8:34. And Ozias the prince of Juda said to her: Go in peace, and the
Lord be with thee to take revenge of our enemies. So returning they
departed.

Judith Chapter 9

Judith's prayer, to beg of God to fortify her in her undertaking.

9:1. And when they were gone, Judith went into her oratory: and putting
on haircloth, laid ashes on her head: and falling down prostrate before
the Lord, she cried to the Lord, saying:

9:2. Lord God of my father Simeon, who gavest him a sword to execute
vengeance against strangers, who had defiled by their uncleanness, and
uncovered the virgin unto confusion:

Gavest him a sword, etc... The justice of God is here praised, in
punishing by the sword of Simeon the crime of the Sichemites: and not
the act of Simeon, which was justly condemned by his father, Gen. 49.5.
Though even with regard to this act, we may distinguish between his zeal
against the crime committed by the ravishers of his sister, which zeal
may be considered just: and the manner of his punishing that crime,
which was irregular and excessive.

9:3. And who gavest their wives to be made a prey, and their daughters
into captivity: and all their spoils to be divided to the servants, who
were zealous with thy zeal: assist, I beseech thee, O Lord God, me a
widow.

9:4. For thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised one thing
after another: and what thou hast designed hath been done.

9:5. For all thy ways are prepared, and in thy providence thou hast
placed thy judgments.

9:6. Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, as thou wast pleased to
look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued armed after thy
servants, trusting in their chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a
multitude of warriors.

9:7. But thou lookedst over their camp, and darkness wearied them.

9:8. The deep held their feet, and the waters overwhelmed them.

9:9. So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude,
and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in
their arrows, and glory in their spears,

9:10. And know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the
beginning, and the Lord is thy name.

9:11. Lift up thy arm as from the beginning, and crush their power with
thy power: let their power fall in their wrath, who promise themselves
to violate thy sanctuary, and defile the dwelling place of thy name, and
to beat down with their sword the horn of thy altar.

9:12. Bring to