Yudit (Judith) — 11

1 Then Hulufarnas said to her, “Take courage, woman, and do not be afraid in your heart, for I have never hurt any one who chose to serve Nabuchadnazzar, the king of all the earth. 

2 And even now, if your people who live in the hill country had not slighted me, I would never have lifted my spear against them; but they have brought all this on themselves. 

3 And now tell me why you have fled from them and have come over to us, since you have come to safety. 

4 Have courage; you will live, tonight and from now on. No one will hurt you, but all will treat you well, as they do the servants of my master King Nabuchadnazzar.”

Yudit Explains Her Presence

5 Yudit replied to him, “Accept the words of your servant, and let your maidservant speak in your presence, and I will tell nothing false to you my master this night. 

6 And if you follow out the words of your maidservant, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will accomplish something through you, and my master will not fail to achieve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH's purposes. 

7 Nabuchadnazzar the king of the whole earth lives, and as his power endures, who had sent you to direct every living soul, not only do men fear Nabuchadnazzar because of you, but also the beasts of the field and the cattle and the birds of the air will live by your power under Nabuchadnazzar and all his house. 

8 For we have heard of your wisdom and skill, and it is reported throughout the whole world that you are the one good man in the whole kingdom, thoroughly informed and marvelous in military strategy.

9 “Now as for the things Achiur said in your council, we have heard his words, for the men of Bathulia spared him and he told them all he had said to you. 

10 Therefore, my master, do not disregard what he said, but keep it in your mind, for it is true: our nation cannot be punished, nor can the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.

11 “And now, in order that my master may not be defeated and his purpose frustrated, death will fall upon them, for a sin has overtaken them by which they are about to provoke their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH to anger when they do what is wrong. 

12 Since their food supply is exhausted and their water has almost given out, they have planned to kill their cattle and have determined to use all that  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH by His laws has forbidden them to eat. 

13 They have decided to consume the first fruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and oil, which they had consecrated and set aside for the Kuhanym (priests) who minister in the presence of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH at Yahushalam, although it is not lawful for any of the people so much as to touch these things with their hands. 

14 They have sent men to Yahushalam, because even the people living there have been doing this, to bring back to them permission from the senate. 

15 When the word reaches them and they proceed to do this, on that very day they will be handed over to you to be destroyed.

16 “Therefore, when I, your servant, learned all this, I fled from them; and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has sent me to accomplish with you things that will astonish the whole world, as many as shall hear about them. 

17 For I your servant is a believer, and I serves the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Shamaym day and night; therefore, my master, I will remain with you, and every night your servant will go out into the valley, and I will pray to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will tell me when they have committed their sins. 

18 And I will come and tell you, and then you shall go out with your whole army, and not one of them will withstand you. 

19 Then I will lead you through the middle of Yahudah, till you come to Yahushalam; and I will set your throne in the midst of it; and you will lead them like sheep that have no shepherd, and not a dog will so much as open its mouth to growl at you. For this has been told me, by my foreknowledge; it was announced to me, and I was sent to tell you.”

20 Her words pleased Hulufarnas and all his servants, and they marveled at her wisdom and said, 

21 “There is not such a woman from one end of the Arath to the other, either for beauty of face or wisdom of speech!” 

22 And Hulufarnas said to her, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has done well to send you before the people, to lend strength to our hands and to bring destruction upon those who have slighted my master Nabuchadnazzar. 

23 You are not only beautiful in appearance, but wise in speech; and if you do as you have said, your  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH shall be my 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, and you shall live in the house of King Nabuchadnazzar and be renowned throughout the whole world.”