History of the World/History of the World (Bureau Development, Inc.)(1992).BIN/dp/0015/00152.txt

Text File | 1992-10-11 | 4KB | 70 lines

$Unique_ID{how00152}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Apocrypha, The
Chapter 12}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Various}
$Affiliation{}
$Subject{holofernes
unto
lord
day
judith
drink

}
$Date{1611}
$Log{}
Title:       Apocrypha, The
Book:        Judith
Author:      Various
Date:        1611

Chapter 12

     And he commanded to bring her in where his silver vessels were set,
and bade that they should prepare for her of his own meats, and that she
should drink of his own wine.  And Judith said, I will not eat thereof, lest
there be an occasion of stumbling: but provision shall be made for me of the
things that are come with me.  And Holofernes said unto her, But if the
things that be with thee should fail, whence shall we be able to give thee
the like?  for there is none of thy race with us.  And Judith said unto him,
As thy soul liveth, my lord, thy servant shall not spend those things that be
with me, until the Lord work by my hand the things that he hath determined.
And the servants of Holofernes brought her into the tent, and she slept till
midnight, and she rose up toward the morning watch, and sent to Holofernes,
saying, Let my lord now command that they suffer thy servant to go forth unto
prayer.  And Holofernes commanded his guards that they should not stay her:
and she abode in the camp three days, and went out every night into the
valley of Bethulia, and washed herself at the fountain of water in the camp.
And when she came up, she besought the Lord God of Israel to direct her way
to the raising up of the children of his people.  And she came in clean, and
remained in the tent, until she took her meat toward evening.

     And it came to pass on the fourth day, Holofernes made a feast to his
own servants only, and called none of the officers to the banquet.  And he
said to Bagoas the eunuch, who had charge over all that he had, Go now, and
persuade this Hebrew woman which is with thee, that she come unto us, and eat
and drink with us.  For, lo, it is a shame for our person, if we shall let
such a woman go, not having had her company; for if we draw her not unto us,
she shall laugh us to scorn.  And Bagoas went from the presence of
Holofernes, and came in to her, and said, Let not this fair damsel fear to
come to my lord, and to be honoured in his presence, and to drink wine and be
merry with us, and to be made this day as one of the daughters of the
children of Asshur, which wait in the house of Nebuchadnezzar.  And Judith
said unto him, And who am I, that I should gainsay my lord?  for whatsoever
shall be pleasing in his eyes I will do speedily, and this shall be my joy
unto the day of my death.  And she arose, and decked herself with her apparel
and all her woman's attire; and her servant went and laid fleeces on the
ground for her over against Holofernes, which she had received of Bagoas for
her daily use, that she might sit and eat upon them.  And Judith came in and
sat down, and Holofernes' heart was ravished with her, and his soul was
moved, and he desired exceedingly her company: and he was watching for a time
to deceive her, from the day that he had seen her.  And Holofernes said unto
her, Drink now, and be merry with us.  And Judith said, I will drink now, my
lord, because my life is magnified in me this day more than all the days
since I was born.  And she took and ate and drank before him what her servant
had prepared.  And Holofernes took great delight in her, and drank exceeding
much wine, more than he had drunk at any time in one day since he was born.