9 Judith heard that the people of Bethulia were weak from a shortage of water and that they had blamed Uzziah for their misery. She also learned that Uzziah had promised to surrender to the Assyrians in five days.
10 So at once Judith sent her most trusted servant woman to invite the three town leaders Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis to her home.
11 When they arrived, she said:I realize that you are the leaders of Bethulia, but please listen to me. What you said to the people today was wrong. You should not have promised them that you would surrender to the Assyrians, if the Lord God doesn't help us within the next few days. This promise was even made in God's name.
12 You have no right to test God like that, and you certainly have no business trying to control the lives of people. God is in control of that.
13 You are testing the Lord All-Powerful! You can never
14 know what goes on in a person's heart or learn what someone else is thinking. How do you expect to know what God is thinking or what he is planning? The only thing you're doing is making him angry.
15 Even if God does refuse to help us within the next five days, he still has the power to rescue us anytime he chooses. Or he may decide to let our enemies defeat us.