For this verse see 10.3.

She took off her widow’s mourning to exalt the oppressed in Israel: Widow’s mourning means “widow’s clothes” (Good News Translation). Exalt is literally “raise up.” Good News Translation translates this well with “gave victory.” However, in some languages it is impossible to refer to people “giving victory” to others. In such cases one may say “She took off her widow’s clothes in order to conquer the Assyrian [Holofernes], and in this way free the Israelites.”

Good News Translation has rearranged the lines of this verse to simplify it, but it has made an incorrect connection between the first two lines. Judith did not give “victory to the oppressed people of Israel when she took off her widow’s clothes.” She gave them victory when she killed Holofernes. Good News Translation can be corrected to read “She took off her widow’s clothes in order to give victory to the oppressed people of Israel.” Good News Translation also rearranges the final lines and so changes the meaning. Translators are advised to keep Revised Standard Version‘s order.

She anointed her face with ointment and fastened her hair with a tiara and put on a linen gown to deceive him: On the ointment and the tiara, see the notes on 10.3 We cannot be certain just what kind of garment is meant by linen gown, but in the context of seduction, linen gown may be a better English equivalent than “linen dress” (Good News Translation). Linen was considered a luxurious material.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• She took off her widow’s clothes and won a victory
for the oppressed people of Israel.
She put perfume on her face,
placed a headband [or, ribbon] around her hair,
and put on a linen dress to entice him [or, Holofernes].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.