1Now in those days Judith heard about these things: she was the daughter of Merari son of Ox son of Joseph son of Oziel son of Elkiah son of Ananias son of Gideon son of Raphain son of Ahitub son of Elijah son of Hilkiah son of Eliab son of Nathanael son of Salamiel son of Sarasadai son of Israel.
2 Chabris and Charmis, the elders of her town.
11They came to her, and she said to them,
“Listen to me, rulers of the people of Bethulia! What you have said to the people today is not right; you have even sworn and pronounced this oath between God and you, promising to surrender the town to our enemies unless the Lord turns and helps us within so many days.
12 God in human affairs?
13You are putting the Lord Almighty to the test, but you will never learn anything!
14Job 11.7, 8; Rom 11.33, 34; 1 Cor 2.11, 16You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or understand the workings of the human mind; how do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and find out his mind or comprehend his thought? No, my brothers, do not anger the Lord our God.
15For if he does not choose to help us within these five days, he has power to protect us within any time he pleases or even to destroy us in the presence of our enemies.
16Num 23.19; 1 Sam 15.29Do not try to bind the purposes of the Lord our God, for God is not like a human being, to be threatened, or like a mere mortal, to be won over by pleading.
17Therefore, while we wait for his deliverance, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it pleases him.
18 Judg 2.11; 10.6; Ps 115.4 “For never in our generation nor in these present days has there been any tribe or family or people or town of ours that worships gods made with hands, as was done in days gone by.
19That was why our ancestors were handed over to the sword and to pillage, and so they suffered a great catastrophe before our enemies.
20But we know no other god but him, and so we hope that he will not disdain us or any of our people.
21For if we are captured, all Judea will fall, and our sanctuary will be plundered, and he will make us pay for its desecration with our blood.
22Judg 9.57; Tob 3.4The slaughter of our kindred and the captivity of the land and the desolation of our inheritance—all this he will bring on our heads among the nations, wherever we serve as slaves, and we shall be an offense and a disgrace in the eyes of those who acquire us.
23For our slavery will not bring us into favor, but the Lord our God will turn it to dishonor.
24“Therefore, my brothers, let us set an example for our kindred, for their lives depend upon us, and the sanctuary—both the temple and the altar—rests upon us.
25In spite of everything, let us give thanks to the Lord our God, who is putting us to the test as he did our ancestors.
26Gen 22.12; 25.21; 28.2; 29.20; 31.7Remember what he did with Abraham and how he tested Isaac and what happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia, while he was tending the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother.
27Prov 3.12; Zech 13.9; Heb 12.5, 6For he has not tried us with fire, as he did them, to search their hearts, nor has he taken vengeance on us, but the Lord scourges those who are close to him in order to admonish them.”
28Then Uzziah said to her, “All that you have said was spoken out of a true heart, and there is no one who can deny your words.
29Today is not the first time your wisdom has been shown, but from the beginning of your life all the people have recognized your understanding, for your heart’s disposition is right.
30v 9; Jdt 7.19–23, 30, 31But the people were so thirsty that they compelled us to do for them what we have promised and made us take an oath that we cannot break.
31Jdt 7.21, 22Now since you are a God-fearing woman, pray for us, so that the Lord may send us rain to fill our cisterns. Then we will no longer feel faint from thirst.”
32Then Judith said to them, “Listen to me. I am about to do something that will go down through all generations of our people.
33v 10; Jdt 10.6Stand at the town gate tonight so that I may go out with my maid, and within the days after which you have promised to surrender the town to our enemies, the Lord will deliver Israel by my hand.
34Only, do not try to find out what I am doing, for I will not tell you until I have finished what I am about to do.”
35Uzziah and the rulers said to her, “Go in peace, and may the Lord God go before you, to take vengeance on our enemies.”
36v 5So they returned from the tent and went to their posts.
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