Esther · Chapter 14

[ edit] Eſter alſo þe quen fleiȝ to þe Lord, dredende þe perile, þat wex aboue. And whan ſhe hadde do doun hir kingus cloþis, ſhe toc couenable cloþis to wepingis and to weiling; and for diuers oynemens wiþ aſkis and drit ſhe fulfilde þe hed, and hir bodi mekide wiþ faſtingus; and alle placis, in þe whiche ſhe was wont to gladen, wiþ to-tering of heris ſhe fulfilde. And ſhe preȝede þe Lord God of Irael, ſeiende, My Lord, þat art king alone, help me ſolitarie, and of whom ſaue þee is noon oþer helpere; my perile is in myn hondis.

I haue herd of my fader, þat þou ſhuldeſt han taken Irael fro alle Jentilis, and oure fadris fro alle þer more behinde, þat þou ſhuldiſt welde þe euermor durende eritage; and þou didiſt to hem, as þou ſpeke. Wee han ſynned in þi ſiȝte, and þerfore þou haſt taken vs in to þe hondis of oure enemys; forſoþe wee han heried þe godis of hem.

Riȝtwis þou art, Lord; and now it ſuffiſeþ not to þem, þat wiþ moſt hard ſeruyſe þey oppreſſen vs, but, þe ſtrengþe of þer hondis wijtende to þe power of maumetis, wiln chaunge þin heſtis, and don awei þin eritage, and cloſe þe mouþis of men preiſende þee, and quenchen out þe glorie of þe temple and of þin auter, þat þei opene þe mouþis of Jentilis, and preiſe þe ſtrengþe of maumetis, and prechen a fleſhli king in to euermor. Ne take þou, Lord, þi kingus dignete to þem, þat ben not, leſt þei laȝhen at oure falling; but turne þe counſeil of hem vp on hem, and hym þat in vs began to waxe feers, ſcatere.

Haue mynde, Lord, and ſheuȝ þee to vs in time of oure tribulacioun; and ȝif to me troſt, Lord, king of Jewis and of alle power; ȝif a ſemeli woord in my mouþ in þe ſiȝte of þe leoun, and ber ouer þe herte of hym in to þe hate of oure enemy, þat and he perſhe, and oþere þat conſenten to hym. Vs alſo deliuere in þin hond, and help me, noon oþer hauende helpe but þee, Lord, þat haſt kunnyng of alle þingis. And þou haſt knowen for I hatide þe glorie of wicke men, and wlate þe bed of vncircumcidide men, and of alle heþene.

Þou knowiſt infirmyte and my nede, þat I wlate þe ſigne of pride and of my glorie, þat is vpon myn hed in þe daȝis of my ſhewing, and I wlate it as þe cloþ of þe womman in flux of blod, and I bere not in þe daȝis of my ſilence, and þat I eet not in þe bord of Aman, ne to me pleſide þe feſte of þe king, and I dranc nott win of ſacrifiſes; and neuere gladide þin hond womman, ſiþen hider I am tranſlatid vnto þe preſent dai, but in þee, Lord God of Abraham. Strong God ouer alle, heere þe vois of hem, þat noon oþer hope han, and delyuere vs fro þe hond of wicke men, and pul out me fro my drede. Þeſe þingus alſo addid I fond in þe comun tranſlacioun.

And no doute þat Mardoche ſente to hir, þat Eſter ſhulde gon in to þe king, and preȝe for hir puple, and for hir kuntre. Myndeful, he ſeiþ, be þou of þe daȝes of þi mecneſſe, hou þou art nurſhid in myn hond; for Aman, ordeined þe ſecounde of þe king, ſpac aȝen vs in to deþ; and þou inwardli clep þe Lord, and ſpec to þe king for vs, and deliuere vs fro deþ. Alſo and þeſe þingus, þat ben vnderleid, in þe comun tranſlacioun I fond.