Judith
Chapter 9
Judith’s Prayer
Judith knelt, bowed to the ground, placed ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing. At the exact moment incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem, Judith invoked aloud the Lord God; she said:
“Lord, God of my father Simeon, you gave him a sword to punish the foreigners who mistreated a young girl, for they had abused her, exposing her body to shame and dishonoring her womb. They did this, even though you said: ‘This shall not be done.’
Because of this, you handed over their leaders to be slain, and their bed, stained with their deceit, was left crimson with their blood. You struck down the slaves along with their leaders and the leaders themselves along with their servants.
You handed their women over to rape, their daughters into slavery, and all their possessions to be divided among your favored sons, who were filled with horror at this defilement of their blood and called out for your help.
O God, my God, listen to me, a widow! You created everything—what is past, what is present, and what is yet to come. It is you who considers both present and future. Those things that you have decided to bring to pass.
The things you have planned have revealed themselves, saying: Here we are. In truth, all your ways are set, and your decision has been known from the beginning.
Therefore, observe how large a multitude the Assyrians have assembled with their army, and how they pride themselves on their horses and cavalry. They boast in the strength and trust of their foot soldiers, as well as in their shields, javelins, bows, and arrows.
But they do not realize that you, Lord, are the one who decides the outcome of wars. Lord is your name; destroy their force with your power, and in your anger, defeat their arrogance, for they plan to dishonor your Sanctuary, defile your tabernacle where your glorious name dwells, and forcibly overthrow the horn of your altar.
Consider their pride, let your anger fall upon them, and entrust my hands—those of a widow—the strength needed for what I have decided.
By my truthful lips, punish the slave with his master and the master with his servant; put an end to their arrogance through the hand of a woman.
Truly, your strength is not measured by numbers nor your power by strong men; for you are a God of the humble, the defender of the little ones, the support of the weak, the protector of the abandoned, and the savior of those in despair.
Yes, God of my ancestors and God of Israel’s heritage, Ruler of the heavens and the earth, Creator of the waters, King of all creation, listen to my prayer.
Give me tempting words to wound and kill those who have devised cruel plans against your Covenant, your sacred house, Mount Zion, and the house that belongs to your children.
Make every nation and tribe clearly know that you are God—omnipotent and mighty—and that, besides you, there is no other protector for the people of Israel.”
Commentaries
The Great Liberation.
The second part of the book focuses on the main protagonist, Judith, who arrives at this point. It is here that the dilemma will be resolved: surrender or resistance. Judith will lead the resistance, but she will also guide it: we must resist not by counting on a miraculous intervention from God, but by using the resources at our disposal to serve the community and divine action—our beauty and our freedom, since as widows, we do not depend on a husband—and finally, our wisdom and resourcefulness. Resistance does not, therefore, mean waiting for extraordinary interventions that are unlikely to happen. Resistance means starting with what little we have, with the strong hope that it is more than enough to face any force opposed to God’s plan.
Judith’s Prayer.
After her powerfully prophetic speech, Judith offers a personal prayer, a supplication inspired by various psalms. The devout Jew understands from experience that arrogance is worthless before God; that before Him, the arrogant and proud seem invisible, and that God’s gaze is fixed on the humble. In short, Judith pleads with God to fulfill the core belief of her faith and that of her people: God is the only strength of the weak and the small.