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

CAP. XIV.

[verse 1] Judit forsothe seide to al the puple, Hereth, brethern; hangeth vp this hed vp on the wallis. [verse 2] And it shal be, whan the sunne goth out, eche man take his armes, and goth out with bure, not that ȝee go doun benethe, but as bure [woodnesse E pr. m.] doende. [verse 3] Thanne it shal nede ben, that the spieres [spies C.] of the lond flen to ther prince to be rerid vp to the fiȝt. [verse 4] And whan the dukis of hem comen to gidere to the tabernaclis of Olofernes, and finden hym heded [heuedid EFH.] , in his blod wrappid, drede shal fal doun vpon hem. [verse 5] And whan ȝee knowen them to fleen, goth after hem siker, for God shal to-trede them vnder ȝoure feet. [verse 6] Thanne Achior seande the vertue that God of Irael hadde do, laft the custum of his hethenenesse, leeuede [and bileuede A.] to God; and circumcidede the flesh of his ȝerde, and is put to the puple of Irael, and al the successioun of his kinrede vnto the dai

that is now. [verse 7] Anon forsothe that sprungen is dai, thei heengen [hangyden AEFH.] vpon the wallis the hed of Olofernes; and eche [eche one AEFH.] toc his armes, and thei wenten out with gret noise and ȝelling. [verse 8] Whiche thing seande, the aspies runnen togidere to the tabernacle of Olo|fernes. [verse 9] Forsothe thei, that weren comende in the tabernacle, and befor the incomyng of the priue chaumbre makende noise, for ende to reren [arere AEFH.] hym, bi craft casten vn|reste, that not of the rereres [arereris AEFH.] , but of the noise makeris Olofernes shulde waken [awaken AEFH.] . [verse 10] No man forsothe was hardi the taber|nacle of the vertue of Assiries knockende or entrende to openen. [verse 11] But whan his dukis hadden come, and the leders of thousendis, and alle the more of the ost of the king of Assiries, thei seiden to the [verse 12] priue chaumberleynes, Goth, and rereth [arereth AEFH.] hym; for myis gon out of ther caues ben hardi to clepen forth [Om. C.] vs to bataile. [verse 13] Thanne Vagio, gon in to his priue chaumbre, stod befor the curtin, and made fawnyng with his hondis; for|sothe he trowide hym with Judit to slepen. [verse 14] But whan no mouyng of hym liende with the wit of eris parceiuede, he wente to neȝhende to the curtin, and rerende [arerynge E.] it, and seande the carein of Olo|fernes withouten hed to lin roten in his blod vpon the [Om. C.] erthe, criede out with a gret vois with weeping, and cutte his clothis. [verse 15] And gon in to the tabernacle of Judit, fond her not, and he out sterte [verse 16] with oute to the puple, and seide, An Ebru womman hath do confusioun in the hous of king Nabugodonosor; lo! forsothe Olofernes lith in the erthe, and his hed is not in hym. [verse 17] The whiche

thing whan hadden herd the princis of the vertue of Assiries, alle cutten ther clothis, and vntolerable drede and trem|bling fel vp on hem, and ther inwittis ben disturbid [disturblid AH.] gretly. [verse 18] And ther is maad an vntolerable cry in to the middel tentis.