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

CAP. XIII.

[verse 1] Forsothe as [as soone as IS.] euentid was maad, hise [the IS.] seruauntis [seruauntis of Holofernes IS.] hastiden [hastiden hem IS.] to her ynnes [ynnes; that is, tentis. Lire here. C.] ; and Vagao [Vages, chamberleyne I. Vagao, his chaumberleyne S.] closid togidere the doris of the closet [closet where Holofernes lay IS.] , and ȝede [he ȝede IS.] forth. [verse 2] For alle men [verse 3] weren maad feynt [feynt or drunken IS.] of wiyn; and Judith aloone was [was there IS.] in [withynne I.] the closet. [verse 4] Certis Holo|fernes lai [lai there IS.] in the [a IS.] bed, aslepid with ful myche drunkenesse. [verse 5] And Judith seide to hir damesele, that sche schulde stonde with outforth bifor the dore of the closet, and aspie [aspie that no man were niȝ S.] . [verse 6] And Judith stood bifor the bed [bed of him I. bed of Holo|fernes S.] , preiynge [and she preiede IS.] with teeris, and with stir|yng [mouyng IS.] [verse 7] of lippis [hir lippis IS.] `in silence, seiynge [sche seide in silence IS.] , Lord

God of Israel, conferme me [me, or make me stable I. me, that is, make me stable in this doyng S.] , and biholde [Om. IS.] in this our [tyme IS.] to [biholde thou to IS.] the werkis of myn hondis, that, as thou bihiȝtist [hast bihiȝt IS.] , thou reise [reise up IS.] Jerusa|lem thi citee; and that [helpe me that S.] Y performe this thing, which thing Y bileuynge thouȝte to mow be doon bi thee. [verse 8] And whanne sche hadde seid this [this thing IS.] , sche neiȝede to the [Om. N.] piler that was at the heed of his [the AI.] bed [bed of Holofernes I.] , and sche loside his swerd, that hangide [hangide there I.] boundun `ther ynne [on the piler I.] . [verse 9] And whanne sche hadde drawe out of the scheeth thilke swerd, sche took the heer of his heed; and seide, Lord God of Israel, conferme me in this our [tyme I.] . [verse 10] And sche smoot twies on [in I.] his necke, and kittide [sche kittide I.] awei [off I.] his heed; and sche took awei his curteyn fro the pileris, and walewide [sche walewide I.] awei his bodi heedles. [verse 11] And aftir a litil sche ȝede out, and bitook [sche bitook I.] the heed of Holofernes to hir handmaide, and comaundide [Judith comaundide hir I.] , that sche schulde putte it in to hir scrippe. [verse 12] And [And bi her custom I.] the twei wymmen ȝeden out [forth I.] `bi her custom [Om. I.] as [as it were I.] to preier [her preier I.] , and passiden [thei passiden I.] the castels [tentis I.] [castels; that is, oost. CV.] of Assiriens [the men of Assirie I.] , and thei cumpassiden [ȝeden aboute I.] the valei, and camen [thei camen I.] to the ȝate of the citee. [verse 13] And Judith seide afer to the keperis of the wallis, `Opene ȝe [Openeth I.] the ȝatis, for God is with vs, that hath do greet vertu in Israel. [verse 14] And it was doon, whanne the [tho I.] men hadden herd `her vois [the vois of Judith I.] , thei clepiden the prestis of the citee. [verse 15] And alle men fro the leest `til to [vnto I.] the mooste runnen to hir [Judith I.] ; for thei hopiden not, that sche schulde come [haue come I.] now. [verse 16] And thei teend|iden [teenden C. teendiden up I.] liȝtis, and alle men cumpassiden aboute hir. Sotheli [And I.] sche stiede [stiede up I.] in to an hiȝere place, and [and sche I.] comaundide [comaunde A.] silence to be maad. And whanne alle men weren [verse 17] stille, Judith seide, Herie ȝe `oure Lord God [the Lord oure God I.] , that hath not forsake hem that [verse 18] hopen [tristen I.] in hym, and bi me, his handmaide, he hath fillid [fulfillid I.] his merci, which he bihiȝte

to the hows of Israel, and [and in this niȝt he I.] hath slayn in myn hond the enemye of his puple `in this niȝt [Om. I.] . [verse 19] And sche `brouȝte forth [toke out I.] of the [hir S.] scrippe the heed of Holofernes, and [Om. S.] schewide [sche shewide I.] it to hem, and seide, Lo! the heed of Holofernes, prince of the chiualrie of Assiriens [men of Assirie I.] ; and, lo! his curteyn, in [withynne I.] which he lay in his drunkenesse, where also oure [the I.] Lord God [oure God I.] killide hym bi the hond of a womman. [verse 20] Forsothe the Lord God lyueth, for his aungel kepte [hath kept I.] me, bothe goynge fro hennus, and dwellynge there, and turnynge aȝen fro thennus hidur; and the Lord `suffride not [hath not suffrid I.] his handmaide to be defoulid, but with out defoulyng of synne he aȝen [hath aȝen I.] clepid me to ȝou, and Y haue ioie in his [Om. I.] victorie [victorie of the Lord I.] , and in `my scapyng [my schapyng A. myn ascapyng I.] , and in ȝoure delyuer|aunce. [verse 21] Knouleche ȝe alle to hym [the Lord I.] , for he is good, for his mercy is in to `the world [withouten ende I.] . [verse 22] Sotheli alle men worschipiden the Lord, and seiden to hir [Judith I.] , The Lord hath blessid thee in his vertu, for bi thee he hath brouȝt to nouȝt oure enemyes. [verse 23] Certis [And thanne I.] Ozie, prince [the prince I.] of the puple of Israel, seide to hir [Judith I.] , Douȝtir, thou art blessid of the hiȝ Lord God, bifor alle wymmen on [upon I.] erthe. [verse 24] Blessid be the Lord [Lord God AD pr. m.] , that made heuene and erthe, and that dresside thee in to the woundis of the heed of the [verse 25] prince of oure enemyes; for to dai he hath magnefied so thi name, that thi preisyng go not awei fro the mouth of men, that [the whiche I.] schulen be myndeful of the vertu of the Lord with outen ende; for whiche [whiche men I.] thou sparidist not thi lijf for [but puttidist it for I.] the angwischis and tribulaciouns of thi kyn, but [and thou I.] helpidist [hast holpen I.] the fallinge [fallinge of the peple I.] bifor the siȝt of oure God. [verse 26] And al the puple seide, `Be it! be it [Be it thus don, be it thus don I. Amen! amen! that is, be it, be it K. Be it S.] ! [verse 27] Forsothe [And thanne I.] Achior was clepid, and cam [he cam I.] ; and Judith seide to hym, Thilke God of Israel, to whom thou

ȝauest witnessyng, that he auengith hym of hise enemyes, hath kit of the heed of alle vnbileueful men in this niȝt bi myn hond. [verse 28] And that [Om. S.] thou preue that it is so, lo [O!here I.] ! the heed of Holofernes, which [the which I.] in the dispit of his pride dispiside God of Israel, and manaasside [he manaasside I.] deth to thee, and seide, Whanne the puple of Israel is takun, Y schal comaunde thi sidis to be persid with a swerd. [verse 29] Sotheli [And whanne I.] Achior siȝ the heed of Holofernes, and [he I.] was angwischid for drede, and felde [he fille I.] doun on his face on [upon I.] the erthe, and his soule suffride eneyn|tisyng [that is, swownyng I marg.] . [verse 30] Sotheli [And I.] aftir that he hadde take aȝen spirit [his spirit I.] , and was coumfortid, he felde doun at `hir feet [the feet of Judith I.] , and worschipide [he wor|schipide I.] [verse 31] hir, and seide, Blessid art thou of thi God in al [alle I.] the tabernacle [tabernaclis I.] [al the taber|nacle; that is, of alle men dwellinge in the tabernaclis of Ebreys, com|yng forth of Jacob. Lire here. C.] of Jacob; for in ech [al I.] folk, that schal here thi name, God of Israel schal be magnyfied in thee.