Bible Verses

Now is the time to support the cause of your people and to ensure that my undertaking brings about the ruin of the enemies who are drawn up against us.”

Everyone left the tent of Holofernes; not one small or significant thing remained in the room. Judith, then, stood by Holofernes’ bed and prayed in her heart: “Lord God all-powerful, help me now with what I will do for the glory of Jerusalem.

Judith told her servant to stand outside the room and watch for her coming out because she would go out to pray, as she did each day. She also spoke to Bagoas in much the same way.

So Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes, who, sodden with wine, had collapsed onto the bed.

When it was late, the servants hurried away. Bagoas dismissed those standing around from the presence of his master and closed the tent from the outside. All the men hurried to bed because they were tired from having drunk too much.

She bewitched Holofernes, and he drank a significant quantity of wine, much more than he had ever drunk on any single day since his birth.

She took what her servant had prepared for her and ate and drank before him.

Judith said: “I will drink then, my lord, because today my life has become more precious to me than on any other day since my birth.”

Holofernes said to her: “Drink and share our happiness.”

So Judith entered the tent and took her place. Her beauty captivated Holofernes’ heart; his entire being was entranced, and a strong desire to possess her filled him. Since the first day he saw her, he had been waiting for the right moment to seduce her.