Judith 4:11-13

New Catholic Bible

¹¹ And all the Israelite men, women, and children living in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple, and with ashes on their heads they spread out their sackcloth before the Lord. ¹² They even draped the altar in sackcloth, and with one voice they prayed fervently, imploring the God of Israel not to allow their children to be carried off and their wives to be taken captive, the towns they had inherited to be destroyed, and their temple to be profaned and desecrated for the heathens to gloat over.

¹³ The Lord heard their prayers and looked kindly on them in their distress. For the people fasted for many days throughout Judea and before the temple of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem.