Esther · Chapter 3

[ edit] Aftir þeſe þingus king Aſſuer enhauncide Aaman, þe ſone of Amadaþi, þat was of þe linage of Agag, and putte his ſete ouer alle þe princis þat he hadde. And alle þe ſeruauns of þe king, þat wiþinne þe paleis ȝatis dwelten, boweden kne, and honoureden Aaman; ſo forſoþe þe emperour hadde comaundid to hem; onli Mardoche bowede not kne, ne honourede hym. To whom ſeiden þe childer of þe king, þat to þe ȝatis of þe paleys ſeten before, Whi beſide oþer men þou kepiſt not þe heſtis of þe king? Whan þeſe þingus more often þei ſeiden, and he wolde not heren, þei tolden to Aman, coueitende to witen, wheþer he wolde ſtonde ſtedefaſt in þe ſentence; forſoþe he hadde ſeid to þem, hym to ben a Jew.

Þe whiche þing whan Aman hadde herd, and bi experience proued, þat Mardoche bowide not kne to hym, ne honourede, he is wroþ ful gretli, and for noȝt tolde in to Mardoche on to putte hondis; forſoþe he hadde herd, þat he was of Jew kinrede, and more wolde leeſen al þe nacioun of Jewis, þat weren in þe reume of Aſſuer. Þe firſte moneþ, whos name is Nyſan, þe twelfþe ȝer of þe regne of Aſſuer, lot is leid in to a veſſel, þat Ebruli is ſeid fur, beforn Aman, what dai and what moneþ þe folc of Jewis ſhulde be ſlayn; and þe twelfþe moneþ wente out, þat is clepid Adar.

And Aman ſeide to king Aſſuer, Þer is a puple bi alle þe prouyncis of þi reume ſcaterid, and fro þemſelf togidere ſeuered, newe vſende lawis and cerimoynes, ferþermor and þe ſtatutis of þe king diſpiſende; and beſt þou haſt knowen, þat it ſpedeþ not to þi reume, þat ouercuſtomed it waxe proud bi leeue. If to þee it pleſe, deme þat it perſhe, and ten þouſend of talentis I ſhal lei to treſories of þi richeſſe. Þanne þe king toc of his hond þe ring þat he vſide, and ȝaf it to þe enemys of Jewys, Aman, ſone of Amadaþi, of þe kinrede of Agag. And he ſeide to hym, Þe ſiluer þat þou behotiſt, be þin; of þe puple do þat to þee pleſiþ.

And þe ſcribis of þe king ben clepid þe firſte moneþ of Nyſan, þe þrettenþe dai of þe ſame moneþ; and it is writen, as Aman hadde comaundid, to alle þe ſatrapis of þe king, and domyſmen of dyuerſe prouyncis and folkis, þat alle folc myȝten rede and heren, for þe diuerſite of tungis, of þe name of king Aſſuer. And þe lettris ſelid wiþ his ring ben ſent bi þe corouris of þe king to alle his prouyncis, þat þei ſhulde ſlen and don awei alle þe Jewis, fro child vn to old man, litle childer and wymmen, o dai, þat is, þe þrettenþe dai of þe twelfþe moneþ, þat is clepid Adar, þat is, March; and þer goodis þei ſhulden forfeten.

Þe ſentence forſoþe of þe epiſtelis was þis, þat alle prouyncis ſhulden knowe, and go þemſelf to þe forſeide dai. And þei, þat weren ſent, heeȝeden to fulfillen out þe heſte of þe king; and anoon in Suſis heeng þe maundement fro þe king, and Aman ſolempneli makende a feſte, and alle þe Jewis, þat in þe cite weren, wepende.