Esther · Chapter 4

[ edit] The whiche þingis whan Mardocheus hadde herd, he cutte his cloþis, and is clad wiþ a ſac, ſprengende aſkis to his hed, and in þe ſtrete of þe myddil cite wiþ gret vois criede, ſhewende þe bitterneſſe of his inwit, and wiþ þis weping vnto þe ȝatis of þe paleis goende; forſoþe it was not leful a man clad wiþ a ſac to entre þe kingis halle. Alſo in alle prouyncis, burȝ townes, and placis, to þe whiche þe cruel bidding of þe king hadde ful comyn, gret weiling was anentis þe Jewis faſtende, and ȝellende, and wepende, manye men vſende for bed ſac and aſkis.

Forſoþe þe childer wymmen of Eſter, and þe geldingus, wenten in, and tolden to hir; þe whiche herende is ſtoneid, and ſente a cloþ, þat þe ſac don awei, he ſhulde cloþin hym; þe whiche taken he wolde not. And Aþac, gelding, clepid, whom þe king hadde ȝiue to hir ſeruaunt, ſhe comaundide, þat he ſhulde go to Mardoche, and lernen of hym, whi þat þing he dide. And Aþac gon out, wente to Mardoche ſtondende in þe ſtrete of þe cyte, beforn þe dore of þe paleis; þe whiche ſhewide to hym alle þingus þat hadden falle, hou Aman hadde behoten, þat he ſhulde bringe ſiluer in to þe treſories of þe king for þe Jewis deþ.

Alſo þe ſaumple of þe maundement, þat heeng in Suſis, he ȝaf to hym, þat to þe quen he ſhulde ſhewen, and warnen hir, þat ſhe go in to þe king, and preȝe hym for hir puple. And Aþac, gon out, tolde Eſter alle þingus, þat Mardoche hadde ſeid. Þe whiche anſwerde to hym, and ſeide, þat he ſhulde ſey to Mardoche, Alle þe ſeruauns of þe king, and alle prouyncis þat ben vnder his comaunding, knowen, þat ouþer man or womman not clepid entre þe innermor porche of þe king, wiþoute aȝeen cleping anoon he be ſlain, but if perauenture þe king þe goldene ȝerde to hym ſtrecche for ſigne of mercy, and ſo he may lyuen; I þanne what maner ſhal moun entre to þe king, þat now þretti daȝis am not clepid to hym?

Þe whiche þing whan Mardoche hadde herd, eft he ſente to Eſter, ſeiende, Ne wene þou, þat þi lif onli þou deliuere, for in þe hous of þe king þou art, for alle Jewis; if þou holde þi pes, bi an oþer ocaſioun þe Jewis ſhul be deliuered, and þou and þe hous of þi fader ſhul perſhen; and who knew, wheþer þerfore to þe reume þou came, þat in ſuch a time þou ſhuldeſt be redi? And eft Eſter þeſe woordis ſente to Mardoche, Go, and gedere alle þe Jewis, þat in Suſis þou findiſt, and preȝeþ for me; ne eteþ, ne drinkiþ þre daȝes and þre nyȝt, and I wiþ myn hond wymmen lic maner ſhal faſten; and þanne not clepid I ſhal gon in to þe king, aȝen þe lawe doende, takende me to deþ and to perile.

And ſo Mardoche wente, and dide alle þingus, þat Eſter hadde comaundid to hym.