1 Now when the evening had come, his servants hastened to depart, and Bagoas shut his tent outside and dismissed the attendants from the presence of his master, and they went to their beds; for they were all weary because the feast had been long.
2 And Yahuḏith was left alone in the tent, and Holophernĕs lying across his bed; for he was filled with wine.
3 Now Yahuḏith had commanded her female servant to stand outside her bedroom and to wait for her to come out as she did daily; for she said she would go out to her prayers. And she spake to Bagoas according to the same words.
4 So all went out and no one was left in the bedroom, neither small nor great. Then Yahuḏith, standing by his bed said in her heart, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Elohim of all power, look at this time on the works of my hands for the exaltation of Yerushalayim.
5 “For now is the time to help Your inheritance, and to execute Your works to the destruction of the enemies who have risen against us.”
6 Then she went to the bedpost which was at Holophernĕs’ head, and took down his sword from there,
7 and approached his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head and said, “Strengthen me this day O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.”
8 And she struck twice upon his neck with all her strength, and she took off his head.
9 And she rolled his body down from the bed and pulled down the canopy from the posts. And afterward she went out and gave the head of Holophernĕs to her female servant;
10 and she put it in her food bag. So together they went out to prayer according to their custom; and when they had passed the camp, they circled around the valley and went up the mountain of Bĕyth Yulia and came to its gates.
11 Then from a distance Yahuḏith said to the watchmen at the gate, “Open, open now the gate! Elohim, even our Elohim is with us to still show His power in Yerushalayim, and His power against the enemy, as He has even done this day!”
12 Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they hurried to go down to the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city.
13 And then they all ran together, both small and great, for it was astonishing to them that she had come; so they opened the gate and received them, and made a fire for a light and stood round about them.
14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, “Praise Elohim, praise Elohim I say, for He has not taken away His kindness from the house of Yisra’ĕl, but has destroyed our enemies by my hands this night!”
15 So she took the head out of the bag and showed it, and said to them, “See the head of Holophernĕs, the chief captain of the army of Ashshur, and see the canopy, in which he lay in his drunkenness; and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has smitten him by the hand of a woman.
16 “As 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 lives who has kept me in my way that I went, my face has deceived him to his destruction, and yet he has not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.”
17 Then all the people were greatly astonished and bowed themselves and worshipped Elohim, and said with one accord, “Baruḵ are You, O our Elohim, who has this day brought the enemies of your people to nought!”
18 Then Uzziyah said to her, “O daughter, baruḵ are you of the Most High Elohim above all the women on the earth; and baruḵ be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim, who has created the shamayim and the earth, who has guided you to cut off the head of the chief of our enemies.
19 “For this, your trust shall not depart from the hearts of men who remember the power of Elohim forever.
20 “And Elohim turn these to you for a praise forever, to remember you for good because you have not spared your life for the affliction of our nation, but have revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our Elohim.” And all the people said; “Amĕn, amĕn.”