15
1 When those who were in the tents heard, they were amazed at what happened. 2 Trembling and fear fell upon them, and no man dared stay any more in the sight of his neighbour, but rushing out with one accord, they fled into every way of the plain and of the hill country. 3 Those who had encamped in the hill country round about Bethulia fled away. And then the children of Israel, every one who was a warrior amongst them, rushed out upon them. 4 Ozias sent to Betomasthaim, Bebai, Chobai, and Chola, and to every border of Israel, to tell about the things that had been accomplished, and that all should rush upon their enemies to destroy them. 5 But when the children of Israel heard this, they all fell upon them with one accord, and struck them to Chobai. Yes, and in like manner also, people from Jerusalem and from all the hill country came (for men had told them about what happened in their enemies’ camp), and those who were in Gilead and in Galilee fell upon their flank with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and its borders. 6 The rest of the people who lived at Bethulia fell upon the camp of Asshur, and plundered them, and were enriched exceedingly. 7 The children of Israel returned from the slaughter, and got possession of that which remained. The villages and the cities that were in the hill country and in the plain country took many spoils; for there was an exceedingly great supply.
8 Joakim the high priest, and the elders of the children of Israel who lived in Jerusalem, came to see the good things which the Lord had showed to Israel, and to see Judith and to greet her. 9 When they came to her, they all blessed her with one accord, and said to her, “You are the exaltation of Jerusalem! You are the great glory of Israel! You are the great rejoicing of our race! 10 You have done all these things by your hand. You have done with Israel the things that are good, and God is pleased with it. May you be blessed by the Almighty Lord forever!”
And all the people said, “Amen!”
11 And the people plundered the camp for thirty days; and they gave Holofernes’ tent to Judith, along with all his silver cups, his beds, his bowls, and all his furniture. She took them, placed them on her mule, prepared her wagons, and piled them on it.
12 And all the women of Israel ran together to see her; and they blessed her, and made a dance amongst them for her. She took branches in her hand, and distributed them to the women who were with her.† 13 Then they made themselves garlands of olive, she and those who were with her, and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women. All the men of Israel followed in their armour with garlands, and with songs in their mouths.
16
1 And Judith began to sing this song of thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang with loud voices this song of praise. 2 Judith said,
“Begin a song to my God with timbrels.
Sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Make melody to him with psalm and praise.
Exalt him, and call upon his name.
3 For the Lord is the God that crushes battles.
For in his armies in the midst of the people,
he delivered me out of the hand of those who persecuted me.
4 Asshur came out of the mountains from the north.
He came with ten thousands of his army.
Its multitude stopped the torrents.
Their horsemen covered the hills.
5 He said that he would burn up my borders,
kill my young men with the sword,
throw my nursing children to the ground,
give my infants up as prey,
and make my virgins a plunder.
6 “The Almighty Lord brought them to nothing by the hand of a woman.
7 For their mighty one didn’t fall by young men,
neither did sons of the Titans strike him.
Tall giants didn’t attack him,
but Judith the daughter of Merari made him weak with the beauty of her countenance.
8 “For she put off the apparel of her widowhood
for the exaltation of those who were distressed in Israel.
She anointed her face with ointment,
bound her hair in a tiara,
and took a linen garment to deceive him.
9 Her sandal ravished his eye.
Her beauty took his soul prisoner.
The sword passed through his neck.
10 “The Persians quaked at her daring.
The Medes were daunted at her boldness.
11 “Then my lowly ones shouted aloud.
My oppressed people were terrified and trembled for fear.
They lifted up their voices and the enemy fled.
12 The children of slave-girls pierced them through,
and wounded them as fugitives’ children.
They perished by the army of my Lord.
13 “I will sing to my God a new song:
O Lord, you are great and glorious,
marvellous in strength, invincible.
14 Let all your creation serve you;
for you spoke, and they were made.
You sent out your spirit, and it built them.
There is no one who can resist your voice.
15 For the mountains will be moved from their foundations with the waters,
and the rocks will melt as wax at your presence:
But you are yet merciful to those who fear you.
16 For all sacrifice is little for a sweet savour,
and all the fat is very little for a whole burnt offering to you;
but he who fears the Lord is great continually.
17 “Woe to the nations who rise up against my race!
The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgement
and put fire and worms in their flesh;
and they will weep and feel their pain forever.”
18 Now when they came to Jerusalem, they worshipped God. When the people were purified, they offered their whole burnt offerings, their free will offerings, and their gifts. 19 Judith dedicated all Holofernes’ stuff, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken for herself out of his bedchamber, for a gift to the Lord.
20 And the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for three months, and Judith remained with them.
21 After these days, everyone departed to his own inheritance. Judith went away to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was honourable in her time in all the land. 22 Many desired her, but no man knew her all the days of her life from the day that Manasses her husband died and was gathered to his people. 23 She increased in greatness exceedingly; and she grew old in her husband’s house, to one hundred and five years. She let her maid go free. Then she died in Bethulia. They buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses. 24 The house of Israel mourned for her seven days. She distributed her goods before she died to all those who were nearest of kin to Manasses her husband, and to those who were nearest of her own kindred. 25 There was no one who made the children of Israel afraid any more in the days of Judith, nor for a long time after her death.
† 2:10: Gr. they will yield…and you shall reserve.
† 5:11: Some authorities read and he brought them low with clay and brick, etc.
† 6:1: Some authorities read Ammon. Compare ver. 5.
‡ 6:2: Some authorities read Ammon. Compare ver. 5.
§ 6:4: Gr. he has spoken.
† 9:3: Some authorities read which was ashamed for their deceit that they practised.
† 10:16: Gr. if.
† 14:7: Many authorities read he had recovered himself.
† 15:12: Compare 2 Maccabees 10:7.
Esther (Greek)
Esther
translated from the Greek Septuagint
Introduction
The book of Esther in the Greek Septuagint contains 5 additions that the traditional Hebrew text doesn’t have. These additions are recognised as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox Churches. Those additions are enclosed in [square brackets]. Because the additions by themselves make little sense without the broader context of the book, we present here a translation of the whole book of Esther from the Greek.
We have chosen not to distract the reader with confusing out-of-order chapter numbers that would result from using the KJV versification, but rather merge these 5 additions as extensions at the beginning of 1:1 and after 3:13, 4:17, 8:12, and 10:3. This makes some verses (1:1, 5:1, and 8:12) really long, but it also makes the verses line up with the same verse numbers in Esther as translated from the traditional Hebrew text. Some of the proper names in this book have been changed to the more familiar Hebrew form instead of the direct transliteration from the Greek.
1
1 [In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great king, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s palace, saw a vision. Now he was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah the king of Judea. This was his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. And, behold, two great serpents came out, both ready for conflict. A great voice came from them. Every nation was prepared for battle by their voice, even to fight against the nation of the just. Behold, a day of darkness and blackness, suffering and anguish, affection and tumult upon the earth. And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their
