The thanksgiving unto God, which Tobit wrote. IN Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said, essed be God that liveth for ever, and blessed be gdom. or he doth scourge, and hath mercy: he leadeth to hell, and bringeth up again: neither is there at can avoid his hand. onfess him before the Gentiles, ye children of IsFor he hath scattered us among them. ere declare his greatness, and extol him before living: for he is our Lord, and he is the God our for ever. nd he will scourge us for our iniquities, and will erey again, and will gather us out of all nations, whom he hath scattered us. ye turn to him with your whole heart, and with hole mind, and deal uprightly before him, then turn unto you, and will not hide his face from Therefore see what he will do with you, and conn with your whole mouth, and praise the Lord it, and extol the everlasting King. In the land aptivity do I praise him, and declare his might jesty to a sinful nation. O ye sinners, turn and ice before him: who can tell if he will accept d have mercy on you? vill extol my God, and my soul shall praise the heaven, and shall rejoice in his greatness. t all men speak, and let all praise him for his isness. Jerusalem, the holy city, he will scourge thee for dren's works, and will have mercy again on the the righteous. ive praise to the Lord, for he is good and praise lasting King, that his tabernacle may be builded again with joy, and let him make joyful there those that are captives, and love in thee for ever at are miserable. [any nations shall come from far to the name of 1 God with gifts in their hands, even gifts to the heaven; all generations shall praise thee with ursed are all they which hate thee, and blessed be which love thee for ever. ejoice and be glad for the children of the just: shall be gathered together, and shall bless the the just. blessed are they which love thee, for they shall thy perce: blessed are they which have been l for alt thy scourges; for they shall rejoice for en they have seen all thy glory, and shall be ever. t my soul bless God the great King. or Jerusalem shall be built up with sapphires, Apocrypha. and emeralds, and precious stone: thy walls, and towers, and battlements, with pure gold. 17 And the streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with beryl, and carbuncle, and stones of Ophir. 18 And all her streets shall say, Alleluia; and they shall praise him, saying, Blessed be God, which hath extolled it for ever. CHAPTER XIV. 3 Tobit giveth instructions to his son, 8 specially to leave Nineve; 11 he and his wife die, and are buried. 12 Tobias removeth to Ecbatane, 14 and there dieth after he had heard of the destruction of Nineve. 10 o Tobit made an end of praising God. 2 And he was eight and fifty years old when he lost his sight, which was restored to him after eight years: and he gave alms, and he increased in the fear of the Lord God, and praised him. 3 And when he was very aged, he called his son, and the six sons of his son, and said to him, My son, take thy children; for behold, I am aged, and am ready to depart out of this life. 4 Go into Media, my son, for I surely believe those things which Jonas the prophet spake of Nineve, that it shall be overthrown; and that for a time peace shall rather be in Media; and that our brethren shall lie scattered in the earth from that good land: and Jerusalem shall be desolate, and that the house of God in it shall be burned, and shall be desolate for a time; 5 And that again God will have mercy on them, and bring them again into the land, where they shall build a temple, but not like to the first, until the time of that age be fulfilled; and afterward they shall return from all places of their captivity, and build up Jerusalem gloriously, and the house of God shall be built in it for ever with a glorious building, as the prophets have spoken thereof. 6 And all nations shall turn, and fear the Lord God truly, and shall bury their idols. 7 So shall all nations praise the Lord, and his people shall confess God, and the Lord shall exalt his people; and all those which love the Lord God in truth and justice shall rejoice, showing mercy to our brethren. that those things which the prophet Jonas spake shall 8 And now, my son, depart out of Nineve, because surely come to pass. 9 But keep thou the law and the commandments, and show thyself merciful and just, that it may go well with thee. 10 And bury me decently, and thy mother with me; Aman handled Achiacharus that brought him up, how but tarry no longer at Nineve. Remember, my son, how rewarded him again: yet Achiacharus was saved, but the out of light he brought him into darkness, and how he other had his reward: for he went down into darkness. Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of death which they had set for him: but Aman fell into the snare, and perished. CHAPTER I. JUDITH. 2 And built in Ecbatane walls round about of stones hewn three cubits broad and six cubits long, and made the height of the wall seventy cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits: 3 And set the towers thereof upon the gates of it, an hundred cubits high, and the breadth thereof in the foundation threescore cubits : 4 And he made the gates thereof, even gates that were raised to the height of seventy cubits, and the breadth of them was forty cubits, for the going forth of his mighty armies, and for the setting in array of his footmen : 5 Even in those days king Nabuchodonosor made war with king Arphaxad in the great plain, which is the plain in the borders of Ragau. 6 And there came unto him all they that dwelt in the hill-country, and all they that dwelt by Euphrates, and Tigris, and Hydaspes, and the plain of Arioch the king of the Elymeans, and very many nations of the sons of Chelod, assembled themselves to the battle. 7 Then Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt in Persia, and to all that dwelt westward, and to those that dwelt in Cilicia, and Damascus, and Libanus, and Antilibanus, and to all that dwelt upon the sea coast, 8 And to those among the nations that were of Carmel, and Galaad, and the higher Galilee, and the great plain of Esdrelom, 9 And to all that were in Samaria and the cities thereof, and beyond Jordan unto Jerusalem, and Betane, and Chellus, and Kades: and the river of Egypt, and Taphnes, and Ramesse, and all the land of Gesem, 10 Until ye come beyond Tanis and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, until ye come to the borders of Ethiopia. 11 But all the inhabitants of the land ma the commandment of Nabuchodonosor king of rians, neither went they with him to the battl were not afraid of him: yea, he was before th inan, and they sent away his ambassadors without effect, and with disgrace. 12 Therefore Nabuchodonosor was very a all this country, and sware by his throne an that he would surely be avenged upon all th of Cilicia, and Damascus, and Syria, and tha slay with the sword all the inhabitants of t Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all all that were in Egypt, till ye come to the bor two seas. 13 Then he marched in battle-array with against king Arphaxad in the seventeenth ye prevailed in his battle: for he overthrew all of Arphaxad, and all his horsemen, and all hi 14 And became lord of his cities, and cam batane, and took the towers, and spoiled the str of, and turned the beauty thereof into shame, 15 And took also Arphaxad in the mounta gau, and smote him through with his darts, an ed him utterly that day. 16 So he returned afterward to Nineve, b all his company of sundry nations, being a multitude of men of war, and there he took and banqueted, both he and his army, an hu twenty days. ypha. JUDITH, III. Apocrypha. And when he had ended his counsel, Nabuchodono- | men, and chariots, and went from thence into the hill. ag of the Assyrians called Holofernes the chief a of his army, which was next unto him, and said im, hus saith the great king, the lord of the whole Behold, thou shalt go forth from my presence, ake with thee men that trust in their own th, of footmen an hundred and twenty thousand; e number of horses with their riders twelve thou and thou shalt go against all the west country, bethey disobeyed my commandment. nd thou shalt declare unto them, that they preor me earth and water: for I will go forth in my against them, and will cover the whole face of the with the feet of mine army, and I will give them poil unto them: o that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks, e river shall be filled with their dead, till it over nd I will lead them captives to the utmost parts the earth. Thou therefore shalt go forth, and take beforehand all their coasts: and if they will yield themselves nee, thou shalt reserve them for me till the day of unishment. But concerning them that rebel, let not thine eye hem; but put them to the slaughter, and spoil wheresoever thou goest. For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, ever I have spoken, that will I do by mine hand. And take thou heed that thou transgress none of mmandments of thy lord, but accomplish them s I have commanded thee, and defer not to do Then Holofernes went forth from the presence of 1, and called all the governors and captains, and cers of the army of Assur; And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, lord had commanded him, unto an hundred and thousand, and twelve thousand archers on horse And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered war. And he took camels and asses for their carriages, and goats And plenty of victual for every man of the army, ry much gold and silver out of the king's house. Then he went forth and all his power to go before abuchodonosor in the voyage, and to cover all the the earth westward with the chariots, and horsend their chosen footmen. A great multitude also of sundry nations came em like locusts, and like the sand of the earth; multitude was without number. And they went forth of Nineve three days' jourward the plain of Bectileth, and pitched from th near the mountain which is at the left hand upper Cilicia. country; 23 And destroyed Phud and Lud, and spoiled all the children of Rasses, and the children of Ishmael, which were towards the wilderness at the south of the land of the Chellians. 24 Then he went over Euphrates, and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyed all the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai, till ye come to the sea. 25 And he took the borders of Cilicia, and killed all that resisted him, and came to the borders of Japheth, which were towards the south, over against Arabia. 26 He compassed also all the children of Madian, and burned up their tabernacles, and spoiled their sheepcotes. 27 Then he went down into the plain of Damascus in the time of wheat harvest, and burned up all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and herds, also he spoiled their cities, and utterly wasted their countries, and smote all their young men with the edge of the sword. 28 Therefore the fear and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the sca-coasts, which were in Sidon and Tyrus, and them that dwelt in Sur and Ocina, and all that dwelt in Jemnaan; and they that dwelt in Azotus and Ascalon feared him greatly. CHAPTER III 1 They of the sea-coast entreat for peace. 7 Holofernes is received there: 8 yet he destroyeth their gods, that they might worship only Nabuchodonosor: 9 He cometh near to Judea. So they sent ambassadors unto him to treat of peace, saying, 2 Behold, we the servants of Nabuchodonosor the great king lie before thee; use us as shall be good in thy sight. 3 Behold, our houses, and all our places, and all our fields of wheat, and flocks, and herds, and all the lodges of our tents, lie before thy face; use them as it pleaseth thee. 4 Behold, even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants; come and deal with them as seemeth good unto thee. 5 So the men came to Holofernes, and declared unto him after this manner. 6 Then came he down towards the sea-coast, both he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for aid. 7 So they and all the country round about received them with garlands, with dances; and with timbrels. 8 Yet he did cast down their frontiers, and cut down their groves: for he had decreed to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god. 9 Also he came over against Esdraelon near unto Ju dea, over against the great strait of Judea. 10 And he pitched between Geba and Scythopolis, and there he tarried a whole month, that he might gather Then he took all his army, his footmen, and horse- together all the carriages of his army. 1 The Jews are afraid of Holofernes, 5 and fortify the hills: 6 They of Bethulia take charge of the passages. 9 All Israel full to fasting and prayer. Now the children of Israel that dwelt in Judea, heard all that Holofernes the chief captain of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians had done to the nations, and after what manner he had spoiled all their temples, and brought them to nought. 2 Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled for Jerusalem, and for the temple of the Lord their God: 3 For they were newly returned from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were lately gathered together and the vessels, and the altar, and the house, were sanctified after the profanation. 4 Therefore they sent into all the coasts of Samaria, and the villages, and to Bethoron, and Belmen, aud Jericho, and to Choba, and to Esora, and to the valley of Salem : 5 And possessed themselves beforehand of all the tops of the high mountains, and fortified the villages that were in them, and laid up victual for the provision of war for their fields were of late reaped. 6 Also Joacim the high priest, which was in those days in Jerusalem, wrote to them that dwelt in Bethulia, and Betomestham, which is over against Esdraolon towards the open country, near to Dothaim, 7 Charging them to keep the passages of the hillcountry for by them there was an entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up, because the passage was strait, for two men at the most. 8 And the children of Israel did as Joacim the high priest had commanded them, with the ancients of all the people of Israel, which dwelt at Jerusalem. 9 Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with great vehemency did they humble their souls: 10 Both they, and their wives, and their children, and their cattle, and every stranger and hireling, and their servants bought with money, put sackcloth upon their loins. 11 Thus every man and woman, and the little children, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the temple, and cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out their sackcloth before the face of the Lord: also they put sackcloth about the altar, 12 And cried to the God of Israel all with one consent earnestly, that he would not give their children for a prey, and their wives for a spoil, and the cities of their inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to profanation and reproach, and for the nations to rejoice at. 13 So God heard their prayers, and looked upon their afflictions: for the people fasted many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty. 14 And Joacim the high priest, and all the priests that stood before the Lord, and they which ministered nto the Lord, had their loins girt with sackcloth, and A offered the daily burnt-offerings, with the vows gifts of the people, 15 And had ashes on their mitres, and cried Lord with all their power, that he would look the house of Israel graciously. CHAPTER V. 1 Achior telleth Holofernes what the Jews are, 8 and God had done for them; 21 and adviseth not to meddie 22 All that heard him were offended at him. THEN was it declared to Holofernes, the e tain of the army of Assur, that the child rael had prepared for war, and had shut up the of the hill-country, and had fortified all the to high hills, and had laid impediments in the countries: 2 Wherewith he was very angry, and calle princes of Moab, and the captains of Ammor the governors of the sea-coast, 3 And he said unto them, Tell me now, y Chanaan, who this people is that dwelleth in country, and what are the cities that they inh what is the multitude of their army, and wherei power and strength, and what king is set over captain of their army; 4 And why have they determined not to c meet me, more than all the inhabitants of the 5 Then said Achior, the captain of all the Ammon, Let my lord now hear a word from th of thy servants, and I will declare unto thee t concerning this people, which dwelleth near inhabiteth the hill-countries: and there shall no out of the mouth of thy servant. 6 This people are descended of the Chaldean 7 And they sojourned heretofore in Mesopot cause they would not follow the gods of their which were in the land of Chaldea. 8 For they left the way of their ancestors, shipped the God of heaven, the God whom the so they cast them out from the face of their g they fled into Mesopotamia, and sojourned the days. 9 Then their God commanded them to dep the place where they sojourned, and to go into of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and were inere gold and silver, and with very much cattle. 10 But when a famine covered all the land naan, they went down into Egypt, and sojourns while they were nourished, and became there multitude, so that one could not number their n 11 Therefore the king of Egypt rose up again and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them labouring in brick, and made them slaves. 12 Then they cried unto their God, and he the land of Egypt with incurable plagues: so th tians cast them out of their sight. 13 And God dried the Red sea before them, 14 And brought them to mount Sina, and Barne, and cast forth all that dwelt in the will 15 So they dwelt in the land of the Amon they destroyed by their strength all them of and passing over Jordan they possessed all the hillcountry. 16 And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, and the Sychemite, and all he Gergesites, and they dwelt in that country many lays. 17 And while they sinned not before their God, they prospered, because the God that hateth iniquity was with hem. 18 But when they departed from the way which he ppointed them, they were destroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captive into a land that was not heirs, and the temple of their God was cast to the ground, and their cities were taken by the enemies. 19 But now they are returned to their God, and are come up from the places where they were scattered, and - lave possessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and pare seated in the hill-country; for it was desolate. 20 Now therefore, my lord and governor, if there be ny error in this people, and they sin against their God, et us consider that this shall be their ruin, and let us o up, and we shall overcome them. 21 But if there be no iniquity in their nation, let my ord now pass by, lest their Lord defend them, and their fod be for them, and we become a reproach before all he world. 22 And when Achior had finished these sayings, all he people standing round about the tent murmured, nd the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt by he sea-side, and in Moab, spake that he should kill him. 23 For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of he children of Israel: for lo, it is a people that have o strength nor power for a strong battle. 24 Now therefore, lord Holofernes, we will go up, nd they shall be a prey to be devoured of all thine rmy CHAPTER VI. Holofernes despiseth God: 7 He threateneth Achior, and sendeth him away. 14 The Bethulians receive and hear him. 18 They fall to prayer, and comfort Achior. AND when the tumult of men that were about the council was ceased, Holofernes the chief captain of he army of Assur, said unto Achior and all the Moabes before all the company of other nations, 2 And who art thou, Achior, and the hirelings of phraim, that thou hast prophesied among us as to-day, nd hast said, that we should not make war with the eople of Israel, because their God will defend them? nd who is God but Nabuchodonosor? 3 He will send his power, and will destroy them from e face of the earth, and their God shall not deliver nem: but we his servants will destroy them as ian; for they are not able to sustain the power of our orses. one 4 For with them we will tread them under foot, and heir mountains shall be drunken with their blood, and eir fields shall be filled with their dead bodies, and heir footsteps shall not be able to stand before us, for ey shall utterly perish, saith king Nabuchodonosor, Apocrypha. lord of all the earth: for he said, None of my words shall be in vain. 5 And thou, Achior, an hireling of Ammon, which hast spoken these words in the day of thine iniquity, shalt see my face no more from this day, until I take vengeance of this nation that came out of Egypt. 6 And then shall the sword of mine army, and the multitude of them that serve me, pass through thy sides, and thou shalt fall among their slain, when I return. 7 Now therefore my servants shall bring thee back into the hill-country, and shall set thee in one of the cities of the passages: 8 And thou shalt not perish, till thou be destroyed with them. 9 And if thou persuade thyself in thy mind that they shall not be taken, let not thy countenance fall: I have spoken it, and none of my words shall be in vain. 10 Then Holofernes commanded his servants, that waited in his tent, to take Achior, and bring him to Bethulia, and deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel. 11 So his servants took him, and brought him out of the camp into the plain, and they went from the midst of the plain into the hill-country, and came unto the fountains that were under Bethulia. 12 And when the men of the city saw them, they took up their weapons, and went out of the city to the top of the hill and every man that used a sling kept them from coming up by casting of stones against them. 13 Nevertheless, having gotten privily under the hill, they bound Achior, and cast him down, and left him at the foot of the hill, and returned to their lord. 14 But the Israelites descended from their city, and Bethulia, and presented him to the governors of the came unto him, and loosed him, and brought him into city: 15 Which were in those days Ozias the son of Micha, of the tribe of Simeon, and Chabris the son of Gothoniel, and Charmis the son of Melchiel. 16 And they called together all the ancients of the city, and all their youth ran together, and their women, to the assembly, and they set Achior in the midst of all their people. Then Ozias asked him of that which was done. 17 And he answered and declared unto them the words of the council of Holofernes, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the princes of Assur, and whatsoever Holofernes had spoken proudly against the house of Israel. 18 Then the people fell down and worshipped God, and cried unto God, saying, 19 O Lord God of heaven, behold their pride, and pity the low estate of our nation, and look upon the face of those that are sanctified unto thee this day. 20 Then they comforted Achior, and praised him greatly. 21 And Ozias took him out of the assembly unto his house, and made a feast to the elders: and they called on the God of Israel all that night for help. |