Esther · Chapter 11

[ edit] The ferþe ȝer, regnende Pþolome and Cleopatra, Doſiþeus, þat a preſt and of Leuy kinrede ſeide hymſelf to be, and Pþolome, his ſone, broȝten þis epiſtil of furim, þe whiche þei ſeiden, Silimacum, þe ſone of Pþolome, in Jeruſalem to han remened. Þis forſoþe was þe begynnyng in þe comun tranſlacioun, þat nouþer in Ebru, ne anent any of þe remenours is told. Þe ſecounde ȝer, regnyng Artaxerſe þe moſte, þe firſte dai of þe moneþ Nyſan, Mardoche, þe ſone of Jari, ſone of Semei, ſone of Cis, of þe linage of Beniamyn, a man Jeu, þat dwelte in þe cite of Suſis, a gret man, and among þe firſte of þe kingus halle, ſaȝ a ſweuene.

Forſoþe he was of þe noumbre of caityues, whom Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne, hadde tranſlatid fro Jeruſalem wiþ Jeconye, king of Jude. And þis was his ſweuene. Þere ſemeden voiſis, and noiſis, and þundris, and erþe quaues, and diſturbing vp on þe erþe. And lo! two grete dragounes, redi aȝen hemſelf in to bataile; at whos cri alle naciouns ben ſtirid togidere, þat þei fiȝte aȝen þe folc off riȝtwis men. And þat dai was of dercneſſis, and of perile, of tribulacioun, and of anguyſh, and gret fer vp on erþe. And diſturbid is þe folc of riȝtwis men, dredende þer euelis, and maad redi to þe deþ.

Þei crieden to God; and hem criende out, a litle welle wex in to þe moſte flod, and in to manye watris redundede. Liȝt and þe ſunne is ſprungen; and meke men ben enhauncid, and þei deuoureden þe gloriouſe. Þe whiche þing whan Mardoche hadde ſeen, and riſen of þe bed, he þoȝte, what God wolde do, and ficchid he hadde in þe inwit, coueitende to wite, what þe ſueuene ſhulde betocne.