The Book of Judith

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

The children of Israel prepare themselves to resist Holofernes. They cry to the Lord for help.

Then the children of Israel, who dwelt in the land of Juda, hearing these things, were exceedingly afraid of him.

Dread and horror seized upon their minds, lest he should do the same to Jerusalem and to the temple of the Lord, that he had done to other cities and their temples.

And they sent into all Samaria round about, as far as Jericho, and seized upon all the tops of the mountains:

And they compassed their towns with walls, and gathered together corn for provision for war.

And Eliachim the priest wrote to all that were over against Esdrelon, which faceth the great plain near Dothain, and to all by whom there might be a passage of way, that they should take possession of the ascents of the mountains, by which there might be any way to Jerusalem, and should keep watch where the way was narrow between the mountains.

And the children of Israel did as the priest of the Lord Eliachim had appointed them,

And all the people cried to the Lord with great earnestness, and they humbled their souls in fastings, and prayers, both they and their wives.

And the priests put on haircloths, and they caused the little children to lie prostrate before the temple of the Lord, and the altar of the Lord they covered with haircloth.

And they cried to the Lord the God of Israel with one accord, that their children might not be made a prey, and their wives carried off, and their cities destroyed, and their holy things profaned, and that they might not be made a reproach to the Gentiles.

Then Eliachim the high priest of the Lord went about all Israel and spoke to them,

Saying: Know ye that the Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perseverance in fastings and prayers in the sight of the Lord.

Remember Moses the servant of the Lord, who overcame Amalec that trusted in his own strength, and in his power, and in his army, and in his shields, and in his chariots, and in his horsemen, not by fighting with the sword, but by holy prayers:

So shall all the enemies of Israel be, if you persevere in this work which you have begun.

So they being moved by this exhortation of his, prayed to the Lord, and continued in the sight of the Lord.

So that even they who offered the holocausts to the Lord, offered the sacrifices to the Lord girded with haircloths, and with ashes upon their head.

And they all begged of God with all their heart, that he would visit his people Israel.

The children of Israel prepare themselves to resist Holofernes. They cry to the Lord for help.

The children of Israel who lived in Judea heard all that Holofernes the chief captain of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians had done to the nations, and how he had plundered all their temples and destroyed them utterly.

They were exceedingly afraid at his approach, and were troubled for Jerusalem and for the temple of the Lord their God;

because they had newly come up from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were recently gathered together; and the vessels, the altar, and the house were sanctified after being profaned.

And they sent into every coast of Samaria, to Konae, to Beth-horon, Belmaim, Jericho, to Choba, Aesora, and to the valley of Salem;

and they occupied beforehand all the tops of the high mountains, fortified the villages that were in them, and stored supplies for the provision of war, for their fields were newly reaped.

Joakim the high priest, who was in those days at Jerusalem, wrote to those who lived in Bethulia and Betomesthaim, which is opposite Esdraelon toward the plain that is near to Dothaim,

charging them to seize upon the ascents of the hill country; because by them was the entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them from approaching, inasmuch as the approach was narrow, with space for two men at the most.

And the children of Israel did as Joakim the high priest had commanded them, as did the senate of all the people of Israel, which was in session at Jerusalem.

And every man of Israel cried to God with great earnestness, and with great earnestness they humbled their souls.

They, their wives, their children, their cattle, and every sojourner, hireling, and servant bought with their money put sackcloth on their loins.

Every man and woman of Israel, including the little children and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell prostrate before the temple, cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out their sackcloth before the Lord. They put sackcloth around the altar.

They cried to the God of Israel earnestly with one consent, that he would not give their children as prey, their wives as plunder, the cities of their inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to being profaned and being made a reproach, for the nations to rejoice at.

The Lord heard their voice, and looked at their affliction. The people continued fasting many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.

And Joakim the high priest, and all the priests who stood before the Lord, and those who ministered to the Lord, had their loins dressed in sackcloth and offered the continual burnt offering, the vows, and the free gifts of the people.

They had ashes on their turbans. They cried to the Lord with all their power, that he would look upon all the house of Israel for good.