And the officer went in, and knocked at the outer door of the tent.

But when none answered, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him thrown upon the threshold dead, and his head had been taken from him. And he cried with a loud voice, with weeping and {104} groaning and a mighty cry, and rent his garments. And he entered into the tent where Judith lodged: and he found her not, and he leaped out to the people, and cried aloud, "The slaves have dealt treacherously: one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar; for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground, and his head is not on him."

But when the rulers of the host of a.s.shur heard the words, they rent their robes, and their souls were troubled exceedingly, and there was a cry and an exceeding great noise in the midst of the camp.

And when they that were in the tents heard, they were amazed at the thing that was come to pa.s.s. And trembling and fear fell upon them, and no man dared abide any more in the sight of his neighbor, but rushing out with one accord, they fled into every way of the plain and of the hill country. And they that had encamped in the hill country round about Bethulia fled away. And then the children of Israel, everyone that was a warrior among them, rushed out upon them, and fell upon the camp of a.s.shur, and spoiled them, and were enriched exceedingly. But the children of Israel returned from the slaughter, and took possession of that which remained; and the villages and the cities, that were in the hill country and in the plain country, took much spoil: for there was an exceeding great store.

And Joakim the high priest, and the elders of Jerusalem came to behold the good things which the Lord had showed to Israel, and to see Judith, and to salute her. {105} But when they came unto her, they all blessed her with one accord, and said unto her, "Thou art the exaltation of Jerusalem, thou art the great glory of Israel, thou art the great rejoicing of our race: thou hast done all these things by thy hand: thou hast done with Israel the things that are good, and G.o.d is pleased therewith: blessed be thou with the Almighty Lord for evermore." And all the people said, "Amen!"

And the people plundered the camp for the s.p.a.ce of thirty days: and they gave unto Judith Holofernes' tent, and all his silver cups, and his beds, and his vessels, and all his furniture: and she took them, and placed them on her mule, and made ready her wagons, and heaped them thereon.

And all the women of Israel ran together to see her; and they blessed her, and made a dance among them for her; and she took branches in her hand, and gave to the women that were with her. And they made themselves garlands of olive, she and they that were 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 armor with garlands, and with songs in their mouths. And Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang with loud voices this song of praise. And Judith sang--

THE SONG OF JUDITH.

"Begin unto my G.o.d with timbrels, Sing unto my Lord with cymbals: {106} Sing unto him psalm and praise: Exalt him, and call upon his name.

For the Lord is the G.o.d that breaketh the battles: For in his armies in the midst of the people He delivered me out of the hand of them that persecuted me.

a.s.shur came out of the mountains from the north, He came with ten thousands of his host, The mult.i.tudes whereof stopped the torrents, And their hors.e.m.e.n covered the hills.

He bragged that he would burn up my borders, And kill my young men with the sword, And throw my sucking children to the ground, And give mine infants for a prey, And make my virgins a spoil.

The Almighty Lord brought them to nought by the hand of a woman.

For their mighty one did not fall by young men, Neither did sons of the t.i.tans smite him, Nor did great giants set upon him: But Judith the daughter of Merari made him weak with the beauty of her countenance.

For she put off the apparel of her widowhood For the exaltation of those that were distressed in Israel, She anointed her face with ointment, And bound up her hair, And took a linen garment to deceive him.

Her sandal ravished his eye, And her beauty took his soul prisoner, The scimitar pa.s.sed through his neck.

The Persians quaked at her daring, And the Medes were daunted at her boldness.

Then my lowly ones shouted aloud, And my weak ones were terrified and crouched for fear: {107} They lifted up their voice, and they were turned to flight.

The sons of damsels pierced them through, And wounded them as fugitives' children; They perished by the battle of my Lord.

"I will sing unto my G.o.d a new song: O Lord, thou art great and glorious, Marvelous in strength, invincible.

Let all thy creation serve thee: For thou didst speak, and they were made, Thou didst send forth thy spirit, and it builded them.

And there is none that shall resist thy voice.

For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, And the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: But thou art yet merciful to them that fear thee.

For all sacrifice is little for a sweet savor, And all the fat is very little for a whole burnt offering to thee: But he that feareth the Lord is great continually.

Woe to the nations that rise up against my race: The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgment, To put fire and worms in their flesh; And they shall weep and feel their pain for ever."

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TALES OF ELIJAH AND ELISHA

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ELIJAH AND ELISHA

PERSONS OF THE STORY.

_Elijah, Elisha,. Prophets_.

_Ahab, King of Israel_.

_Jezebel, his wife_.

_Joram, son of Ahab_.

_A widow in Zarephath, her son_.

_Obadiah, an officer of the king_.

_Naboth, a Jezreelite_.

_A woman of Shunem, her husband and son_.

_Naaman, captain of the hosts of Syria_.

_A little Hebrew captive maiden_.

_Gehazi, servant of Elisha_.

_Ben-hadad, King of Syria_.

_A King of Israel_.

_An officer of the King_.

_Jehu, a captain of the Hebrew army, afterward king_.

_Priests of Baal, courtiers, soldiers, servants_.

PLACES OF THE STORY.

_Samaria, the brook Cherith, Zarephath, Mount Carmel, Mount h.o.r.eb, the Jordan, Shunem, Damascus_.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

Map showing Elijah's Travels, by E. R. Hooker.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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ELIJAH AND ELISHA.

STORIES OF THE WONDERFUL DEEDS PERFORMED BY TWO MEN OF G.o.d WHO LIVED IN ISRAEL.

_How Elijah p.r.o.nounced the Doom of Drouth. How He Was Entertained by a Poor Widow, and How He Paid for His Hospitality_.

(In the Northern kingdom of Israel, a very wicked king named Ahab came to the throne. This very wicked king married a woman named Jezebel, who was even more wicked than himself, and they both did continually that which was evil in the sight of G.o.d. They worshiped idols, and they cruelly put to death those who worshiped G.o.d. Then there arose a prophet named Elijah, and one day he came to the court of the wicked king and queen, and spoke these words):--

"As the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."

This made the king very angry, and he would have killed Elijah, but he escaped, for the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there."

So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: {114} for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pa.s.s after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee."

So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, "Bring me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."

And as she was going to bring it, he called to her, and said, "Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."