3
She took off the sackcloth and her widow's clothes, took a bath, and put on rich perfumes. She brushed her hair, tied a ribbon around it, and dressed herself in the fine clothes she used to wear on joyful occasions when her husband Manasseh was still alive.
4
She put on sandals and all her finest jewelry: rings and earrings, and bracelets on her wrists and ankles. She made herself so beautiful that she was sure to attract the attention of any man who saw her.
5
Judith gave her slave woman a leather bag of wine and a jar of oil to carry. She filled a bag with roasted barley, cakes of dried figs, and several loaves of bread baked according to Jewish food laws. She carefully wrapped all the food and dishes and gave them to her slave.
6
Then the two women left the house and went to the gates of Bethulia, where they found Uzziah and the town officials, Chabris and Charmis, standing guard.
7
When the men saw Judith after she had changed clothes and put on make-up, they were struck by her beauty and said to her,
8
"May the God of our ancestors bless you and make your plan successful, so that you may bring glory to Jerusalem and victory to Israel." Judith prayed
9
and then said, "Order the gates to be opened for me. I am on my way to do what we were talking about." Then they ordered the young men to open the gates for her,
10
and Judith and her slave left the city. The men watched her as she went down the mountain into the valley, until she was out of sight.
11
As the two women were walking through the valley, an Assyrian patrol met them.
12
They arrested Judith and questioned her, "What is your nationality? Where did you come from, and where are you going?" "I am a Hebrew," she answered, "but I am running away from the Israelites because God is going to let you destroy them.
13
I am on my way to see Holofernes, the general in command of your army, to give him some reliable information. I can show him how to advance into the mountains and take control of the entire region without a single casualty."