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

CAP. XI.

[verse 1] Thanne Holofernes seide to hir [Judith IS.] , Be thou coumfortid, and nyle thou drede in thin herte, for Y neuere anoyede [noiede IS.] man, that wolde serue Nabugodonosor, the [Om. S.] kyng [kyng of Assirie IS.] . [verse 2] Sotheli [And IS.] if thi puple hadde not dispisid me, Y hadde not reisid `myn hond [my power up IS.] on it. [verse 3] But `now seie [seie thou now IS.] to me, for what cause ȝedist thou awei fro hem, and [and whi I. whi S.] it pleside thee to come to vs. [verse 4] And Judith seide, Take [Take to herte IS.] thou the wordis of thin hand|maide; for, if thou suest [schalt sue IS.] the [and do after the S.] wordis of thin handmaide, the Lord schal make a perfit thing with thee. [verse 5] Forsothe Nabu|godonosor, the kyng of erthe, lyueth, and his vertu [power IS.] lyueth, which is in thee to the chastisyng of alle soulis [lyues I.] errynge; for not oneli [oneli bi thee IS.] men schulen serue hym [Nabugodonosor IS.] `bi thee [Om. IS.] , but also beestis of the feeld obeien [shul obeie IS.] to hym [hym bi thee IS.] . [verse 6] For the prudence of thi soule [soule or wit S.] is teld to alle folkis; and it is schewid to al the world, that thou aloon art good and myȝti in al his rewme; and thi techyng is prechid in alle prouyncis. [verse 7] Nether this thing is hid, which [that I.] Achior spak [hath spoke IS.] , nether that thing is vnknowun, which thou co|maundidist [comaundist IS.] to bifalle to hym. [verse 8] For [Forsothe IS.] it is knowun, that oure God is so offendid bi synnes, that he sente [hath sent IS.] bi hise profetis to the puple [peple of vs S.] , that he wolde bitake hem [hem to her enmyes IS.] for her synnes. And for the sones of Israel [verse 9] witen, that thei han offendid `her Lord

God [the Lord her God IS.] , the tremblyng of hym [hem I.] is on [upon IS.] hem. [verse 10] Ferthermore also hungur hath asailid hem, and for drynesse of watir thei ben rikenyd now among deed men. [verse 11] Forsothe [And this thing IS.] thei or|deynen this [now IS.] , that thei sle her beestis, and [verse 12] drynke her blood; and thei thouȝten [han thouȝt I.] to ȝyue these hooli thingis `of her Lord in [to bie with I. of her Lord to bie with S.] wheete, wyn, and oile, whiche [the whiche I.] God co|maundide to be not touchid, and thei wolen waste the [tho AS.] thingis, which thei ouȝten [owen IRS.] not touche [to touche a.] with hondis; therfor for thei doen these thingis, it is certeyn that thei schulen be ȝouun in to perdi|cioun. [verse 13] Which thing Y, thin handmaide, knew [knowe IS.] , and [and therfor I I. and herefor I S.] fledde fro hem, and the Lord sente [hath sent IS.] me to telle these same thingis to thee. [verse 14] For [Sothely IS.] Y, thin handmaide, worschipe God, also now at [anentis I.] thee; and thin hand|maide schal go out [forth IS.] , and Y schal preie [verse 15] God; and he schal seie to me, whanne he schal ȝelde to hem [the Jewis S.] her synne; and Y schal come, and telle to [Om. I.] thee, so that Y brynge thee thorouȝ the myddis of Jerusalem, and thou schalt haue al the puple of Israel as scheep `to whiche is [that I.] no scheepherde [schepherde is to I.] , and ther schal not berke [chide I. chide either speke foul S.] aȝens thee nameli [verse 16] oon; for these thingis ben seid to me bi the puruyaunce of God. [verse 17] And for God is wrooth to hem, Y am sente to telle to [Om. I.] thee these same thingis. [verse 18] Sotheli [Certis IS.] alle these wordis plesiden bifor Holofernes, and bifore hise children [seruauntis IS.] ; and thei wondriden at the wisdom of hir [Judith IS.] ; and oon [oon of hem S.] seide to [verse 19] another, Ther is not sich a womman on [upon IS.] erthe in siȝt, in fairenesse, and in wit of wordis. [verse 20] And Holofernes seide to hir, God dide wel, that sente thee bifor the puple, [verse 21] that thou ȝyue [bitake IS.] it in [in to S.] myn hondis; and [Om. S.] for thi biheest is good, if thi God doith these thingis to me, he schal be also my God, and thow schalt be greet in the hows of Nabugodonosor, and thi name schal be nemyd in al erthe.