they ought not touch, and therefore and for their sins they shall be put in the hands of their enemies, and our Lord hath showed me these things to tell thee.  And I thine handmaid shall worship God, and shall go out and pray him, and come in and tell thee what he shall say to me, in such wise that I shall bring thee through the middle of Jerusalem, and thou shalt have all the people of Israel under thee, as the sheep be under the shepherd, insomuch there shall not an hound burk against thee.  And because these things be said to me by the providence of God, and that God is wroth with them, I am sent to tell thee these things.

Forsooth, all these words pleased much to Holofernes, and to his people, and they marvelled of the wisdom of her.  And one said to another.  There is not such a woman upon earth in sight, in fairness, and in wit of words.  And Holofernes said to her:  God hath done well that he hath sent thee hither for to let me have knowledge, and if thy God do to me these things he shall be my God, and thou and thy name shall be great in the house of Nebuchadnezzar.  Then commanded Holofernes her to go in where his treasure lay, and to abide there, and to give to her meat from his feast, to whom she said that she might not eat of his meat, but that she had brought meat with her for to eat.  Then Holofernes said:  When that meat faileth what shall we give to thee to eat?  And Judith said that she should not spend all till God shall do in my hands those things that I have thought.  And the servants led her into his tabernacle, and she desired that she might go out in the night and before day to pray, and come in again.  And the lord commanded his cubiculers that she should go and come at her pleasure three days during.  And she went out into the valley of Bethulia and baptized her in the water of the well.  And she stretched her hands up to the God of Israel, praying the good Lord that he would govern her way for to deliver his people; and thus she did unto the fourth day.  Then Holofernes made a great feast, and sent a man of his, named Bagoas, for to entreat Judith to come eat and drink with him.  And Judith said:  What am I that should gainsay my lord’s desire.  I am at his commandment, whatsomever he will that I do, I shall do, and please him all the days of my life.  And she rose and adorned herself with her rich and precious clothes, and went in and stood before Holofernes, and Holofernes’ heart was pierced with her beauty, and he said to her:  Sit down and drink in joy, for thou hast found grace before me.  Judith said:  I shall drink my lord, for my life is magnified this day before all the days of my life.  And she ate and drank such as her handmaid had ordained for her.  And Holofernes was merry and drank so much wine that he never drank so much in one day in all his life, and was drunken.  And at even, when it was night, Holofernes went into his bed, and Bagoas brought Judith in to his chamber and closed the door.  And when Judith was alone