4
"Sir," Judith answered, "as surely as you live, I have more than enough food to last until the Lord has used me to carry out his plan."
5
Then Holofernes' personal servants led Judith to a tent. She slept there until the time of the morning watch just before dawn, when she got up
6
and sent a message to Holofernes requesting permission to go out into the valley to pray.
7
Holofernes ordered his guards to let Judith leave the camp. So for three days Judith lived in the camp, and each night she would go out to the valley near Bethulia and bathe at the spring.
8
After she had bathed, she would pray to the Lord God to guide her in her plan to bring victory to Israel.
9
Then she would return to the camp ritually pure and remain in her tent until after the evening meal.
10
On the fourth day of Judith's stay in the camp, Holofernes gave a banquet for his highest ranking officers, but he did not invite any of the officers who were on duty.
11
He said to Bagoas, the eunuch who was in charge of his personal affairs, "Go and persuade the Hebrew woman, who is in your care, to come to my tent to eat and drink with us.
12
It would be a shame to pass up an opportunity to make love to a woman like that. If I don't try to seduce her, she will laugh at me."
13
So Bagoas left Holofernes and went to Judith. "Lovely lady," he said, "the general invites you to his tent for some drinks. Come and enjoy yourself like the Assyrian women who serve in Nebuchadnezzar's palace. This is a great honor."
14
"I shall be glad to accept," Judith answered. "How could I refuse? I'll remember this happy night as long as I live."