The Holy Scripture
Chapter X
1 Then Pentephres and his relations went away to their estate.
2 And Aseneth was left alone with the virgins, and she was listless and wept until sunset: she ate no bread and drank no water; and while all slept she alone was awake.
3 And she opened the door and went down to the gate; and she found the portress asleep with her children.
4 And Aseneth quickly took down the leather curtain from the door, and she filled it with ashes and carried it up to the top storey and laid it on the floor.
5 And she secured the door and fastened it with the iron bar from the side; and she groaned aloud and wept.
6 And the virgin that Aseneth loved most of all the virgins heard her mistress groaning, and she roused the other virgins and came and found the door shut.
7 And she listened to Aseneth groaning and weeping and said, "Why are you so sorrowful my lady? What is it that its troubling you?
8 Open the door for us, so that we can see you." And Aseneth said to them from inside (shut in as she was, "I have a violent headache and am resting on my bed; and I have no strength left to open to you now, for I am utterly exhausted; but go each of you to her room." 5 Then Asenath put on sad raiment, such as she wore at the death of her brother, and went clothed in a garment of heaviness. 6 She closed the doors of her chamber upon her and wept. 7 Moreover, she flung forth all her idols by the window set towards the north; all the royal meat she gave to the dogs; she put dust upon her head, lay upon the ground, and lamented bitterly for seven days.
9 And Aseneth got up and opened her door quietly, and went into her second room, where her treasure-chests and the finery for her adornment were, and she opened her wardrobe and took out a black and sombre tunic.
10 (And this was her mourning tunic, which she had worn for mourning when her eldest brother died)
11 And Aseneth took off her royal robe and put on the black one, and she untied her golden girdle and tied a rope around her waist instead, and she took her tiara off her head and the diadem, and the bracelets from her hands.
12 And she took her best robe, just as it was, and threw it out of the window, for the poor.
13 And she took all her innumerable gold and silver gods and broke them up into little pieces, and threw them out of the window for the poor and needy.
14 And Aseneth took her royal dinner, even the fatted beasts and the fish and the meat, and all the sacrifices of her gods, and the wine-vessels for their libations; and she threw them all out of the window as food for the dogs.
15 And after this she took the ashes and poured them out on the floor.
16 And she took sackcloth and wrapped it round her waist, and she removed the fillet from her hair and sprinkled herself with ashes; and she fell down upon the ashes.
17 And she beat her breast repeatedly with her two hands and wept bitterly and groaned all night until the morning.
18 And in the morning Aseneth got up and looked and lo, the ashes underneath her were like mud because of her tears.
19 And again, Aseneth fell down on her face upon the ashes until sunset.
20 And so Aseneth did for seven days; and she tasted neither food nor drink.