And while they went forth, Judith entered her temple, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon her head, and fell down before the Lord, and cried unto the Lord, saying,

O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gavest a sword to take vengeance on the strangers for their uncleanness, for they exposed and revealed a virgin to shame.

And thou madest their women a spoil, and their daughters a captivity, and all their plunder was divided among thy servants who were zealous for thy zeal. I beseech thee, O my God, that thou wouldst aid me, who am a widow.

For thine are the first deeds, and thou hast ordained some of them after others, and what thou desiredst came to pass.

For all thy ways are prepared, and thou hast established thy judgments by thy care.

Look now upon the camp of the Assyrians, as thou didst condescend to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued thy servants with their weapons, trusting in their chariots and their horsemen, and in the multitude of their men of war.

Then thou didst look upon their camp, and didst trouble them with darkness.

Their feet were entangled in the deep, and the waters covered them.

O Lord, let these be like them, who trust in the multitude of their numbers, and their chariots, and their spears, and their shields, and their arrows, who boast in their javelins.

For they know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the beginning, and thy name is the Lord.

Lift up thine arm as thou didst from the beginning, and crush their power with thy might, and let the power of those who covet to profane thy holy things and defile the dwelling of thy name and demolish the horn of thine altar with their sword, fall by thy wrath.

Let his pride, O Lord, be cut off by his own sword.

Let him be caught by the snare of his own gaze upon me, and let me strike him by the hostile word that comes from my lips.

And grant me steadfastness in my heart, that I may despise him, and strength, that I may destroy him.

So shall this be a memorial to thy name, if he be destroyed by the hand of a woman.

For thy strength is not in multitude, O Lord, nor thy pleasure in the might of horses; and from the beginning thou hast not been pleased with the proud, but the prayer of the humble and meek always pleaseth thee.

O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of every creature, hear me, the poor one, who supplicate and trust in thy mercy.

And remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put a word in my mouth, and let the counsel of my heart be firm, that thy house may be established in thy holiness.

So that all nations may know that thou art God, and there is none other beside thee.