directed thy hand to smite off the head of the leader of our enemies.

Then all the people said, Amen, Amen.

Then they called Achior, and he came. And Judith said unto him, The God of Israel, to whom thou didst bear witness that he would take vengeance on his enemies, he hath this night cut off by my hand the head of all the infidels.

And that thou mayest know that it is so, behold, the head of Holofernes, who slighted the God of Israel by his arrogant pride, and threatened thee with death, saying, If the people of Israel be taken captive, I will command that your sides be pierced with the sword.

And when Achior saw the head of Holofernes, he was terrified with fear, and fell upon his face on the earth, and his soul was troubled.

And after his spirit was revived and he recovered, he fell down before her, worshipping her, and said,

Blessed art thou of thy God in every tent of Jacob, and in every nation where thy name shall be heard, the God of Israel shall be magnified for thy sake.