4
Judith had lived at home as a widow for three years and four months.
5
She set up a tent for herself on the roof of her house, and girded sackcloth about her loins and wore the garments of her widowhood.
6
She fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the day before the sabbath and the sabbath itself, the day before the new moon and the day of the new moon, and the feasts and days of rejoicing of the house of Israel.
7
She was beautiful in appearance, and had a very lovely face; and her husband Manasseh had left her gold and silver, and men and women slaves, and cattle, and fields; and she maintained this estate.
8
No one spoke ill of her, for she feared God with great devotion.
9
When Judith heard the wicked words spoken by the people against the ruler, because they were faint for lack of water, and when she heard all that Uzziah said to them, and how he promised them under oath to surrender the city to the Assyrians after five days,
10
she sent her maid, who was in charge of all she possessed, to summon Chabris and Charmis, the elders of her city.
11
They came to her, and she said to them, "Listen to me, rulers of the people of Bethulia! What you have said to the people today is not right; you have even sworn and pronounced this oath between God and you, promising to surrender the city to our enemies unless the Lord turns and helps us within so many days.
12
Who are you, that have put God to the test this day, and are setting yourselves up in the place of God among the sons of men?
13
You are putting the Lord Almighty to the test -- but you will never know anything!
14
You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart, nor find out what a man is thinking; how do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and find out his mind or comprehend his thought? No, my brethren, do not provoke the Lord our God to anger.