1 Then Yahuḏith fell on her face, and put ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth with which she was clothed; and about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Yerushalayim in the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Yahuḏith cried with a loud voice and said,
2 “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of my father Shim’on, to whom you gave a sword to take vengeance on the foreigners who loosened the girdle of a maiden to defile her and uncovered the thigh to her reproach and polluted her maidenhood to put her to shame; for You said, ‘It shall not be so.’ And yet they did so.
3 “Therefore You gave their rulers to be slain, so that they stained their bed with blood, being deceived and smote the servants with their masters, and the masters on their thrones;
4 and have given their wives for a prey and their daughters to be captives and all their plunder to be divided among Your dear children; who were moved with Your ardour, and abhorred the defilement of their blood, and called upon You for help. O Elohim, O my Elohim, hear me also a widow!
5 “For You have not only done these, but also that which came to be before, and which came to be after; You have thought upon the matters that are now, and those that are to come.
6 “Even those that You determined to be ready at hand and said, ‘See, we are here.’ For all Your ways are prepared and Your judgments are in Your foreknowledge.
7 “For look, Ashshur have multiplied in their power; they are exalted with horse and man; they boast in the strength of their footmen; they trust in shield and spear and bow and sling, and do not know that You are 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who breaks the battles. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is Your Name!
8 “Cast down their strength in Your power, and bring down their might in Your wrath; for they have planned to defile Your Qodesh Place and to pollute the Dwelling Place where Your great Name rests, and to cast down the horn of Your altar with the sword.
9 “See their pride, and send Your wrath upon their heads! Give into my hand, who is a widow, the strength to do what I have planned.
10 “By the deceit of my lips smite the servant with the prince, and the prince with the servant. Break down their pride by the hand of a woman,
11 for Your power does not stand in numbers nor Your strength in mighty men; for You are an Elohim of the afflicted, a Helper of the helpless, an Upholder of the weak, a Protector of the oppressed, a Saviour of those who are without expectancy.
12 “Please, please, O Elohim of my father and Elohim of the inheritance of Yisra’ĕl, Aḏon of the shamayim and earth, Creator of the waters, Sovereign of all creation, hear my prayer,
13 and make my words and deception to be their wound and smiting, who have planned violence against Your Covenant, and Your qodesh House, and against Mount Tsion, and against the house of the possession of Your children.
14 “And make every nation and tribe to acknowledge that You are the Elohim of all power and might, and that there is none other who protects the people of Yisra’ĕl but You!”