And, taking out the head of Holofernes from the bag, she showed it to them, saying: “Here is the head of Holofernes, the general-in-chief of the Assyrian army, and here are the hangings under which he was lying in his drunkenness. The Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman.
She said to them loudly: “Praise God, praise him! Praise God who has not withheld his mercy from the house of Israel. This very night, he has crushed our enemies by my hand.”
They all ran together, from the youngest to the oldest, waiting for her return. They opened the gates and welcomed the two women; then, after lighting a fire to see them clearly, they gathered around.
As soon as the townsfolk heard her voice, they called the elders and hurried to the town’s gates.
The Victorious City Judith called from a distance to those guarding the gates: “Open, open the gates! God, our God, is with us! He has again worked a miracle in Israel and exerted his power against our enemies.”
Who put it in the bag where she carried the food? Then they went out together, just like they used to do for prayer. After crossing the camp, they went around the edge of the ravine, climbed the mountain to Bethulia, and reached the town’s gates.
She then rolled his body off the bed and took down the hangings from the columns. Then she went out immediately and handed the head of Holofernes to her servant.
approaching the bed, seized his hair saying: “O Lord God of Israel, give me strength, this very moment!”
