Judith 16

Begin a song to my God with tambourines,

sing to my Lord with cymbals.

Raise to him a new psalm;a

exalt him, and call upon his name.

3For God is the Lord who crushes wars;

for he has delivered me out of the hands of my pursuers,

and brought me to his camp, in the midst of the people.

4The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north;

he came with myriads of his warriors;

their multitude blocked up the valleys,

their cavalry covered the hills.

5He boasted that he would burn up my territory,

and kill my young men with the sword,

and dash my infants to the ground

and seize my children as prey,

and take my virgins as booty.

6But the Lord Almighty has foiled them

by the hand of a woman.

7For their mighty one did not fall by the hands of the young men,

nor did the sons of the Titans smite him,

nor did tall giants set upon him;

but Judith the daughter of Merar'i undid him

with the beauty of her countenance.

8For she took off her widow's mourning

to exalt the oppressed in Israel.

She anointed her face with ointment

and fastened her hair with a tiara

and put on a linen gown to deceive him.

9Her sandal ravished his eyes,

her beauty captivated his mind,

and the sword severed his neck.

10The Persians trembled at her boldness,

the Medes were daunted at her daring.

11Then my oppressed people shouted for joy;

my weak people shoutedb and the enemyc trembled;

they lifted up their voices, and the enemyd were turned back.

12The sons of maidservants have pierced them through;

they were wounded like the children of fugitives,

they perished before the army of my Lord.

13I will sing to my God a new song:

O Lord, thou are great and glorious,

wonderful in strength, invincible.

14Let all thy creatures serve thee,

for thou didst speak, and they were made.

Thou didst send forth thy Spirit,e and it formed them;

there is none that can resist thy voice.

15For the mountains shall be shaken to their foundations with the waters;

at thy presence the rocks shall melt like wax,

but to those who fear thee

thou wilt continue to show mercy.

16For every sacrifice as a fragrant offering is a small thing,

and all fat for burnt offerings to thee is a very little thing,

but he who fears the Lord shall be great for ever.

17Woe to the nations that rise up against my people!

The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgment;

fire and worms he will give to their flesh;

they shall weep in pain for ever.