The actual, original, first printing of the 1611 King James Version (‘HE’ Bible) — Judith Chapter 9.

CHAP. IX.

1 Iudeth humbleth herselfe, 2 and prayeth God to prosper her purpose against the enemies of his sanctuarie.

Permission required. Copyright 2026 King James Bible Online | ..

¹ Then Iudeth fell vpon her face, and put ashes vpon her head, and vncouered the sackcloth wherewith she was clothed, and about the time, that the incense of that euening was offered in Ierusalem, in the house of the Lord, Iudeth cryed with a loud voyce, and said,

² O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gauest a sword to take vengeance of the strangers, who loosened the girdle of a maide to defile her, and discouered the thigh to her shame, and polluted her virginity to her reproch, (for thou saidst it shall not be so, and yet they did so.)²

³ Wherefore thou gauest their rulers to be slaine, so that they died their bed in blood, being deceiued, and smotest the seruants with their Lords, and the Lords vpon their thrones:

Copyrighted. © 2026 King James Bible Online | ..

⁴ And hast giuen their wiues for a pray, and their daughters to bee captiues, and all their spoiles to be diuided amongst thy deere children: which were mooued with thy zeale, and abhorred the pollution of their blood, and called vpon thee for aide: O God, O my God, heare me also a widow.

⁵ For thou hast wrought not onely those things, but also the things which fell out before, and which ensewed after, thou hast thought vpon the things which are now, and which are to come.

⁶ Yea what things thou didst determine were redy at hand, and said, loe we are heere; for all thy wayes are prepared, and thy iudgements are in thy foreknowledge.

⁷ For behold, the Assyrians are multiplyed in their power: they are exalted with horse and man: they glory in the strength of their footemen: they trust in shield and speare, and bow, and sling, and know not that thou art the Lord that breakest the battels: the Lord is thy name.

⁸ Throw downe their strength in thy power, and bring downe their force in thy wrath; for they haue purposed to defile thy Sanctuary, and to pollute the Tabernacle, where thy glorious name resteth, and to cast downe with sword the horne of thy altar.

Copyrighted. © 2026 King James Bible Online | ..

⁹ Behold their pride, and send thy wrath vpon their heads: giue into mine hand which am a widow, the power that I haue conceiued.

¹⁰ Smite by the deceit of my lips the seruant with the prince, and the prince with the seruant: breake downe their statelinesse by the hand of a woman.¹⁰

¹¹ For thy power standeth not in multitude, nor thy might in strong men, for thou art a God of the afflicted, an helper of the oppressed, an vpholder of the weake, a protector of the forelorne, a sauiour of them that are without hope.¹¹

Permission required. Copyright 2026 King James Bible Online | ..

¹² I pray thee, I pray thee, O God of my father, and God of the inheritance of Israel, Lord of the heauens, and earth, creator of the waters, king of euery creature: heare thou my prayer:

¹³ And make my speech and deceit to be their wound & stripe, who haue purposed cruell things against thy couenant, and thy hallowed house, and against the top of Sion, and against the house of the possession of thy children.

¹⁴ And make euery nation and tribe to acknowledge that thou art the God of all power and might, and that there is none other that protecteth the people of Israel but thou.

* Some content on this page courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania