Contemporary English Version 14Judith began singing a song of praise to God, and the crowd joined in the singing. Judith's Song of Praise 1Judith sang: Shout praises to my Lord God; play tambourines and cymbals. Sing a new song of praise and pray for his help. 2The Lord God is a warrior who rescued me from my enemy. God wins every battle and camps among his people. 3The Assyrians marched down from the mountains in the north. Thousands of soldiers blocked the rivers and streams; cavalry troops covered the mountain like a blanket. 4They threatened to burn our land and slaughter our young men, to kill our babies to capture our children, and to carry off all of our young women. 5But the Lord All-Powerful fooled the Assyrians and used a woman to wipe them out. 6The mighty Assyrian leader wasn't killed by young men or cruel warriors or giants. I, Judith the daughter of Merari, used my charm to strike him dead. 7I put aside my widow's clothes and won a victory for troubled Israel. I put on perfume 8and placed a fancy headband in my hair, and I dressed in linen to attract and fool him. [9] He liked my sandals and thought I was lovely; then I took his own sword and cut off his head. 10My courage shocked the Persians and stunned the Medes. 11Our weak and abused people let out shouts of victory, while the Assyrians trembled in fear and ran. 12Though our ancestors were slaves, we, the Lord's mighty army, attacked and killed enemy troops. 13 I will sing a new song of praise to the Lord our God; he is glorious and all-powerful, and his strength never fails. 14Let all living creatures worship the Lord. By his word, he gave them life; his breath created them. Nothing can oppose the Lord's command. 15Mountains and oceans shake with fear, and rocks melt like wax, when the Lord approaches. But he shows mercy to all who are faithful to him. 16 It is much better to obey the Lord than to offer sweet-smelling sacrifices or the fat of choice meat. 17All nations that oppose Israel will fall into ruin; the Lord All-Powerful will punish them on the day of judgment. Fire and worms will destroy their bodies, and they will always groan in pain. The People Celebrate in Jerusalem 18When the crowd reached Jerusalem, they immediately got ready to worship God by going through the ceremonies to make themselves clean. Then they offered the required sacrifices to please God, including the voluntary offering and other sacrifices and gifts. 19Judith brought along all of Holofernes' possessions that the people had given her, and she dedicated them to God. She also gave the mosquito net from the bed of Holofernes as a special offering to keep a promise. 20Judith stayed in Jerusalem for three months, while she and the people celebrated at the temple. The Rest of Judith's Life 21After the victory celebration, everyone went back home, and Judith returned to her place in Bethulia. She was famous everywhere in Israel for as long as she lived. 22Although a lot of men asked to marry her, she always refused and never remarried after her husband Manasseh died. 23-24Judith became more famous as time went by, and she continued to live in the house Manasseh had left her. Some time before Judith died, she divided her possessions and property among her own closest relatives, as well as those of her husband, and she allowed her servant woman to go free. Judith died in Bethulia at the age of 105. She was buried beside her husband in their family tomb, and everyone in Israel mourned her death for seven days. 25As long as Judith was alive, and for many years after her death, no enemy nation terrorized the people of Israel. Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). Learn more at www.cev.bible. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at www.get.bible/cev. |