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

CAP. XII.

[verse 1] Thanne Holofernes comaundide hir [Judith IS.] to entre, where his tresouris weren kept, and he comaundide hir to dwelle there; and he ordeynede, what [what thing IS.] schulde be ȝouun to hir of his feeste. [verse 2] To whom Judith answeride, and seide, Now Y may not ete of these thingis, which thou comaundidist to be ȝouun to me, lest offence come on me; but Y schal ete of these thingis, whiche Y brouȝte [haue brouȝt IS.] with me. [verse 3] To whom Holofernes seide, If these thingis failen [failen to thee IS.] , whiche thou brouȝtist [hast brouȝt IS.] with thee, what schulen we [we thanne IS.] do to thee? [verse 4] And Judith seide, Lord, thi soule lyueth, for thin handmaide schal not spende alle these thingis, til God schal do in myn hondis these thingis which Y thouȝte [haue thouȝt to do IS.] . And hise seruauntis ledden hir in to the tabernacle, whidur he hadde comaundid. [verse 5] And sche axide [axide of Holofernes S.] , the [Om. I.] while sche entride [entride in to the tabernacle S.] , that fredom schulde be ȝouun to hir to go out to preier, in the nyȝt, and bifor the liȝt [liȝt of [the S] dai came IS.] , and [Om. I.] to biseche the Lord. [verse 6] And he [Holofernes IS.] comaundide to his chaumberleyns, that, as it pleside hir, sche schulde go out, and entre [yn I.] , for to preie hir God bi thre daies. [verse 7] And sche ȝede out [forth IS.] in nyȝtis in to the valei of Bethulia, and waischide [sche waischide IS.] hir silf [Om. I. there S.] in the [a IS.] welle of watir. [verse 8] And as sche stiede [stiede up I. stiede vp there S.] , sche preiede the Lord God of Is|rael, that he wolde dresse hir weie to the delyueraunce of his puple. [verse 9] And sche en|tride [entride yn IS.] , and dwellide clene in the taber|nacle, til that sche took hir mete in the euentid. [verse 10] And it was doon in the fourthe [fourthe; fro the entringe of Judith fro the cytee of Bithu|lia. Lire here. C.] dai, Holofernes made a soper to hise ser|uauntis, and he seide to Vagao, the [his IS.] chaumburleyn, Go thou, and councele [counsel thou S.] that [Judith the IS.] Ebrew womman, that sche consente wilfuli to dwelle with me. [verse 11] For it is foul [a foul thing IS.] anentis Assiriens [men of Assirie IS.] , if a womman scorne [scorne or desceyue I.] a man, in doynge [hir doynge I.] that [and that IS.] sche passe `with

out part [free I.] fro hym. [verse 12] Thanne Vagao en|tride [entride yn IS.] to Judith, and seide [he seide to hir IS.] , A good dame|sele be not aschamed to entre [entre yn IS.] to my lord, that sche be onourid bifor his face, and that sche eete with hym, and drynke wiyn with gladnesse. [verse 13] To whom Judith answeryde, Who am Y, that Y aȝenseie my lord? [verse 14] Y schal do al thing, that schal be good and best bifor hise iȝen. Sotheli [And IS.] what euer thing plesith hym, this [this thing IS.] schal be best to me in alle the daies of my lijf. [verse 15] And sche roos [roos up IS.] , and ournede hir silf [Om. IS.] with hir clothis, and entride [sche entride yn IS.] , and stood bifor `his face [the face of Holofernes IS.] . [verse 16] Forsothe [And IS.] the herte of Holo|fernes was stirid [stiride to lust S.] ; for he was brennynge in the [fleishly I.] coueitise of hir. [verse 17] And Holofernes seide to hir, Drynke thou now, and take [take thou S.] mete in [with S.] gladnesse; for thou hast founde grace bifor me. [verse 18] And Judith seide, Lord, Y schal drynke, for my soule is magny|fied to dai bifor alle the daies of my lijf. [verse 19] And sche took, and eet, and drank bifor hym tho thingis, whiche hir handmayde hadde maad redi to hir. [verse 20] And Holofernes was maad glad `to hir [toward hir I. to hir wardus S.] , and he drank [drank thanne IS.] ful myche wiyn, hou myche he hadde neuere drank in o dai in his lijf.