Day 157 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

Judith 15

1 And when they that were in the tents heard, they were astonished at the thing that was done. 2 And fear and trembling fell upon them, so that there was no man that durst abide in the sight of his neighbour, but rushing out all together, they fled into every way of the plain, and of the hill country. 3 They also that had camped in the mountains round about Bethulia fled away. Then the children of Israel, every one that was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them. 4 Then sent Ozias to Betomasthem, and to Chobai, and Chola, and to all the coasts of Israel, such as should tell the things that were done, and that all should rush forth upon their enemies to destroy them. 5 Now when the children of Israel heard it, they all fell upon them with one consent, and slew them unto Chobai: likewise also they that came from Jerusalem, and from all the hill country, (for men had told them what things were done in the camp of their enemies,) and they that were in Galaad, and in Galilee, chased them with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and the borders thereof. 6 And the residue that dwelt at Bethulia, fell upon the camp of Assur, and spoiled them, and were greatly enriched. 7 And the children of Israel that returned from the slaughter had that which remained; and the villages and the cities, that were in the mountains and in the plain, gat many spoils: for the multitude was very great. 8 Then Joacim the high priest, and the ancients of the children of Israel that dwelt in Jerusalem, came to behold the good things that God had shewed to Israel, and to see Judith, and to salute her. 9 And when they came unto her, they blessed her with one accord, and said unto her, Thou art the exaltation of Israel, thou art the great glory of Israel, thou art the great rejoicing of our nation: 10 thou hast done all these things by thine hand: thou hast done much good to Israel, and God is pleased therewith: blessed be thou of the Almighty Lord for evermore. And all the people said, So be it. 11 And the people spoiled the camp the space of thirty days: and they gave unto Judith Holofernes his tent, and all his plate, and beds, and vessels, and all his stuff: and she took it, and laid it on her mule; and made ready her carts, and laid them thereon. 12 Then all the women of Israel ran together to see her, and blessed her, and made a dance among them for her: and she took branches in her hand, and gave also to the women that were with her. 13 And they put a garland of olive upon her and her maid that was with her, and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women: and all the men of Israel followed in their armour with garlands, and with songs in their mouths.

Judith 16

1 Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise. 2 And Judith said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name. 3 For God breaketh the battles: for among the camps in the midst of the people he hath delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me. 4 Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousands of his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents, and their horsemen have covered the hills. 5 He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mine infants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil. 6 But the Almighty Lord hath disappointed them by the hand of a woman. 7 For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance. 8 For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment, and bound her hair in a tire, and took a linen garment to deceive him. 9 Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the fauchion passed through his neck. 10 The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness. 11 Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown. 12 The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugitives' children: they perished by the battle of my Lord. 13 I will sing unto my God a new song: O Lord, thou art great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible. 14 Let all creatures serve thee: for thou spakest, and they were made: thou didst send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist thy voice. 15 For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: yet thou art merciful to them that fear thee. 16 For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee, and all the fat is not sufficient for thy burnt offering: but he that feareth the Lord is great at all times. 17 Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever. 18 Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts. 19 Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy which she had taken out of his bedchamber, for a gift unto God. 20 So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months, and Judith remained with them. 21 After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honourable in all the country. 22 And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people. 23 But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in her husband's house, being an hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses. 24 And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred. 25 And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.

Esther (Greek) 1

1 [In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great king, on the first [day] of Nisan, Mardochæus the [son] of Jairus, the [son] of Semeias, the [son] of Cisæus, of the tribe of Benjamin, 1b a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king's palace, saw a vision. 1c Now he was of the captivity which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem, with Jechonias the king of Judea. 1d And this [was] his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. 1e And, behold, two great serpents came forth, both ready for conflict, and there came from them a great voice, 1f and by their voice every nation was prepared for battle, even to fight against the nation of the just. 1g And, behold, a day of darkness and blackness, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great tumult upon the earth. 1h And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions; and they prepared to die, and cried to God: 1i and from their cry there came as it were a great river from a little fountain, [even] much water. 1k And light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the honourable. 1l And Mardochæus who had seen this vision and what God designed to do, having awoke, kept it in his heart, and desired by all means to interpret it, even till night. 1m And Mardochæus rested quiet in the palace with Gabatha and Tharrha the king's two chamberlains, eunuchs who guarded the palace. 1n And he heard their reasonings and searched out their plans, and learnt that they were preparing to lay hands on king Artaxerxes: and he informed the king concerning them. 1o And the king examined the two chamberlains, and they confessed, and were executed. 1p And the king wrote these things for a memorial; also Mardochæus wrote concerning these matters. 1q And the king commanded Mardochæus to attend in the palace, and gave him gifts for this service. 1r And Aman the son of Amadathes the Bugæan was honourable in the sight of the king, and he endeavoured to hurt Mardochæus and his people, because of the two chamberlains of the king.] 1s And it came to pass after these things in the days of Artaxerxes,—(this Artaxerxes ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India)— 2 in those days, when king Artaxerxes was on the throne in the city of Susa, 3 in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps. 4 And after this, after he had shewn to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during a hundred and eighty days, 5 when, [I say], the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet to the nations who were present in the city six days, in the court of the king's house, 6 [which was] adorned with [hangings] of fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of Parian marble and stone: [there were] golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, [having] roses worked round about; 7 gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank. 8 And this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company. 9 Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes [dwelt]. 10 Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Tharrha, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes, 11 to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to shew her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful. 12 But queen Astin hearkened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered. 13 And he said to his friends, Thus has Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this [case] law and judgment. 14 So Arkesæus, and Sarsathæus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief [in rank] by the king, drew near to him, 15 and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king by the chamberlains. 16 And Muchæus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king's rulers and princes: 17 for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, [said he], she refused [to obey] king Artaxerxes, 18 so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands. 19 If then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter [it]: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she. 20 And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich. 21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Muchæus had said, 22 and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, in order that men might be feared in their own houses.