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army struck such terror and dismay into the hearts of the Syrians, that they went out on all sides to meet him with garlands, lights, and dances, timbrels and flutes, if possible, to appease his fierceness. Eliachim, the high priest of Jerusalem, seeing the danger that threatened Juda, in common with the other people,

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ACHIOR'S SPEECH WITH HOLOFERNES AND HIS CAPTAINS.

went round the cities of Juda, exhorting the Jews to

ACHIOR'S ACCOUNT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 409

humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes, and pray to the Lord their God for deliverance, while the men of war prepared to defend their country.

Holofernes hearing that the children of Israel were thus preparing to resist him, full of amazement and indignation, called together the princes of Moab and

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Ammon, who had made their submission, and asked

them; "What is this people that besetteth the mountains, that they alone have despised us, and not come out to meet us ?" Achior, a prince of the children of Ammon asked Holofernes leave to give him an answer, and spoke as follows:—

ACHIOR'S ACCOUNT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

This people is of the offspring of the Chaldeans. They dwelt first in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, who were in the land of the Chaldeans.

Wherefore forsaking the ceremonies of their fathers, which consisted in the worship of many gods,

They worshipped one God of heaven, who also commanded them to depart from thence, and to dwell in Charan. And when there was a famine over all the land, they went down into Egypt, and there for four hundred years were so multiplied, that the army of them could not be numbered.

And when the king of Egypt oppressed them, and made slaves of them to labour in clay and brick, in the building of his cities, they cried to their Lord, and he struck the whole land of Egypt with divers plagues.

And when the Egyptians had cast them out from them, and the plague had ceased from them, and they had a mind to take them again, and bring them back to their service,

The God of heaven opened the sea to them in their flight, so that the waters were made to stand firm as a wall on either side, and they walked through the bottom of the sea and passed it dry foot.

And when an innumerable army of the Egyptians pursued after them in that place, they were so overwhelmed with the waters, that there was not one left, to tell what had happened to posterity.

And after they came out of the Red sea, they abode in the deserts of mount Sina, in which

never man could dwell, or son of man rested.

There bitter fountains were made sweet for them to drink, and for forty years they received food from heaven.

Wheresoever they went in without bow and arrow, and without shield and sword, their God fought for them and overcame.

And there was no one that triumphed over this people, but when they departed from the worship of the Lord their God.

But as often as beside their own God, they worshipped any other, they were given to spoil, and to the sword, and to reproach.

And as often as they were penitent for having revolted from the worship of their God, the God of heaven gave them power to resist.

And even some years ago when they had revolted from the way which God had given them to walk therein, they were destroyed in battles by many nations, and very many of them were led away captive into a strange land.

But of late returning to the Lord their God, from the different places wherein they were scattered, they are come together and are gone up into all these mountains, and possess Jerusalem again where these holy things are.

Now, therefore, my Lord, search and see, if there be any iniquity of theirs in the sight of their God, let us go up to them, because their God will surely deliver them to thee, and they shall be brought under the yoke of thy power.

But if there be no offence of this people in the sight of their God, we cannot resist them, because their God will defend them, and we shall be a reproach to the whole earth.

Holofernes, and all his captains, were so angry with these words, that they had a mind to kill Achior, and at length Holofernes said: "Because thou hast prophesied to us that the nation of Israel is defended by their God; to show thee that there is no other god but Nabuchodonosor, behold, from this hour, thou shalt be associated with this people, that when they receive

JUDITH ENTERS THE ASSYRIAN CAMP.

411

the punishment they deserve from my sword, it shall pass through thy sides, and thou shalt be stabbed, and fall among the wounded of Israel." Thus saying,

Holofernes commanded his men to take Achior and deliver him to the children of Israel, which command they executed, by leaving him bound to a tree before the gates of Bethulia.

§ 48. Judith enters the Assyrian camp, and cuts off the head of

Holofernes.

The Assyrian army now came up before Bethulia, to whose inhabitants Achior had told all that he knew of the murderous intent of Holofernes. The distress of the city soon became so great, that the people came to Ozias, their chief, and extorted from him the promise, that if deliverance did not come in five days, he would open the gates of the city to the Assyrians.

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Judith, a widow of the city, heard of this, and sent to Ozias and his counsellors, saying: "Who are you that you tempt the Lord? this is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather indignation. You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord, and you have appointed Him a day according to your pleasure; let us rather humbly wait for His consolation." These and other words spoke Judith to Ozias and the ancients, and they answered: "All the words thou hast spoken are true, and there is nothing to be reprehended in thy words: now therefore pray for us, for thou art a holy woman, and one fearing God." Judith then said briefly, that she and her maid would go to the Assyrian camp; but that they were not to search to know her

purpose, and that nothing should be done but to pray to God for her. Ozias answered: "Go in peace, and the Lord be with thee to take revenge of our enemies."

Judith returned home, and going into her oratory, she put on haircloth and covered her head with ashes, and she prayed before God, reminding Him how He had humbled the Egyptians who trusted in their chariots and horses; and she besought Him to humble the Assyrian army, " that all nations may acknowledge

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JUDITH IS INTRODUCED TO THE TENT OF HOLOFERNES.

that Thou art God, and none other besides Thee."

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