12
When the people in her city heard her voice, they hurried down to the city gate and called together the elders of the city.
13
They all ran together, from the youngest to the oldest, because it seemed impossible that she had returned safely. They opened the gate and welcomed them. After lighting a fire to give some light, they stood around them.
14
Then Judith said to them in a loud voice, "Praise God! Praise, praise God, who hasn't taken his mercy away from the house of Israel! Rather, he has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!"
15
And with that she pulled the head out of the bag. Showing it to them, she said, "Look! Here's the head of Holofernes, the general of the Assyrian army, and here too is the canopy under which he was lying in a drunken stupor. The Lord struck him down by the hand of a woman!
16
As the Lord lives, who protected me on my mission, I deceived him with my appearance in order to kill him. But he committed no sin with me, to pollute or shame me."