Then he ordered that she should go in where his treasures were laid up, and bade her tarry there, and he appointed what should be given her from his own table.

Tunc jussit eam introire ubi repositi erant thesauri ejus, et jussit illic manere eam, et constituit quid daretur illi de convivio suo.

And now Holofernes would have her repair to the tent where he kept his treasures, and lodge there; and he was for sending food to her there from his own table.

And Judith answered him and said: Now I cannot eat of these things which thou commandest to be given me, lest sin come upon me: but I will eat of the things which I have brought.

Cui respondit Judith, et dixit: Nunc non potero manducare ex his quæ mihi præcipis tribui, ne veniat super me offensio: ex his autem quæ mihi detuli, manducabo.

But Judith told him, Eat I may not of the portion thou wouldst assign me; that were a grave fault; I have brought my own provisions with me.

And Holofernes said to her: If these things which thou hast brought with thee fail thee, what shall we do for thee?

Cui Holofernes ait: Si defecerint tibi ista, quæ tecum detulisti, quid faciemus tibi?

Ay, thou hast brought them, Holofernes said, but how if they should not suffice? How shall we fend for thee?

And Judith said: As thy soul liveth, my lord, thy handmaid shall not spend all these things till God do by my hand that which I have purposed. And his servants brought her into the tent which he had commanded.

Et dixit Judith: Vivit anima tua, domine meus, quoniam non expendet omnia hæc ancilla tua, donec faciat Deus in manu mea hæc quæ cogitavi. Et induxerunt illam servi ejus in tabernaculum quod præceperat.

My lord, answered Judith, as thou art a living man, God will prosper thy handmaid’s undertaking before ever these are spent. So his servants shewed her to the tent he had designed for her;

And when she was going in, she desired that she might have liberty to go out at night and before day to prayer, and to beseech the Lord.

Et petiit dum introiret, ut daretur ei copia nocte et ante lucem egrediendi foras ad orationem, et deprecandi Dominum.

but as she entered it, she asked that she might be allowed to leave it each night, before day broke, and, praying, make her peace with the Lord.

And he commanded his chamberlains, that she might go out and in, to adore her God as she pleased, for three days.

Et præcepit cubiculariis suis ut sicut placeret illi, exiret et introiret ad adorandum Deum suum per triduum:

So he gave orders to his chamberlains, that for the next three days she should be allowed to come and go as she would, for the worship of her God;

And she went out in the nights into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain of water.

et exibat noctibus in vallem Bethuliæ, et baptizabat se in fonte aquæ.

each night she went out to the vale of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain there,

And as she came up, she prayed to the Lord the God of Israel, that he would direct her way to the deliverance of his people.

Et ut ascendebat, orabat Dominum Deum Israël ut dirigeret viam ejus ad liberationem populi sui.

and prayed, as she came up out of the water, the God of Israel would speed her errand for his people’s deliverance.

And going in, she remained pure in the tent, until she took her own meat in the evening.

Et introiens, munda manebat in tabernaculo usque dum acciperet escam suam in vespere.

Then she guarded herself against defilement by keeping her tent all day, till she made her meal at sun-down.

And it came to pass on the fourth day, that Holofernes made a supper for his servants, and said to Vagao his eunuch: Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman, to consent of her own accord to dwell with me.

Et factum est, in quarto die Holofernes fecit cœnam servis suis, et dixit ad Vagao eunuchum suum: Vade, et suade Hebræam illam ut sponte consentiat habitare mecum.

On the fourth day, Holofernes made a banquet for his own attendants, and sent his chamberlain Vagoa with an invitation to her. Prevail if thou canst, said he, on this Hebrew woman to grant me, of her own free will, her favours.

For it is looked upon as shameful among the Assyrians, if a woman mock a man, by doing so as to pass free from him.

Fœdum est enim apud Assyrios, si femina irrideat virum agendo ut immunis ab eo transeat.

(Great shame the Assyrians hold it in a man, if any woman fools him, and contrives to escape from his company unmolested.)

Then Vagao went in to Judith, and said: Let not my good maid be afraid to go in to my lord, that she may be honoured before his face, that she may eat with him and drink wine and be merry.

Tunc introivit Vagao ad Judith, et dixit: Non vereatur bona puella introire ad dominum meum, ut honorificetur ante faciem ejus, ut manducet cum eo, et bibat vinum in jucunditate.

So Vagoa waited on Judith, and said, Fair lady, make no scruple to appear as an honoured guest in my master’s presence, to eat with him, and make merry over the wine.

And Judith answered him: Who am I, that I should gainsay my lord?

Cui Judith respondit: Quæ ego sum, ut contradicam domino meo?

It is not for me, Judith answered, to gainsay my lord in this.

All that shall be good and best before his eyes, I will do. And whatsoever shall please him, that shall be best to me all the days of my life.

omne quod erit ante oculos ejus bonum et optimum, faciam. Quidquid autem illi placuerit, hoc mihi erit optimum omnibus diebus vitæ meæ.

Whim and will of his shall be whim and will of mine; I ask no better, all my life, than to obey his pleasure.

And she arose and dressed herself out with her garments, and going in she stood before his face.

Et surrexit, et ornavit se vestimento suo, et ingressa stetit ante faciem ejus.

With that, she rose up and threw her robe about her, and so made her way into Holofernes’ presence;

And the heart of Holofernes was smitten, for he was burning with the desire of her.

Cor autem Holofernes concussum est: erat enim ardens in concupiscentia ejus.

fast beat his heart within him, such was his longing for her charms.

And Holofernes said to her: Drink now, and sit down and be merry; for thou hast found favour before me.

Et dixit ad eam Holofernes: Bibe nunc, et accumbe in jucunditate, quoniam invenisti gratiam coram me.

Drink with me, he said; fall to, and make merry; thou art right welcome.

And Judith said: I will drink my lord, because my life is magnified this day above all my days.

Et dixit Judith: Bibam, domine, quoniam magnificata est anima mea hodie præ omnibus diebus meis.

And Judith answered, Drink I will, my lord; never was a day in my life so proud as this.

And she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared for her.

Et accepit, et manducavit et bibit coram ipso ea quæ paraverat illi ancilla ejus.

So she ate and drank with him, but only what her serving-maid had prepared for her.

And Holofernes was made merry on her occasion, and drank exceeding much wine, so much as he had never drunk in his life.

Et jucundus factus est Holofernes ad eam, bibitque vinum multum nimis, quantum numquam biberat in vita sua.

And Holofernes, basking in her smiles, drank ever deeper; never drank Holofernes as on that night.