Esther · Chapter 8

[ edit] That dai king Aſſuer ȝaf to Eſter, þe quen, þe hous of Aman, aduerſarie of Jewis. And Mardoche wente in befor þe face of þe king; Eſter forſoþe knoulechide to hym, þat he was hir em. And ſo þe king toc þe ring, þe whiche of Aman he hadde comaundid to be reſceiued, and toc to Mardoche. Eſter forſoþe ſette Mardoche vp on hir hous. Ne wiþ þeſe þingus paȝed, ſhe fel doun at þe feet of þe king, and wepte, and ſpac to hym, and preȝede, þat þe malice of Aman Agachite, and his werſte caſtis, þat he hadde þoȝt out aȝen þe Jewis, he comaunde to be maad voide. And he of maner þe kingus goldene ſeptre ſtrauȝte out wiþ þe hond, wiþ þe whiche a tocne of þe kingys mercy was ſhewid.

And ſo ſhe riſende ſtod before hym, and ſeiþ, If it pleſe to þe king, and if I haue founde grace in his eȝen, and my preȝeere be not ſeen to ben contrarie to hym, I beſeche, þat wiþ newe epiſtelis þe olde lettris of Aman, ſpiere and enemye of Jewis, wiþ þe whiche he hadde comaundid þem to perſhen in alle þe kingus prouyncis, be mendid; hou forſoþe ſhal I moun ſuffre þe deþ and þe ſlaȝter of my puple? And king Aſſuer anſwerde to Eſter, þe quen, and to Mardoche, Jew, Þe hous of Aman I haue grauntid to Eſter, þe quen, and hym I haue comaundid to be ficchid on þe cros, for he was hardi to putte hond in to þe Jewis.

Þanne writeþ to þe Jewis, as it pleſiþ to ȝou, in þe kingus name, ſelende þe lettris wiþ my ring. Forſoþe þis was þe cuſtum, þat to þe epiſtolis, þe whiche of þe kingus name weren ſent, and weren ſelid wiþ his ring, no man ſhulde ben hardi to wiþſeyn.

And þe ſcribis and þe librarijs of þe king clepid; forſoþe time was of þe þridde moneþ, þat is clepid Ciban, þat is, June, þe þre and twentiþe dai of it; ben write þe epiſtolis, as Mardoche wolde, to þe Jewis, and to þe princis, and procuratoures, and iugis, þat in an hundrid and ſeuene and twenti prouyncis, fro Ynde vnto Eþiope, befor ſeten, to prouynce and prouynce, to puple and puple, aftir tungis and þer lettris, and to þe Jewis, þat þei myȝte reden and heren. And þo epiſtolis, þat in þe kingus name wer ſent, wiþ his ring ben ſelid, and ſent bi meſſageris, þat bi alle þe prouyncis rennende ſhulde come before þe olde lettris wiþ þe newe meſſageris.

To whom þe king comaundide, þat þei ſhulden gadere togidere þe Jewis bi alle þe cites, and þei ſhulden comaunden in oon to be gedered, þat þei ſtonde for þer liues; and alle þeir enemys, wiþ þer wiues and fre childer, and alle þer houſis, þei ſhulden ſlen, and don awei. And þer is ſet bi alle prouyncis o dai of veniaunce, þat is, þe þrettenþe dai of Adar, þe twelfþe moneþ. And þe ſhorte ſentence of þe epiſtil was þis, þat in alle londis and puplis, þe whiche vnderleȝen to þe empire of king Aſſuer, it ſhulde be maad knowen, Jewis to be redi to be take veniaunce of þer enemys. And þer wenten out meſſageris, berende beforn meſſagis; and þe maundement of þe king heng in Suſis.

Mardoche forſoþe of þe paleis and of þe ſiȝte of þe king goende out, ſchynede in kingis cloþis, iacinctine, þat is, and of eir colour, berende a goldene coroun in þe hed, and wrappid wiþ a ſilkene pal and purper; and al þe cite ful out ioȝede, and is glad. Forſoþe to þe Jewis is ſeen to ben ſprungen a newe liȝt, ioȝe, wrſhiping, and dauncing, anentis alle puplis, cites, and alle prouyncis, whider euere þe kingus maundemens camen, merueilouſe out ioȝingis, metys plenteuous, and feſtis, and feſte daȝes, in ſo myche, þat manye of þe toþer folc and ſect to þer religioun and cerimoynes weren ioyned; gret forſoþe drede of Jewis name alle men hadde aſalid.