Yudit (Judith) — 13

Yudit Beheads Hulufarnas

1 When evening came, Hulufarnas slaves quickly withdrew, and Baguas closed the tent from outside and shut out the attendants from his master’s presence; and they went to bed, for they all were weary because the banquet had lasted long. 

2 So Yudit was left alone in the tent, with Hulufarnas stretched out on his bed, for he was overcome with wine.

3 Now Yudit had told her maid to stand outside the bedchamber and to wait for her to come out, as she did every day; for she said she would be going out for her prayers. And she had said the same thing to Baguas. 

4 So every one went out, and no one, either small or great, was left in the bedchamber. Then Yudit standing beside Hulufarnas bed, said in her heart, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of all might, look in this hour upon the work of my hands for the exaltation of Yahushalam. 

5 For now is the time to help your inheritance, and to carry out my undertaking for the destruction of the enemies who have risen up against us.”

6 She went up to the post at the end of the bed, above Hulufarnas head, and took down his sword that hung there. 

7 She came close to his bed and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, “Give me strength this day, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL!” 

8 And she struck his neck twice with all her might, and severed his head from his body. 

9 Then she tumbled his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the posts; after a moment she went out, and gave Hulufarnas head to her maid, 

10 who placed it in her food bag.

Yudit Returns to Bathulia

Then the two of them went out together, as they were accustomed to go for prayer; and they passed through the camp and circled around the valley and went up the mountain to Bwthulia and came to its gates. 

11 Yudith called out from afar to the watchmen at the gates, “Open, open the gate! 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, is still with us, to show His power in Yashar'AL, and His strength against our enemies, even as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has done this day!”

12 When the men of her city heard her voice, they hurried down to the city gate and called together the elders of the city. 

13 They all ran together, both small and great, for it was unbelievable that she had returned; they opened the gate and admitted them, and they kindled a fire for light, and gathered around them. 

14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, “Yadah 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, O Yadah 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH! Yadah 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, who has not withdrawn His mercy from the house of Yashar'AL, but has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!”

15 Then she took the head out of the bag and showed it to them, and said, “See, here is the head of Hulufarnas, the commander of the Assyrian army, and here is the canopy beneath which he lay in his drunken stupor. For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has struck him down by the hand of a woman. 

16 As 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH lives, who has protected me in the way I went, it was my face that tricked him to his destruction, and yet he committed no act of sin with me, to defile and shame me.”

17 All the people were greatly astonished, and bowed down and worshiped 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and said with one accord, “Baraked are you, our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, who has brought into contempt this day the enemies of your people.”

18 And Uzzyahu said to her, “O daughter, you are baraked by AL'ALYUN (the Most High) above all women on the Arath; and baraked be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, who created the Shamaym and the Arath, who has guided you to strike the head of the leader of our enemies. 

19 Your hope will never depart from the hearts of men, as they remember the power of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. 

20 May 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH grant this to be a perpetual honor to you, and may he visit you with Barakah, because you did not spare your own life when our nation was brought low, but have avenged our ruin, walking in the straight path before our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.” And all the people said, “So be it, so be it!”