1. Now in those days Judith, 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 Simeon, son of Israel, heard of this.
2. Her husband, Manasseh, of her own tribe and clan, had died at the time of the barley harvest.
3. While he was supervising those who bound the sheaves in the field, he was overcome by the heat; and he collapsed on his bed and died in Bethulia, his native city. He was buried with his ancestors in the field between Dothan and Balamon.
4. Judith was living as a widow in her home for three years and four months.
5. She set up a tent for herself on the roof of her house, put sackcloth about her waist, and wore widow’s clothing.
6. She fasted all the days of her widowhood, except sabbath eves and sabbaths, new moon eves and new moons, feastdays and holidays of the house of Israel.
7. She was beautiful in appearance and very lovely to behold. Her husband, Manasseh, had left her gold and silver, male and female servants, livestock and fields, which she was maintaining.
8. No one had a bad word to say about her, for she feared God greatly.
9. So when Judith heard of the harsh words that the people, discouraged by their lack of water, had spoken against their ruler, and of all that Uzziah had said to them in reply, swearing that he would hand over the city to the Assyrians at the end of five days,
10. she sent her maid who was in charge of all her things to summon Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis, the elders of her city.
11. When they came, she said to them: “Listen to me, you rulers of the people of Bethulia. What you said to the people today is not right. You pronounced this oath, made between God and yourselves, and promised to hand over the city to our enemies unless within a certain time the Lord comes to our aid.
12. Who are you to put God to the test today, setting yourselves in the place of God in human affairs?
13. And now it is the Lord Almighty you are putting to the test, but you will never understand anything!
14. You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or grasp the workings of the human mind; how then can you fathom God, who has made all these things, or discern his mind, or understand his plan?“No, my brothers, do not anger the Lord our God.