Part 296 (1/2)

9:2. Lord G.o.d 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 G.o.d is here praised, in punis.h.i.+ng 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 punis.h.i.+ng 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: a.s.sist, I beseech thee, O Lord G.o.d, 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 a.s.syrians 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 hors.e.m.e.n, and in a mult.i.tude 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 mult.i.tude, and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their s.h.i.+elds, and in their arrows, and glory in their spears,

9:10. And know not that thou art our G.o.d, 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 pa.s.s, O Lord, that his pride may be cut off with his own sword.

9:13. Let him be caught in the net of his own eyes in my regard, and do thou strike him by the graces of the words of my lips.

9:14. Give me constancy in my mind, that I may despise him: and fort.i.tude that I may overthrow him.

9:15. For this will be a glorious monument for thy name, when he shall fall by the hand of a woman.

9:16. For thy power, O Lord, is not in a mult.i.tude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee.

9:17. O G.o.d of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy.

9:18. Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness:

9:19. And all nations may acknowledge that thou art G.o.d, and there is no other besides thee.

Judith Chapter 10

Judith goeth out towards the camp, and is taken, and brought to Holofernes.

10:1. And it came to pa.s.s, when she had ceased to cry to the Lord, that she rose from the place wherein she lay prostrate before the Lord.

10:2. And she called her maid, and going down into her house she took off her haircloth, and put away the garments of her widowhood,

10:3. And she washed her body, and anointed herself with the best ointment, and plaited the hair of her head, and put a bonnet upon her head, and clothed herself with the garments of her gladness, and put sandals on her feet, and took her bracelets, and lilies, and earlets, and rings, and adorned herself with all her ornaments.

10:4. And the Lord also gave her more beauty: because all this dressing up did not proceed from sensuality, but from virtue: and therefore the Lord increased this her beauty, so that she appeared to all men's eyes incomparably lovely.