The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. IX.

[verse 1] And while thei ȝeden awei, Judith en|tride in to hir oratorie, and sche clothide hir silf with an heire, and puttide [sche puttide I.] aische [ashen S.] on [upon I.] hir heed; and sche bowide doun hir silf to the Lord, and criede [sche criede I.] to the Lord, [verse 2] and seide, Lord God of my fadir Symeon, which [that I.] ȝauest to hym a swerd in to de|fence [defence; that is, in defending of him silf fro aliens; defence here is seid the sleing of Siche|mytis, for the violent oppress|ing of Dyna, the douȝter of Jacob. Lire here. C.] of aliens, that [the whiche I.] weren defouleris in [of I.] her defoulyng, and maden nakid the hipe [verse 3] of a virgyn in to confusioun [her owne confusioun I.] ; and thou ȝauest the wymmen of hem in to prey, the [and the I.] douȝtris of hem in to caitifte, and [and thou ȝauest I.] al the prey in to departyng to thi seruauntis, that loueden feruentli thi feruent loue [thy feruent loue; the con|trarie semeth, for Jacob re|preuyde that doing of Sy|myon and of Leuy in xxiiij. c^o. and in xlix. c^o. of Genesis; the soiling is this; the fer|uent loue to avenge the de|fouling of a virgyn, was leueful and iust, for they hadden no iuge that wolde punysche the dede, of which the prince of the citee was auctour, and his puple was fautour; and thus spekith Judith here, and Jacob re|preuyde the yuel and trai|terouse maner of venging, in as myche as the sones of Jacob braken couenaunt maad with Si|chemytis. Lire here. C.] ; Lord, Y biseche [biseche thee I.] , helpe thou me a widewe. [verse 4] For [Certis I.] thou madist the [Om. I.] formere thingis, and thouȝtist [thouȝtis BCEFPS. Om. I.] tho thingis aftir [and I.] tho [tho thou thouȝtist to make aftirward I.] , and this thing is maad [maad to us I.] , which thou woldist. [verse 5] For [Sothely I.] alle thi weies ben redi, and thou has set thi domes in thi [thi owne I.] puruyaunce. [verse 6] Biholde thou the castels [strengthis I.] of Assiriens [the men of Assirie I.] now [Om. I.] , as thou [thanne thou I.] vouchidist saaf to biholde thanne [Om. I.] the castels [strengthis I.] of Egipcians [the men of Egipt I.] , whanne thei runnen [camen I.] armed after thi seruauntis, and tristiden in charis [her charis I.] , and in multitude [the multitude I.] of her knyȝtis, and in multitude [the multitude I.] of wer|riours

[her werriouris I.] . [verse 7] But thou biheldist on the castels [powers I.] of hem, and derknessis maden hem feynt; [verse 8] the botme of the see helde her feet, and watris hiliden hem. [verse 9] Lord, `also these men be maad so, that [be thes men maad also in lijk manere, whiche I.] tristen in her multitude, and in her charis, and in scharp [her scharp I.] schaftis with oute irun, and in her arowis; and [verse 10] han glorie [veyn glorie I.] in her speris; and witen [thei witen I.] not, that thou thi silf art oure [Om. S.] God, that [whiche I.] `al to-brekist batels [Om. I.] fro the bigynnyng [bigynnyng hast alto broke batails I.] , and the [Om. I.] Lord is name to thee. [verse 11] Reise [Reise up I.] thin arm [arm; that is, thi power. Lire here. C.] as [as thou didist I.] at the bigynnyng, and [and in thi vertu I.] hurle [hurledist I. hurtle R.] doun the power [vertu BEH sec. m. LPUVX.] of hem `in thi vertu [Om. I.] ; the power [vertu GKLMXa.] of hem falle [falle it I.] doun in thi wrath|fulnesse [riȝtfulnesse I.] , whiche biheten hem to defoule `thin hooli thingis, and to defoule [Om. I.] the tabernacle of thi name, and to cast doun with her swerd the horn [myȝt I.] of thin auter. [verse 12] Lord, make thou that the pride of hem [verse 13] be kit of with her owne swerd; be [and be I.] he [Holofernes I.] takun with the snare of hise iȝen in me; and thou schalt smyte hym with the lippis of my charite [my charite; that is, by my swete wordis and schewinge loue. Lire here. C.] . [verse 14] Ȝyue [Ȝyue, Lord I.] thou to [Om. S.] me stid|fastnesse in soule, that Y dispise hym [Holofernes I.] and his vertu [power H sec. m. I.] , and distrie [make me to distrie I.] hym. [verse 15] For [Certis I.] it schal be a memorial [myndfulnesse I.] of [to B pr. m.] thi name, whanne the hondis of a womman han cast hym doun. [verse 16] For whi, Lord, thi vertu [power I.] is not in multi|tude, nether thi wille is in the strengthis of horsis; and [and, Lord I.] proude spiritis plesiden not thee at the bigynnyng, but the preier of meke men and mylde `pleside euere [hath euer plesid I.] thee. [verse 17] God of heuenes, the [thou art I.] creatour of watris, and Lord of alle [ech I.] creature, here thou me wretchid womman preiynge [Om. I.] and tristynge of thi merci. [verse 18] Lord, haue thou mynde of thi testament, and ȝyue thou a word in my mouth [mouth to speke I.] , and make thou strong the counsel [counsel of thee I.] in myn herte, that thin hows [verse 19] dwelle perfitly in thin halewyng; and that alle folkis knowe, that thou art God, and [and that I.] noon other is outakun thee.