Esther · Chapter 9

[ edit] Thanne of þe twelfþe moneþ, whom Adar to be clepid now beforn wee ſeiden, þe þrettenþe day, whanne to alle þe Jewis ſlaȝter was greiþid, and enemys waiteden to þe blod of hem, þe while turned, þe Jewis begunne to ben ouer heiȝere, and hem of þe aduerſaries to venge. And þer ben gedered bi alle cites, burȝ tounys, and placis, þat þei ſhulde ſtrecchen out hond aȝen enemys and þer purſueris; and no man was hardi to wiþſtonde, for þi þat þe fer of þe gretneſſe of hem alle puplis hadde perſid.

For and of prouyncis þe iugis, dukis, and procuratoures, and al dignete, þat to alle placis and werkis weren beforn, ful out enhauncide þe Jewis, for drede of Mardoche, whom to be prince of þe paleis and of myche power þei knewen; alſo þe fame of his name wex eche dai, and bi þe mouþis of alle men ofte fleiȝ. And ſo þe Jewis ſmyten þer enemys wiþ a gret veniaunce, and ſlowen hem, ȝeldende to hem þat þei to þem hadden maad redi to do, in ſo miche, þat alſo in Suſis fiue hundrid men þei ſlowen, wiþ oute þe ten ſonys of Aman Agagite, enemy of þe Jewis, of whom þeſe ben þe namys; Faſondaþa, Delfon, and Esfata, and Forata, and Dalia, and Aridaþa, and Efermeſta, and Ariſai, and Aridai, and Vaiſaþa.

Whom whan þei hadde ſlain, þei wolden not purſue praies of þe ſubſtauncis of hem. And anon þe noumbre of hem, þat weren ſlain in Suſis, is told to þe king. Þe whiche ſeide to þe quen, In þe cite of Suſis þe Jewis ſlowen fiue hundrid men, and oþere ten ſones of Aman; hou myche ſlaȝter weneſt þou þem to enhaunten in alle prouyncis? what more aſkiſt þou? and what wilt þou, þat I comaunde to be don? To whom ſhe anſuerde, If to þe king it pleſe, be þer ȝiue power to þe Jewis, þat as þei diden to day in Suſis, ſo and do þei to morn, and þe ten ſones of Aman be þei hangid in iebetis.

And þe king comaundide, þat ſo it ſhulde be do; and anon in Suſis heeng a maundement, and þe ten ſonus of Aman ben hangid. Þe Jewis gederede togidere, þe fourtenþe dai of þe monyþ of Adar, and þer be ſlain in Suſis þre hundrid men, ne þer ſubſtaunce fro þem is raueſhid awei. But and bi alle þe prouyncis, þat vnder leȝen to þe maundement of þe king, þe Jewis ſtoden for þer liues, þe enemys ſlain and þer purſueris, in ſo miche, þat fiue and ſeuenti þouſend of ſlaine men weren fulfild, and no man of þer ſubſtaunce any þing touchide.

Forſoþe þe þrettenþe dai of þe monyþ Adar was of o ſlaȝter anentis alle, and þe fourtenþe dai þei lafte to ſlen; whom þei ordeyneden to be ſolempne, þat in þat time eche ȝer þerafter þei ſhulden voiden to plenteuous metis, and to ioȝe, and to feſtis. And þeſe, þat in þe cite of Suſys hadden hauntid þe ſlaȝter, þe þrettenþe and þe fourtenþe dai of þe ſame moneþ ben ocupied in þe ſlaȝter. Þe fiftenþe forſoþe dai þei laften to ſmyte; and þerfore þe ſame dai þei ordeyneden ſolempne of plenteuous metis and of gladneſſe.

Þeſe forſoþe Jewis, þat in burȝ tounys not wallid and tounes duelten, þe fourtenþe daie of þe moneþ of Adar, of feſtis, and of ioȝe demeden, ſo þat þei ful out gladen in it, and ſenden to hemſelf togidere partis of plentes and of metis.

And ſo Mardoche wrot alle þeſe þingus, and comprehendid in lettris ſente to þe Jewis, þat in alle þe prouyncis of þe king dwelten, boþe in neeȝh ſet and afer, þat þe fourtenþe and þe fiftenþe dai of þe moneþ of Adar þei ſhulden take for feſtis, and euermor, þe ȝer turnende aȝeen, wiþ ſolempne wrſhipe þei ſhulden halewe; for in þo daȝis þe Jewis vengide þem of þer enemys, and weiling and ſorewe in to ioȝe and gladneſſe ben turned; and þeſe daȝes ſhulde ben daȝes of plenteuous metis, and of gladneſſe, and þei ſhulden ſende to þemſelf partis togidere of þe metis, and to pore men þei ſhulden graunt litle ȝiftis.

Forſoþe þe Jewis token in to a ſolempne cuſtum alle þingus, þat þei hadde begunne þat time to do, and þat Mardoche in lettris hadde ſent to be do. Aman forſoþe, þe ſone of Amadaþi, ſtoc of Agag, enemy and aduerſarie of Jewis, þoȝte aȝen hem euel, þat he ſhulde ſle þem and don awei, and leide fur, þat in oure tunge is turned in to lot. And afterward Eſter wente in to þe king, beſechende, þat his ententis wiþ þe lettris of þe king ſhulden be maad voide, and þe euel, þat aȝen Jewis he hadde þoȝt, ſhulde be turned aȝeen in to his hed. Afterward and hym and his ſonus þei ficcheden to þe cros.

And fro þat time þeſe daȝis be clepid Furim, þat is, of lotis, forþi þat fur, þat is, lot, in to a pot was put; and alle þingus þat ben don ben contened in þe volume of þe epiſtil, þat is, of þis boc; alle þingus þat þei ſuffreden, and þat þer after ben chaungid, Jewis and þer ſed token vp on hem, and vp on alle þat wolden to þer religioun be couplid, þat to no man it be leful þeſe two daȝes wiþ oute ſolempnete to ouerpaſſe, whom ſcripture witneſſeþ, and oþere tymes aſken, þe ȝeres to þemſelf continueli comende aftir oþer.

Þeſe ben þe daȝis, whom neuer any forȝeting ſhal don awei, and bi ſunder ieneraciouns alle prouyncis, þat in alle þe world ben, ſhuln halewen; ne þer is any cite, in þe whiche daȝis of Furim, þat is, of lotis, be not kept of þe Jewis, and of þer progenye, þat wiþ þeſe cerimoynes is obliſht. And Eſter, quen, þe doȝtir of Abihael, and Mardoche, Jeu, writen alſo þe ſecounde epiſtil, þat wiþ alle beſyneſſe þis dai ſolempneli ſhulde ben halewid þer afterward.

And þei ſente to þe Jewis, þat in an hundrid and ſeuene and twenti prouyncis of king Aſſuer dwelten, þat þei ſhulden han pes, and reſceyue treuþe, kepende wel þe daȝes of lotis, and in þer tyme wiþ ioȝe ſhulden halewe; as hadden ordeyned Mardoche and Eſter, þei to be kept hadden taken, of hemſelf and of þer ſed, faſtingis, and clamoures, and daȝes of lotis, and alle þingus þat ben contened in þe ſtorie of þis boc, þat is clepid Eſter.