Quibus ascendentibus, Judith ingressa est oratorium suum: et induens se cilicio, posuit cinerem super caput suum: et prosternens se Domino, clamabat ad Dominum, dicens:

When they had gone, Judith went to her place of prayer, sackcloth her garb, ashes sprinkled over her head, and thus, falling down before the Lord, she cried for mercy:

And when they were gone, Judith went into her oratory: and putting on haircloth, laid ashes on her head: and falling down prostrate before the Lord, she cried to the Lord, saying:

Domine Deus patris mei Simeon, qui dedisti illi gladium in defensionem alienigenarum, qui violatores extiterunt in coinquinatione sua, et denudaverunt femur virginis in confusionem:

Lord God of my father Simeon, thou didst put a sword in his hand to punish the alien for foul wrong done, for a virgin stripped and shamed;

O Lord God of my father Simeon, who gavest him a sword to execute vengeance against strangers, who had defiled by their uncleanness, and uncovered the virgin unto confusion:

et dedisti mulieres illorum in prædam, et filias illorum in captivitatem: et omnem prædam in divisionem servis tuis, qui zelaverunt zelum tuum: subveni, quæso te, Domine Deus meus, mihi viduæ.

thou didst mark down their wives for spoil, their daughters for slavery, their goods as forfeit, to reward the men who had thy honour at heart. Listen now, O Lord my God, to a widow’s prayer.

And who gavest their wives to be made a prey, and their daughters into captivity: and all their spoils to be divided to thy servants, who were zealous with thy zeal: assist, I beseech thee, O Lord God, me a widow.

Tu enim fecisti priora, et illa post illa cogitasti: et hoc factum est quod ipse voluisti.

Thine are the deeds of long ago; that this event should succeed that, was of thy contriving;

For thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised one thing after another: and what thou hast designed hath been done.

Omnes enim viæ tuæ paratæ sunt, et tua judicia in tua providentia posuisti.

all thy designs are long a-brewing, all thy awards made in full foreknowledge.

For all thy ways are prepared, and in thy providence thou hast placed thy judgments.

Respice castra Assyriorum nunc, sicut tunc castra Ægyptiorum videre dignatus es, quando post servos tuos armati currebant, confidentes in quadrigis, et in equitatu suo, et in multitudine bellatorum.

Turn thy eyes now to yonder Assyrian camp, as thou didst let them fall long ago on the Egyptians, the armed host that went in pursuit of thy servants, boasting so proudly of its chariots and horsemen, its warrior strength.

Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, as thou wast pleased to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued armed after thy servants, trusting in their chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors.

Sed aspexisti super castra eorum, et tenebræ fatigaverunt eos.

One glance from thee, and on that camp darkness fell;

But thou lookedst over their camp, and darkness wearied them.

Tenuit pedes eorum abyssus, et aquæ operuerunt eos.

their feet were sucked down into the depths, and the waters closed above them!

The deep held their feet, and the waters overwhelmed them.

Sic fiant et isti, Domine, qui confidunt in multitudine sua, et in curribus suis, et in contis, et in scutis, et in sagittis suis, et in lanceis gloriantur,

So be it, Lord, with these others, that boast of their great array,now of chariots, now of pike and shield, of arrow and lance,

So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and glory in their spears,

et nesciunt quia tu ipse es Deus noster, qui conteris bella ab initio, et Dominus nomen est tibi.

and know not the name thou bearest, thou, our God, crushing the invader still.

And know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the beginning, and the Lord is thy name.

Erige brachium tuum sicut ab initio, et allide virtutem illorum in virtute tua: cadat virtus eorum in iracundia tua, qui promittunt se violare sancta tua, et polluere tabernaculum nominis tui, et dejicere gladio suo cornu altaris tui.

Lift up thy hand, as it was lifted up long ago; break power of theirs with power of thine! Helpless may they lie beneath thy vengeance, who now think to profane thy holy place, dishonour the very shrine of thy name, violate, at the sword’s point, the sanctity of thy altar.

Lift up thy arm as from the beginning, and crush their power with thy power: let their power fall in their wrath, who promise themselves to violate thy sanctuary, and defile the dwelling place of thy name, and to beat down with their sword the horn of thy altar.

Fac, Domine, ut gladio proprio ejus superbia amputetur:

The sword of Holofernes! Lord, if it might be his own pride’s undoing!

Bring to pass, O Lord, that his pride may be cut off with his own sword.

capiatur laqueo oculorum suorum in me, et percuties eum ex labiis caritatis meæ.

Be the eyes he casts on me a lure to catch himself, the professions of love I make, his death-blow!

Let him be caught in the net of his own eyes in my regard, and do thou strike him by the graces of the words of my lips.

Da mihi in animo constantiam ut contemnam illum, et virtutem, ut evertam illum.

Too bold be my heart to fear, too resolute to spare him!

Give me constancy in my mind, that I may despise him: and fortitude that I may overthrow him.

Erit enim hoc memoriale nominis tui, cum manus feminæ dejecerit eum.

Let him fall by a woman’s hand, and all the glory of it will be ascribed to thy name.

For this will be a glorious monument for thy name, when he shall fall by the hand of a woman.

Non enim in multitudine est virtus tua, Domine, neque in equorum viribus voluntas tua est, nec superbi ab initio placuerunt tibi: sed humilium et mansuetorum semper tibi placuit deprecatio.

Not in the mustering of great armies, Lord, thy power is shewn; not on the well-horsed warrior thy choice falls; never did boasting earn thy favour. Still from a humble soul, an obedient will, the prayer must come that wins thee.

For thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee.

Deus cælorum, creator aquarum, et Dominus totius creaturæ, exaudi me miseram deprecantem, et de tua misericordia præsumentem.

God of the heavens, maker of the floods, Lord of this universal frame, listen to the defenceless plea of one who trusts only in thy mercy.

O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy.

Memento, Domine, testamenti tui, et da verbum in ore meo, et in corde meo consilium corrobora, ut domus tua in sanctificatione tua permaneat:

Bethink thee, Lord, of thy covenant; grant my lips utterance, my heart firm resolve; so shall thy temple ever remain inviolate,

Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness:

et omnes gentes agnoscant quia tu es Deus, et non est alius præter te.

so shall all the Gentiles learn that thou art God, and hast none to rival thee.

And all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee.