The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

¶The .xv. Chapter.

1 The Assyrians are afrayd and flee. 6 The Israelites pursue them. 9 Ioachim the hie priest commeth to Bethulia to see Iudith, and to prayse God for her.

[unspec A] 1 NOw when al the hoast heard that Holopher∣nes was beheaded, their minde & counsell fel from them: and be∣ing amased with feare onely and trembling, they saued them selues by fleeing away,

2 One spake not to another, but hanged downe their heades, left all behinde thē, and made haste to escape from the He∣brues: for they heard that they were ha∣sting to come after with their weapons, and so they fled by the wayes of the fieldes, and through all the foote pathes of the * 1.1 dales.

3 And when the children of Israel saw that they fled, they folowed vpon them: and went downe with trumpettes, blo∣wyng and making a great crye after them.

4 As for the Assyrians they had no or∣der, and kept not them selues together, but fled their way: Neuerthelesse, the children of Israel fell vpon them with one company and order, and discomfi∣ted as many as they might get.

5 And Osias sent messengers vnto all the cities and countries of Israel.

6 So all the regions and euery citie sent out their best men after them in har∣nesse, and smote them with the sworde, till they came to the vttermost parte of their borders.

7 And the other that were in Bethulia came into the tentes of the Assyrians, [unspec B] and tooke all that they which were fled had left behinde them, & so they founde great good.

8 And they that came againe to Bethu∣lia from the battaile, tooke with them such thinges as had ben theirs: there was no number of the cattaile and of all costly iewels, so that from the lowest vn∣to the hiest, they were all made rich of the spoyles of them.

9 And Ioachim the hie priest came from Hierusalem to Bethulia with al the el∣ders, that they might see Iudith.

10 Now when she came out vnto them,

they began all to prayse her with one voyce, saying: Thou worship of the citie of Hierusalem, thou ioy of Israel, thou honour of our people.

11 Because thou hast done manly, and thy heart is comforted, & for that thou hast loued clenlinesse and chastitie, and hast knowen no man but thyne owne husband: therefore hath the hand of the Lorde comforted thee, and blessed shalt thou be for euer.

12 And all the people saide: So be it, So be it.

13 In thirtie dayes coulde the people of Israel scarse gather vp the spoyles of the Assyrians.

14 But all that belonged vnto Holopher∣nes, and had ben his specially (whether it were of golde, of siluer, precious stone, clothing, and all ornamentes) they gaue it vnto Iudith, and it was deliuered vn∣to her of the people.

15 And all the people reioyced, both wo∣men, maydens, and young people, with pipes, and harpes.

Notes

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