The King Who Wanted to Own the World

Once upon a time there was a great king and he wanted to own the whole world. So he sent his general, Holofernes, with an immense army, to kill all the people that weren’t willing to belong to him. One city after the other opened its gates and promised to do anything he wanted if only he would spare their lives.

When the Jews heard of these things they were very much afraid that Holofernes would come to them and destroy their great city, Jerusalem.

As Jerusalem was built among mountains and steep hills, the Jews placed guards on the tops of the mountains and watched the paths that led into the city. Then they stored up food and got ready for war. And all the people cried to God to take care of them and they went without eating, and prayed night and day, and the high-priest told them that if they kept on praying, God would not let them be hurt. The Jews at this time were the only people that believed in God, for the other nations made gods for themselves out of wood and stone.

Now some one brought word to Holofernes that the Jews were getting ready to keep him out of their country. Then he was very angry, and asked what kind of people these Jews were that they dared to close their city to him when all other nations came out to meet him? And one of the captains stood forth and said that he could tell about these people who lived in the mountains. He said that they adored just one God who had given them the country where they lived. And that once when there was no food to be had in all the land, they had gone down to Egypt and stayed there for four hundred years. And the king of Egypt made them his slaves and forced them to build his cities, but when they cried to their God for help, He sent such troubles to the people of Egypt that the king let them go. And as they fled from Egypt they came to the Red Sea and had no way to cross. Then God opened a path for them through the sea and the waters stood firm as a wall on both sides, and they walked on the floor of the sea without even wetting their feet. And when the king got sorry that he had let them go and sent an army after them to bring them back, the army followed in the same path, but the waters came together again and every man was drowned.

And after the Jews came out of the Red Sea, they lived for forty years in a desert, where no one had ever been able to live before, but God made the bitter waters sweet and gave them food from heaven. Then they came back to the same country their fathers had left to go to Egypt. But no one was able to beat these people if God was with them, and only when they had sinned very much or begun to adore other gods like the pagan nations, did their God let the enemy take them.

And he said that Holofernes had better find out whether they had been sinning, for if they had, he could easily capture them; but if they had not, it were better to leave them alone, for their God could save them from any army.

When the captain had finished speaking, Holofernes was angry with him because he had said that the God of the Jews could save them from any army, and he told him that there was no god but the king and that he would kill all the Jews and then kill him too.

So Holofernes ordered his servants to give the captain over to the Jews. And they took him away, and when they had come near to the mountains, they bound him hand and foot, and tied him to a tree and left him. Soon the Jews came down, and unbinding him, brought him into the midst of their people. And they asked him what the trouble was, and he told them all that had happened. Then the people fell upon their faces and prayed to God to save them.

The next day Holofernes gave orders to his soldiers to march towards Jerusalem. When the Jews saw such a great army coming against them, they knew that only God could save them, and they fell upon the ground and begged Him for help. Then they set guards at the paths between the mountains, and all day and night they watched.

Now Holofernes found the fountain and springs which supplied them with water, and he placed about a hundred men at every spring so that they could no longer draw water. And after twenty days all the water in the city gave out, and the people could get no more, and they had nothing to drink. Then all the men and women and children came to the king and told him that they should have tried to make peace with the enemy instead of war, and that the wisest thing they could do now, was to give themselves up, for it was better to be taken as prisoners, or killed at once by the sword, than to slowly die from thirst.

“And when they had said these things, there was great weeping … and for many hours with one voice they cried to God, saying:’”

“‘We have sinned. … Have Thou mercy on us, because Thou art good.’” … (Judith 7:18-20.)

“And when being wearied with these cries, and tired with these weepings, they held their peace.”

“Ozias rising up all in tears, said: ‘Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.’”

“‘But if after five days be past there come no aid, we will do the things which you have spoken.’” (7:22, 23, 25.)

Now, there was living at that time a very holy woman named Judith, and her husband had been dead for more than three years. She dwelt in the upper part of her house with her maids, and spent her days in prayer.

“And she was exceedingly beautiful, and her husband left her great riches, and very many servants, and large possessions of herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep.” (8:7.)

When she heard what Ozias, the king, had said, she sent for two of the ancients and told them that they should not give up the city in five days, but keep on praying and remember that their sufferings were not as great as their sins had been, and that God had always let troubles come to His best friends, for the greater their sorrows here, the greater their joy will be in Heaven.

And Ozias and the ancients answered: “‘All things which thou hast spoken are true. … Now, therefore, pray for us, for thou art a holy woman, and one fearing God.’

“And Judith said to them: … ‘You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with my maid-servant: and pray ye, that as you have said in five days the Lord may look down upon His people. But I desire that you search not into what I am doing, and till I bring you word let nothing else be done but to pray for me to the Lord our God.’” (8:28-30, 32, 33.)

When they had left, Judith prayed again to God, and then she washed and put on her finest garments and took her bracelets and her earrings and her rings. And God made her even more beautiful than before, because she did not dress up to show off, but to save her people. And she gave her maid wine and oil and figs and bread and cheese to take with them, and they went down to the gate of the city. And the king and the ancients were waiting for her, and they were struck by her great beauty. But they asked her no questions, and she passed on.

About break of day she came to the watchmen of the enemy, who stopped her and asked her where she came from and where she was going. And she said that she wished to see Holofernes, and when they saw how beautiful she was, they brought her to his tent. Holofernes was sitting beneath a canopy woven of purple and gold with emeralds and precious stones. And Judith bowed down before him and he told her not to be afraid, and, at sight of her beauty, he was willing to give her anything she asked.

And she spoke so wisely that all were won by her, and Holofernes ordered her to be taken where his treasures were, and for food to be given her from his own table. But she said that she would only eat what her maid had brought.

And Judith asked that she might be allowed to go out at night and before day to pray. And Holofernes commanded that she should pass in and out as she pleased.

On the fourth day Holofernes gave a supper, and invited Judith. She ate and drank what her maid fixed for her, but Holofernes was so merry that he drank more than he had ever drunk in all his life.

“And when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings. … And Judith was alone, but Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.”

“And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without … and to watch.”

“And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears. …”

“Saying: ‘Strengthen me, O Lord God. …’”

“And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed’s head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.”

“And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head and said: ‘Strengthen me, O Lord God. …’”

“And she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head … and rolled away his headless body.”

“And after a while she went out, and delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid and bade her put it into her wallet.”

“And they two went out, according to their custom, as it were to prayer, and they passed the camp and … they came to the gate of the city.”

“And Judith from afar off cried to the watchmen upon the walls: ‘Open the gates, for God is with us. …’”

“And it came to pass, when the men had heard her voice, that they called the ancients of the city.”

“And all ran to meet her from the least to the greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come.”

“And lighting up lights, they all gathered round about her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace,”

“Judith said: ‘Praise ye, the Lord our God. … He hath killed the enemy of His people by my hand this night.’”

“Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: ‘Behold the head of Holofernes, the general of the army.’”

“And Judith said to all the people: ‘Hear me, my brethren, hang ye up this head upon our walls.”

“And as soon as the sun shall rise, let every man take his arms.”

“Then the watchmen must needs run to awake their prince for the battle.”

“And when the captains of them shall run to the tent of Holofernes, and shall find him without his head … fear shall fall upon them.”

“And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them.’”

“And immediately at break of day they hung up the head of Holofernes upon the walls, and every man took his arms, and they went out with a great noise and shouting.”

“And the watchmen seeing this, ran to the tent of Holofernes.”

“And they … made a noise before the door … to awake him. …”

“For no man durst knock.” (13:1, 3-19; 14:1-5, 7-10.)

Then one of the men clapped his hands, but as all was still, “he came near to the curtain, and lifting it up, and seeing the body of Holofernes, lying upon the ground, without the head … he cried out with weeping. …

“And he went into the tent of Judith, and not finding her, he ran out to the people.” (Jud. 14:15.)

And when all the army heard that Holofernes was dead, their courage left them and they thought only of saving their lives. And they fled across the fields, leaving all their treasures behind. And the Jews went after them with the edge of the sword, and when they came to the end of their own country, they returned and made themselves rich with all the enemy had left. And the gold and silver and precious stones that had belonged to Holofernes, they gave to Judith.

And the high-priest came from Jerusalem with his ancients to see Judith, and “they all blessed her with one voice, saying: ‘Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people.’” (15:10.)

For three months the people celebrated their victory with Judith, and in all the land there was none like her. And when years later she died, they mourned for her seven days.