Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version join these two verses so as to bring the sentence about the distribution of her property before mention of her death. This arrangement is more logical and easier to follow.

She became more and more famous, and grew old in her husband’s house: Famous means that more and more people heard what she had done. So we may alternatively translate “More and more people heard about Judith’s great deed.” And expresses well the coordinate relationship between the two clauses here. Contemporary English Version expresses it with “Judith became more famous as time went by, and she continued to live in the house Manasseh had left her.”

She set her maid free: Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version put this clause in the same sentence with the distribution of property. However, it would be better as a separate sentence. The author certainly treats it as a separate item, and this nameless woman has been an important person in Judith’s life and in the story, as was described by the author at 8.10.

They buried her in the cave of her husband Manasseh: In the rocky countryside of Palestine the dead were often placed in caves rather than buried in the ground (see Gen 25.9). The principal point here is that Judith was laid to rest with the husband to whom she had been so faithful. Contemporary English Version‘s “in their family tomb” misses the important connection with the phrase “gathered to his people” mentioned in the previous verse. An alternative way to render this clause is “they buried her beside her husband Manasseh in his cave.”

The house of Israel mourned for her seven days: The house of Israel refers to “the people of Israel.” The phrase has the effect of speaking of them as a family. They are united in mourning a common loss. Mourned for her may be rendered “they wept showing sorrow for her.” Seven days was the normal period of mourning; see Sir 22.12.

To all those who were next of kin to her husband Manasseh, and to her own nearest kindred: Good News Translation has “among her husband’s and her own close relatives,” and Contemporary English Version “among her own closest relatives, as well as those of her husband.”

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.