Judith:9

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* Judith fell upon her face , and put ashes upon her head , and uncovered the sackcloth wherewith she was clothed ; and about the time that the incense of that evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord Judith cried with a loud voice , and said , * O Lord God of my father Simeon , to whom thou gavest a sword to take vengeance of the strangers , who loosened the girdle of a maid to defile her , and discovered the thigh to her shame , and polluted her virginity to her reproach ; for thou saidst , It shall not be so ; and yet they did so : * Wherefore thou gavest their rulers to be slain , so that they dyed their bed in blood , being deceived , and smotest the servants with their lords , and the lords upon their thrones ; * And hast given their wives for a prey , and their daughters to be captives , and all their spoils to be divided among thy dear children ; which were moved with thy zeal , and abhorred the pollution of their blood , and called upon thee for aid : O God , O my God , hear me also a widow . * For thou hast wrought not only those things , but also the things which fell out before , and which ensued after ; thou hast thought upon the things which are now , and which are to come . * Yea , what things thou didst determine were ready at hand , and said , Lo , we are here : for all thy ways are prepared , and thy judgments are in thy foreknowledge . * For , behold , the Assyrians are multiplied in their power ; they are exalted with horse and man ; they glory in the strength of their footmen ; they trust in shield , and spear , and bow , and sling ; and know not that thou art the Lord that breakest the battles : the Lord is thy name . * Throw down their strength in thy power , and bring down their force in thy wrath : for they have purposed to defile thy sanctuary , and to pollute the tabernacle where thy glorious name resteth and to cast down with sword the horn of thy altar . * Behold their pride , and send thy wrath upon their heads : give into mine hand , which am a widow , the power that I have conceived . * Smite by the deceit of my lips the servant with the prince , and the prince with the servant : break down their stateliness by the hand of a woman . * For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men : for thou art a God of the afflicted , an helper of the oppressed , an upholder of the weak , a protector of the forlorn , a saviour of them that are without hope . * I pray thee , I pray thee , O God of my father , and God of the inheritance of Israel , Lord of the heavens and earth , Creator of the waters , king of every creature , hear thou my prayer : * And make my speech and deceit to be their wound and stripe , who have purposed cruel things against thy covenant , and thy hallowed house , and against the top of Sion , and against the house of the possession of thy children . * And make every nation and tribe to acknowledge that thou art the God of all power and might , and that there is none other that protecteth the people of Israel but thou .

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