1
Then Judith sang a song of thanksgiving there with all Israel present, and the people joined in this song of praise.
2
She sang, "Praise my God and sing to him; praise the Lord with drums and cymbals; play a new song for him. Praise him and call on him for help.
3
The Lord is a warrior who ends war. He rescued me from my pursuers and brought me back to his people's camp.
4
Down from the mountains of the north came the Assyrians, with their tens of thousands of soldiers. Their troops blocked the rivers in the valleys; their cavalry covered the mountains.
5
They threatened to set fire to our country, slaughter our young men, dash our babies to the ground, take our children away as captives, and carry off all our young women.
6
But the Lord Almighty tricked them; he used a woman to stop them.
7
Their hero was not slain by young soldiers or attacked and killed by mighty giants. It was Judith, the daughter of Merari, who brought him down with her beauty.
8
She gave victory to the oppressed people of Israel, when she took off her widow's clothes, and put on a linen dress to entice him. She put on her rich perfumes and tied a ribbon around her hair.