Sex and Violence in the Old Testament

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     Sex and Violence in the Old Testament

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She is to stay in your home and mourn for her parents for a month; only then, you can go to her and possess her, thus making her your wife.
 (Deuteronomy 21)
but keep alive for yourselves all the girls and all the women who are virgins. (Numbers 31).
Ehud did not pull it out of the king's belly, and it stuck out behind, between his legs(Judges 3)
You had better keep your mouth shut against people who fight for their existence. Otherwise we shall attack you and that would cost the lives of you and your whole family. (Judges 18)
Here is his concubine and my own daughter, who is a virgin. I'll bring them out now, and you can rape them. Do with them whatever you wan (Judges 19)
The LORD answered, "Fight" (Judges 20)
Go and kill everyone in Jabesh, including the women and children. 11 Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin(Judges 21)
They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like grass widows. David Flees from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15-20)
Who could despise people that have such women. It would be foolish to spare the life of even one of their men. Judit and Holofernes (Judit)
After the first died that way, they started to torture the second one. Bravery in refusing pork (2 Makkabees)

She is to stay in your home and mourn for her parents for a month; only then, you can go to her and possess her, thus making her your wife.
(Concerning Women Prisoners of War, Deuteronomy 21)

10 When the LORD your God gives you victory in battle and you take prisoners, 11 you may see among then a beautiful woman and you fall in love with her. 12 Take her to your home, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails, 13 and change her clothes. She is to stay in your home and mourn for her parents for a month; only then, you can go to her and possess her, thus making her your wife. 14 Later, if you no longer want her, you are to let her go free. Since you forced her to have intercourse with you, you cannot treat her as a slave and sell her.

but keep alive for yourselves all the girls and all the women who are virgins.
(The Holy War Against Midjan, Numbers 31).

...
7 They attacked Medjan, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed all the men, 8 including the five kings of Midjan: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor.
9 The people of Israel captured the Midjanite women and children, took their cattle and their flocks, plundered all their wealth, 10 and burnt all their cities and camps. 11 They took all the loot that they had captured, including the prisoners and the animals, 12 and brought them to Moses and Eleazar and to the community of the people of Israel, who were at the camp on the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar, and all the other leaders of the community went out of the camp to meet the army. 14 Moses was angry with the officers, the commanders of battalions and companies, who had returned from the war 15 He asked them, "why have you kept all the women alive? 16 Remember that it was the women who followed Balaam's instructions and at Peor led the people to be unfaithful to the LORD. That was what brought the epidemic on the LORD's people. 17 So now kill every boy and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse, 18 but keep alive for yourselves all the girls and all the women who are virgins.

Ehud did not pull it out of the king's belly, and it stuck out behind, between his legs
(Judges 3)

15 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he sent a man to free them. This was Ehud, a left-handed man, who was the son of Gera, from the tribe of Benjamin. The people of Israel sent Ehud to King Eglon of Moab with gifts for him. 16 Ehud had made himself a double-edged sword nearly 50 centimetres long. He had it fastened on his right side under his clothes. 17 Then he took the gifts to Egion, who was a very fat man. 18 When Ehud had given him the gifts, he told the men who had carried them to go back home. 19 But Ehud himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal, went back to Eglon, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you."
So the king ordered his servants, "Leave us alone!" And they all went out.
20 Then, as the king was sitting there alone in his cool room on the roof, Ehud went over to him and said, "I have a message from God for you." The king stood up. 21 With his left hand Ehud took the sword from his right side and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 The whole sword went in, handle and all, and the fat covered it up. Ehud did not pull it out of the king's belly, and it stuck out behind, between his legs. 23Then Thud went outside, closed the doors behind him, locked them, 24and left. The servants came and saw that the doors were locked, but they only thought that the king was inside, relieving himself. 2'They waited as long as they thought they should, but when he still did not open the door, they took the key and opened it. And there was their master, lying dead on the floor.

You had better keep your mouth shut against people who fight for their existence. Otherwise we shall attack you and that would cost the lives of you and your whole family.
Micah and the Tribe of Dan (Judges 18)

1 There was no king in Israel at that time. In those days the tribe of Dan was looking for territory to claim and occupy because they had not yet received any land of their own among the tribes of Israel. So the people of Dan chose five qualified men out of all the families in the tribe and sent them from the towns of Zoran and Eshtaol with instructions to explore the land. When they arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they stayed at Micah's house. 3 While they were there, they recognised the accent of the young Levite, so they went up to him and asked, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here?"
4 He answered, "I have an arrangement with Micah, who pays me to serve as his priest."
5 They said to him, "Please ask God if we are going to be successful on our journey."
6 The priest answered, "You have nothing to worry about. The LORD is taking care of you on this journey."
7  So the five men left and went to the town of Laish. They saw how safely the people there were living, like the Sidonians. They were a peaceful, quiet people, with no disputes with anyone; they had all they needed. They lived far away from the Sidonians and had no dealings with any other people. 8 When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their countrymen asked them what they had found out. 9 "Come on," they replied. "Let's attack Laish. We saw the land, and it's very good. Don't stay here doing nothing; hurry! Go on in and take it over! 10 When you get there, you will find that the people don't suspect a thing. It is a big country; it has everything a person could want, and God has given it to you."
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready for battle. 12 They went up and made camp west of Kiriath Jearim in Judab. That is why the place is still called Camp of Dan. 13 They went on from there and came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.
14 Then the five men who had gone to explore the country round Laish said to their companions, "Did you know that here in one of these houses there is a wooden idol covered with silver? There are also other idols and an ephod. What do you think we should do?" 15 So they went into Micah's house, where the young Levite lived, and asked the Levite how he was getting on. 16 Meanwhile the 600 soldiers from Dan, ready for battle, were standing at the gate. 17 The five spies went straight on into the house and took the wooden idol covered with silver, the other idols, and the ephod, while the priest stayed at the gate with the 600 armed men.
18 When the men went into Micah's house and took the sacred objects, the priest asked them, "What are you doing?"
19 They said, "Keep quiet. Don't say a word. Come with us and be our priest and adviser. Wouldn't you rather be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for the family of one man?" 20 This made the priest very happy, so he took the sacred objects and went along with them.
21 They turned round and started off, with their children, their livestock, and their belongings going ahead. 22 They had travelled a good distance from the house when Micah called his neighbours out for battle. They caught up with the men from Dan 23 and shouted at them. The men from Dan turned round and asked Micah, "What's the matter? Why all this mob?"
24 Micah answered, "What do you mean, 'What's the matter?' You take my priest and the gods that I made, and walk off! What have I got left?"
25 The men from Dan said, "You had better keep your mouth shut against people who fight for their existence. Otherwise we shall attack you and that would cost the lives of you and your whole family." 26 Then they went on. Micah saw that they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.
27-28 After the men from Dan had taken the priest and the things that Micah had made, they went and attacked Laish, that town of peaceful, quiet people which was in the same valley as Bethrehob. They killed the inhabitants and burnt the town. There was no one to save them, because Laish was a long way from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any other people. The men from Dan rebuilt the town and settled down there. 29 They changed its same from Laish to Dan, after their ancestor Dan, the son of Jacob. 30 The men from Dan set up the idol to be worshipped, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, served as a priest for the tribe of Dan, and his descendants served as their priests until the people were taken away into exile. "Micah's idol remained there all the time that the Tent where God was worshipped remained at Shiloh.

Here is his concubine and my own daughter, who is a virgin. I'll bring them out now, and you can rape them. Do with them whatever you want
The Levite and his Concubine (Judges 19)

14...It was sunset when they came to Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. 15 They turned off the road to go and spend the night there. They went into the town and sat down in the square, but no one offered to take them home for the night.
16 While they were there, an old man a  came by at the end of a day's work in the fields. He was originally from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was now living in Gibeah. (The other people there were from the tribe of Benjamin.)
1'7The old man noticed the traveller in the town square and asked him, "Where do you come from? Where are you going?"
18 The Levite answered, "We have been to Bethlehem in Judah, and now we are on our way home deep in the hill country of Ephraim. No one will put us up for the night, 19 even though we have fodder and straw for our donkeys, as well as bread and wine for my concubine and me and for my servant. We have everything we need."
20 The old man said, "You are welcome in my home! I'll take care of you; you don't have to spend the night in the square."  So he took them home with him and fed their donkeys. His guests washed their feet and had a meal.
22 They were enjoying themselves when all of a sudden some sexual perverts from the town surrounded the house and started beating on the door. They said to the old man, "Bring out that man that came home with you! We want to have sex with him!"
23 But the old man went outside and said to them, "No, my friends! Please! Don't do such an evil, immoral thing! This man is my guest. 24 Look! Here is his concubine and my own daughter, who is a virgin. I'll bring them out now, and you can rape them. Do with them whatever you want. But don't do such an awful thing to this man!" 25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and put her outside with them. They raped her and abused her all night long and didn't stop until morning.
26 At dawn the woman came and fell down at the door of the old man's house, where her husband was. She was still there when daylight came. 27 Her husband got up that morning, and when he opened the door to go on his way, he found his concubine lying in front of the house with her hands reaching for the door  28 He said, "Get up. Let's go."
But there was no answer. So he put her body across the donkey and started on his way home. 29 When he arrived, he went into the house and got a knife. He took his concubine's body, cut it into twelve pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, "We have never heard of such a thing! Nothing like this has ever happened since the Israelites left Egypt! We have to do something about this! What will it be?"

The LORD answered, "Fight".
(Judges 20)

All the people of Israel from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, as well as from the land of Gilead in the east, answered the call. They gathered in one body in the LORD's presence at Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all the tribes of Israel were present at this gathering of God's people, and there were 400,000 foot soldiers. 3 Meanwhile the people of Benjamin heard that all the other Israelites had gathered at Mizpah.
The Israelites asked, "Tell us, how was this crime committed?" 4 The Levite whose concubine had been murdered answered, "My concubine and I went to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin to spend the night. 5 The men of Gibeah came to attack me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me; instead they raped my concubine, and she died. 6 I took her body, cut it in pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These people have committed an evil and immoral act among us. 7 All of you here are Israelites. what are we going to do about this?"
8 All the people stood op together and said, "None of us, whether he lives in a tent or in a house, will go home. 9 This is what we will do: we will draw lots and choose some men to attack Gibeah. 10 One tenth of the men in Israel will provide food for the army, and the others will go and punish Gibeah for this immoral act that they have committed in Israel." 11 So all the men in Israel assembled with one purpose - to attack the town.
12 The Israelite tribes sent messengers all through the territory of the tribe of Benjamin to say, "What is this crime that you have committed? 15 Now hand over those perverts in Gibeah, so that we can kill them and remove this evil from Israel." But the people of Benjamin paid no attention to the other Israelites. 14 From all the cities of Benjamin they came to Gibeah to fight against the other people of Israel. 15-16 They called out 26,000 soldiers from their cities that day. Besides these, the citizens of Gibeah gathered 700 specially chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a strand of hair and never miss. 17 The rest of the Israelite tribes gathered 400,000 trained soldiers.
18 The Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel, and there they asked God, "which tribe should attack the Benjaminites first?"
The LORD answered, "The tribe of Judah."
19 So the Israelites started out the next morning and made camp near the town of Gibeah. 20 They went to attack the army of Benjamin, and placed the soldiers in position facing the town. 21 The army of Benjamin came out of the town, and before the day was over they had killed 22,000 Israelite soldiers. 22-23 Then the Israelites went to the place of worship and mourned in the presence of the LORD until evening. They asked him, "Should we go again into battle against our brothers the Benjaminites?"
The LORD answered, "Yes."
So the Israelite army was encouraged, and they placed their soldiers in the same position as they had been the day before. 24 They marched against the army of Benjamin a second time. And for the second time the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah, and this time they killed 18,000 trained Israelite soldiers. 25 Then all the people of Israel went up to Bethel and mourned. They sat there in the LORD's presence and did not eat until evening. They offered fellowship sacrifices and burnt some sacrifices whole - all in the presence of the LORD.
27-28 God's Covenant Box was there at Bethel in those days, and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was in charge of it. The people asked the LORD, "Should we go out to fight our brothers the Benjaminites again, or should we give up?"
The LORD answered, "Fight. Tomorrow I will give you victory over them."
29 So the Israelites put some soldiers in hiding round Gibeah. 30 Then for the third successive day they marched against the army of Benjamin and placed their soldiers in battle position facing Gibeah, as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites came out to fight and were led away from the town. As before, they began killing some Israelites in the open country on the road to Bethel and on the road to Gibeah. They killed about 30 Israelites. 32 The Benjaminites said, "We've beaten them just as we did before."
But the Israelites had planned to retreat and lead them away from the town on to the roads. 33 So when the main army of the Israelites pulled back and regrouped at Baaltamar, the men surrounding Gibesh suddenly rushed out of their hiding places in the rocky country round the town. 34 Ten thousand men, specially chosen out of all Israel, attacked Gibeah, and the fighting was hard. The Benjaminites had not realised that they were about to be destroyed. 35 The LORD gave Israel victory over the army of Benjamin. The Israelites killed 25,100 of the enemy that day, 36 and the Benjaminites realised they were defeated.
The main body of the Israelite army had retreated from the Benjaminites because they were relying on the men that they had put in hiding round Gibeah. 37 These men ran quickly towards Gibeah; they spread out in the town and killed everyone there. 38 The main Israelite army and the men in hiding had arranged a signal. When they saw a big cloud of smoke going up from the town, 39 the Israelites out on the battlefield were to turn round. By this time the Benjaminites had already killed the 30 Israelites. They told themselves, "Yes, we've beaten them just as we did before." 40 Then the signal appeared; a cloud of smoke began to go up from the town. The Benjaminites looked behind them and were amazed to see the whole town going up in flames. 41 Then the Israelites turned round, and the Benjaminites were thrown into a panic because they realised that they were about to be destroyed. 42 They retreated from the Israelites and ran towards the open country, but they could not escape. They were caught between the main army and the men who were now coming out of the town, and they were destroyed. 43 The Israelites had the enemy trapped, and without stopping they pursued them as far as a point east of Gibean, killing them as they went. 44 Eighteen thousand of the best Benjaminite soldiers were killed. 45 The others turned and ran towards the open country to the Rock of Rimmon. Five thousand of them were killed along the road. The Israelites continued to pursue the rest to Gidom, killing 2,000. 46 In all, 25,000 Benjaminites were killed that day - all of them brave soldiers.
47 But 600 men were able to escape to the open country to the Rock of Rimmon, and they stayed there four months.
48 The Israelites turned back against the rest of the Benjaminites and killed them all - men, women, and children, and animals as well. They burnt every town in the area.

Go and kill everyone in Jabesh, including the women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin
Wives for the Tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21)

When the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, they had made a solemn promise to the LORD: "None of us will allow a Benjaminite to marry a daughter of ours." 2 So now the people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. Loudly and bitterly they mourned: 3 "LORD God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel?"
4 Early the next morning the people built an altar there, offered fellowship sacrifices and burnt some sacrifices whole. 'They asked, "Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in the LORD's presence at Mizpah?" (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) 5 The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites and said, 6 "Today Israel has lost one of its tribes. 7 What shall we do to provide wives for the men of Benjamin who are left? We have made a solemn promise to the LORD that we will not give them any of our daughters."
8 When they asked if there was some group out of the tribes of Israel that had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there; at the roll call of the army no one from Jabesh had responded. So the assembly sent 12,000 of their bravest men with the orders, "Go and kill everyone in Jabesh, including the women and children. 11 Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin." 12 Among the people in Jabesh they found 400 young virgins, so they brought them to the camp at Shilob, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the Rock of Rimmon and offered to end the war. 14 The Benjaminites came back, and the other Israelites gave them the girls from Jabesh whom they had no killed. But there were not enough of them.
15 The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because the LORD had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. 16 So the leaders of the gathering said, "There at no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? 17 Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive, 18 but we cannot allow then to marry our daughters, because we have put a curse on anyone of us who allow a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters."
19 Then they thought, "The yearly festival of the LORD at Shiloh is coming soon." (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) 20 They said to the Benjaminites, "Go and hide in the vineyards 21 and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. 22 If their fathers sir brothers come to you and protest, you can say, 23 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. And since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' "
23 The Benjaminites did this; each of them chose a wife from the women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. Then they went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.

They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like grass widows.
David Flees from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15-20)

13 A messenger reported to David, "The Israelites are pledging their loyalty to Absalom."
14 So David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "We must get away at once if we want to escape from Absalom! Hurry! Or else he will soon be here and defeat us and kill everyone in the town!"
15 "Yes, Your Majesty," they answered. "We are ready to do whatever you say." So the king left, accompanied by all his family and officials, except for ten concubines, whom he left behind to take care of the palace.
17 As the king and all his men were leaving the town...

16:20 Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and said, "Now that we are here, what do you advise us to do?"
21 Ahithophel answered, "Go and have intercourse with your father's concubines whom he left behind to take care of the palace. Then everyone in Israel will know that your father regards you as his enemy, and your followers will be greatly encouraged." 22 So they set up a tent for Absalom on the palace roof, and in the sight of everyone Absalom went in and had intercourse with his father's concubines.
23 Every advice that Ahithophel gave in those days was accepted as though it were the very word of God; both David and Absalom followed it
....
2 Sam 18:6 David's army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in the forest of Ephraim. 7 The Israelites were defeated by David's men; it was a terrible defeat, with 20,000 men killed that day
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9 Suddenly Absalom met some of David's men. Absalom was riding a mule, and as it went under a large oak tree, Absalom's head got caught in the branches. The mule ran on and Absalom was left hanging in mid air. 10 One of David's men saw him and reported to Joab, "Sir, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!" 11 Joab answered, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill him on the spot? I myself would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
12 But the man answered, "Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn't lift a finger against the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake don't harm the young man Absalom.' 13 But if I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it - he hears about everything  and you would not have defended me."
14 "Of course not, I will even be ahead of you" Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive, hanging in the oak tree. 15 Then ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him.
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2 Sam 20:3 When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and put then under guard. He provided for their needs, but did not have intercourse with them.They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like grass widows.

Who could despise people that have such women. It would be foolish to spare the life of even one of their men.
LORD, God of all force, look in this hour with benevolence down upon the work my hands will do to the glory of Jerusalem (Judit)

Judit 2:14 Holofernes went off and summoned all sovereigns, generals and lieutenant-generals of the army to Assyria. 15 He carefully chose one hundred and twenty thousand able-bodied me, as his master had ordered him to do, and also twelve thousand horse riding archers. 16 en he arranged them in formations as are usual in a war. 17 He took a very large number of camels, and also donkeys and mules to transport the equipment, and also innumerable sheep, cows and goats as provisions, 18 plenty of food en above that a lot of gold and silver from the royal palace.
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Judit 7:1 The next day, Holofernes ordered his army and all his auxiliary troops to advance in the direction of Betulia, occupy the passes and attack the Israelites.
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Judit 7:32 [The Israelites] went to the walls of the town and sent the women and  children home. Dismay reigned the town.
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Judit 8:1 Judit learned about this.
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Judit 8:4 Already for three years and four months Judit lived as a widow.
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Judit 8:7  She looked charming, with the expression of a woman in the prime of her life.
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Judit 8:8 Nobody was able to say something bad about her, she was very god-fearing.
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Judit 10:1  After having prayed thus to the LORD of Israel, 2 she stood up, called her maid and went down into the house where she was used to pass Sabbath and the feast-days. 3. She put off her mourning-clothes and removed her widows dress. After that she took a bath, rubbed herself in with anointing-oil, put up her hair and  wrapped it with a braid. The dressed herself with the finest clothes she was wearing when her husband, Manasse, was still alive. 4 She put sandals at her feet, adorned herself with her necklaces, bracelets, ear-drops and all her jewellery. She made herself up so beautifully, that she had to attract the attention of every man who would see her. 5 She gave her maid a leather bag and a jar with oil. She filled a bag with roasted barley, dried fruits and white breads.  She also packed her cooking equipment and gave it to her maid to carry.
6 They went off to the town gate of Betulia. There, they met Uzzia with the eldest of the town, Chabri and Charmi. 7 When they saw Judit, so differently looking and so differently dressed they got impressed by her beauty and said: 8 "May the LORD of out fathers have mercy upon you and may he make your plans succeed to the fame of Israel's sons and the glory of Jerusalem." 9 And Judit bowed down for God. Then she said: "Let the gate be opened for me, then I can go to achieve what we have discussed." 10 Thereupon they ordered the guards of the gate to open for her as she had requested. And so they did.
Judit left the town, together with her maid. The men of the town looked while she descended the mountain. When she reached the opposite side of the valley, they lost sight of her. 11 While they crossed the valley, Assyrian scouts approached her. 12 They stopped her and asked: "To which people do you belong, where do you come from and where are you going?" Judit answered: "I am Hebrew, but I ran away from my people, because it will not be long before they will be your prey. 13 I want to go to Holofernes the supreme commander of your army, to supply valuable information to him. I will show him a way he should use to gain control over the whole mountain area without loosing one man.
14 When the soldiers heard her speak like that, and saw her face, saw that she was a miracle of beauty, they said to her: 15 "You saved yourself by coming immediately to our master. Go to his tent. Some of us will go with you. 16 When you stand before him, do not be afraid. Just tell him what you just said and he will treat you well" 17 They chose one hundred men from their ranks. these joined her and her maid and brought them to the tent of Holofernes. 18 The entire camp had turned out, because the rumour of their advent had spread. they crowded around her, while she still stood before the tent of Holofernes, waiting for the moment she would be announced. 19 The admired her beauty, and she made them stand in awe for the Israelites. They said among each other: "Who could despise people that have such women. It would be foolish to spare the life of even one of their men. If they get the chance they will deceive the complete world." 20  Thereupon the bodyguards and adjutants of Holofernes came to invite Judit in.
21 Holofernes was lying on his bed under a purple mosquito net, decorated with gold and emerald, and cunningly fetched precious stones. 22 After he was told she had arrived, he went to the front of his tent. Silver torches were carried in front of him. 23 As soon as Holofernes and his retinue saw Judit, they all got excited about the beauty of her appearance. She threw herself on the ground to pay homage him. But the servants made her stand up.
Judit 11.1 Holofernes spoke to her: "Do not worry madam, do not fear. Never did I do harm to anyone who wishes to serve Nebukadnessar, the king of the entire world. 2 Had therefore your people in the mountains had not despised me, I would never have raised my javelin against them. they have done this to themselves. 3 But please, tell me why did you run away from them to come to me? You must have come to save your life? Have good courage, from this night you will be safe. 4 No one wishes to do injustice to you, you will be treated well, as everyone who serves my master, king Nebukadnessar"
5  Judit answered him: "Be so good to listen to your slave. Allow your maid to speak to you. Of what I will say to my master this night not a word shall be untrue. 6 If you follow the directions of your maid, what God is undertaking with you will be a complete success and my master's plan  will not fail. 7 As lives Nebukadnessar, king of the entire world, and by the power of the one who sent you to restore order among everything that lives: thanks to you not only the people as subjected to Nebukadnessar, but by your force also the wild animals and the cattle and the birds of the heavens are subservient to  Nebukadnessar and his entire house. 8 For they have heard of your wisdom and of your daring undertakings and all over the earth it is proclaimed that nobody in the empire is as rich and able as you, so knowledgeable, and so much a genius as a general. 9 We know the speech held by Achior in your council. Because the men of Betulia spared him and he told them everything he said here. 10 Therefore, powerful master, do not disregard his words, but take them to heart, because they are true: our people is not punished and not subdued by the sword unless it sins against God. 11 Well then, my master will not be hit back and have to retreat without success, because death will raid them. Sin took hold on them; therefore they will evoke the wrath God as soon as they will do something wrong.
12 When they started to lack food and water became scarce, they set out to slaughter their cattle en even decided to eat what is forbidden to them by God's law.
13 Also, they planned to eat themselves the first-fruits of the wheat and the tenths of wine and oil, destined and kept for the priests whom in Jerusalem serve in the face of our God, though nobody of the people is even allowed to tough them. 14 And they send messengers to Jerusalem, where one started to do the same, to acquire the consent of the council of the eldest. 15 As soon as they will have that, and act accordingly, they will be extradited to you and thus perish. 16 After I, your servant, learned about all this I left them. God sent me to do, through you, things that will astonish the entire world. 17 Because your servant is devout, dedicated to the god of heavens day and night.
From now, my master, I stay with you. But in the night your servant should go to the valley in order to be able to pray to God; He will tell me when they have committed their sins. 18 Then, I come to tell this to you; you march out with your entire army and no one shall resist you. 19 I will lead you right through Judea to Jerusalem. In the heart of the city I will put your seat. You will be able to do with them as with sheep without a shepherd, and no dog will bark. This knowledge was granted to me and I have been sent to tell you what has been said to me."
20 Her words pleased Holofernes and his entire company. They stood in admiration for her wisdom and said: 21 "In the entire world, from East to West, this woman does not find her equal in beauty and wisdom" 22 Holofernes said to her: "God did do well to send you out of your people to us. Thus He makes us strong, but induces the downfall of those who despised my master. 23 You are ravishing to see and well-spoken; if you do what you said, my God will be your God and you will have your seat in the palace of king Nebukadnessar and be celebrated all over the earth"
...
Judit 12:10 On the fourth day Holofernes let a meal be prepared, only for his retinue; none of the high officers was invited. 11. He said to Bagoas, the supervisor of his court: "Try to lure that Hebrew woman, trusted to your care, into coming to eat and drink with us. 12 Should not we be ashamed if we let such a woman walk around without enjoying her company. If we do not try to seduce her she will laugh at us." 13 Bagoas went from Holofernes to Judit and said to her: "May the miraculously beautiful young lady not hesitate to come to my master, to be celebrated in his presence and gaily drink wine with us as the Assyrian girls do in the palace of Nebukadnessar. " 14 Judit answered him: "How could I dare to resist my master? I will do everything that pleases him without delay. That will be a pleasure to may until the day I die."
15 She stood up and dressed herself with the clothing and jewellery with which women embellish themselves. Her maid went in advance and spread at the opposite side of Holofernes the pelt Judit got from Bagoas and on which every day he was lying for dinner. 16 Then Judit came in and lied down. Holofernes went out his mind, his body got stirred and he got seized by a vehement desire to be together with her.
From the day he had seen her for the first time, he had been looking for a good moment to be together with her. 17 He said to her: "Drink a little and let us be gay together" 18 Judit answered: "I love to, because since the day I was born life has never smiled at me like today" 19 And before the eyes of Holofernes she started to eat and drink what her maid had prepared for her. 20 Holofernes was beside himself with joy about her and drank a lot of wine, more than he ever drank in his life.

Judit 13:1 When it finally was late the Holofernes' retinue thought the moment had come to go. Bagoas sent the servants off and closed the tent form the outside. Everybody went for his bed, exhausted from all the drinking. 2 Only Judit remained in the tent. Holofernes lay in length front down on his bed; he was blind drunk. Judit had told her maid to wait, like every day, near the tent were she would sleep, until she came outside, as she said, to pray.
She had spoken accordingly with Bagoas.
4 All had gone now; no one whomsoever had remained in the tent of Holofernes. Judit stood next to his bed and prayed in silence: "LORD, God of all force, look in this hour with benevolence down upon the work my hands will do to the glory of Jerusalem. 5 Because now the moment has come to take pity on your heritage, by making my plan succeed and to derstroy the enemies that threaten us." 6 Thereupon she walked up to Holofernes' bedpost, near to his head and took his sword, 7 approached the bed, took Holofernes' head by the hair  and said "My LORD, God of Israel, now give me power." 8 Thereupon she plunged the sword twice on his neck and she cut off his head. 9 She rolled his body from the bed and pulled the mosquito net from the posts. Shortly afterwards she came out and gave Holofernes' head to her maid. 10 Who put it in her food bag. And together they went off, as they always had done when they went for prayer. After having crossed  the army camp, the walked in a wide circle through the valley, mounted the slope of Betulia and arrived at the gate of the town. 11 From far Judit shouted to the guards: "Open the gates, open! The LORD our God is with us; still he shows His tremendous power in the favour of Israel against the enemy; today, he did it again" 12 When the men of the town heard her voice, they hurried down to the gate and warned the eldest. 13 Everybody, from big to small, crowded together because nobody expected she would return. They opened the gate to let them in. They put lights on and circled around her. 14 Judit shouted loud at them: "Praise the LORD, praise Him! Praise the LORD who did not withhold his mercy to the house of Israel, but has, this night, destroyed our enemies through my hand." 15 She pulled the head out of her bag and showed it to them: "Here is the head of Holofernes, the supreme commander of the Assyrian army. And here is the mosquito net under which he was sleeping off his inebriation. The LORD has killed him by the hand of a woman. 16 As Jahwe lives, who protected me on the road I took: my beauty distracted him, to his destruction, without having been able to commit a sin with me that would have filed and dishonoured me"
17 The entire population got excited. It bowed down to pray to God and in one voice they shouted: "Hail Thee, our LORD, who has today destroyed the enemies of your people." 18 And Uzzia spoke to her: "Blessed are you, daughter, by the highest God, more than all women on the earth, and blessed be the LORD our God, who created heaven and earth, and who made you cut the head off the leader of our enemies". 19 As long as there are people who remember Gods power, the memory of your trust in God will remain alive. 20 May God give that to you as your lasting glory, and may He give you all that is well, because you risked your life when our people were humiliated. You have prevented our doom by honestly walking the paths of God.

And the entire people shouted: "Amen, amen."

After the first died that way, they started to torture the second one.
Bravery in Refusing Pork ( 2 Makkabees)

2 Makkabees 7 Also, seven brothers were arrested with their mother, and under the orders of the king they beat them up with rods and belts in order to force them to eat the forbidden pork meat. 2 One of them asked the king in the name of all of them: "What do you want from us and what do you want to know from us? We'd rather die than violate the laws of our ancestors" 3 Flown into rage the king order to heat pans and kettles. 4 As soon as they were burning hot, he order the tongue of their speaker to be cut off, to strip the skin from his head and to have his hands and feet cut off before the eyes of his brothers and his mother. 5 Then he ordered to take him, completely mutilated but still alive, to the fire and to fry him in the pan. While the smell from the pan spread widely the other brother encouraged each other to die heroically. They said: "The LORD our God looks down upon us and will certainly have mercy with us as Moses declared in the song in which he openly testifies against Israel. He will have mercy over his servants".
7 After the first died that way, they started to torture the second. They stripped the skin, hairs included from his head and asked him: "Do you want to eat instead of being tortured part by part all over your body?" 8  He answered in his mother tongue: "No!". Therefore, he also had to endure the same acts of torture in the same order.9 Before he died he said: "You degenerate villain, you take our lives, but the King of the world will resuscitate us, who die for His law, to eternal life."
10 After him the third one got tortured. at the request of the henchman he immediately exposed his tongue and undauntedly offered his hands. 11. Proudly he said: "Heaven gave them to me, but for God's law it is my pleasure to part with them, hoping once to get them back from Him." 12 The courage of the young man, who suffered his pains in silence, surprised even the king and his retinue.
13 After this boy had died, they hurt and tortured the fourth one in the same way. 14 Near to his death he said: "Death under the hands of people becomes desirable by the hope God gives us, that He will make us stand up again.But for you there will not be a resurrection to life."
15 Thereupon they took the fifth and tortured him. 16 He let his eyes rest on the king and said: "Although you are a mortal man, you have the power to do with people what you want. But do not think that God will leave our people alone 17 Just have patience, than you will witness how His tremendous force will castigate you and your descendants."
18 After him they brought the sixth one. While dying he said: "Do not form any illusions for yourself: we ourselves are the cause of our suffering, because we sinned against our LORD, these bewildering things happen 19 But do not fancy that you will go unpunished, now you dared to go into battle with God."
20 Extraordinarily admirable was the mother and the memory of her deserved to remain being honoured. She saw her seven sons dying in one day, but stayed courageously on end, because she trusted on the LORD. 21 Inspired by noble feelings she encouraged everyone of them in their mother tongue. She hardened her female sensitivity with male courage and said to them: 22 "I do not know how you were formed in my womb: not I gave you the breath of life, not I arranged the parts of which you consist into a harmonious whole, 23 but the Creator of the world; He causes man to exist as he is the origin of everything. He will, in his mercy, return the breath of life to you because now you do not spare yourself for the sake of his law." 24 Antiochus thought the woman was railing at him and he suspected her of insulting language. Therefore he tried to lure her youngest son, the only one still alive into repudiating the morals of his ancestors not only by warnings, but he also promised under oath to make him rich and happy, to include him in his circle of friends, and to trust to him the control over the state treasury. 25 When thereupon the boy showed no interest whatsoever, the king called the mother and encouraged her to convince the boy that his well-being was at stake. 26 Because he insisted strongly, she finally agreed to convince her son. 27 She bend towards him, and mocking the cruel  despot she said to him in his mother tongue: "Child, have mercy with me. I carried you nine months in my womb, fed you three years and raised to to be the boy you are now. 28 I beg you, my child, consider heaven and earth and all they contain and realise that God made all of this out of nothing, and that the human race arose likewise. 29 Do not be afraid for that henchman, but show yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, then I will get you back with your brothers on the day that God will have mercy over us"
30 As soon as she had said this, the boy shouted: "What are you waiting for? I do not obey the orders of the king; I obey what is ordered by the law, given by Moses to our ancestors. 31 You are the cause of the disaster inflicted upon all Hebrew people, but you will not escape the hand of the LORD 32 It is true that we have called this suffering upon ourselves by our own sins; 33 but though now the living God for a moment shows his rage by chastising us and set us right, nevertheless He will reconcile himself again with His servants. 34 But you, vile villain, have no reason to be proud and to flatter yourself with vain expectations, now you slay Gods servants.35 You did not yet escape the judgement of the almighty and all seeing God! 36 After short suffering my brothers acquired eternal life according to Gods covenant,  but you will get the punishment you deserve for your haughtiness at the judgement of God. 37 Just like my brothers I give my body and life in respect for the law of our ancestors and I beg God that he soon will have mercy with our people and that he will force you, by means of torture and plague to concede that only He is God. 38 May by me and my brothers the wrath of the almighty, so rightly having come over all our people, come to rest"
39 Flown into rage and offended by the scorn inflicted on him, the king had the boy tortured in even a more cruel way than the others. 40 Thus he also died with a pure conscience and in great trust on the LORD.