state of affairs.] 14And the copies of us from death. 9 So Achrathæus went the letters were published in every pro-in and told her all these words. 10And vince; and an order was given to all Esther said to Achrathæus, Go to Marthe nations to be ready against that day. 15 And the business was hastened and that at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled. 4 13 Then Mardochæus said to dochæus, and say, "All the nations of the empire know, that whoever, man or woman, shall go in to the king into the inner court uncalled, that person cannot live: only to whomsoever the king shall stretch out his golden scep4. But Mardochæus having per-tre, he shall live: and I have not been ceived what was done, rent his gar- called to go in to the king, for these ments, and put on sackcloth, and thirty days. 12 And Achrathæus resprinkled dust upon himself; and hav-ported to Mardochæus all the words of ing rushed forth through the open Esther. street of the city, he cried with a loud Achrathæus, Go, and say to her, Esther, voice, A nation that has done no wrong say not to thyself that thou alone wilt is going to be destroyed. And he escape in the kingdom, more than all came to the king's gate, and stood; for the other Jews. 14 For if thou shalt it was not lawful for him to enter into refuse to hearken on this occasion, help the palace, wearing sackcloth and ashes. and protection will be to the Jews 3 And in every province where the from another quarter; but thou and letters were published, there was cry- thy father's house will perish: and who ing and lamentation and great mourn- knows, if thou hast been made queen ing on the part of the Jews: they for this very occasion? 15 And Esther spread for themselves sackcloth and sent the man that came to her to Marashes. And the queen's maids and dochæus, saying, 16 Go and assemble the chamberlains went in and told her: Jews that are in Susa, and fast ye for and when she had heard what was me, and eat not and drink not for three done, she was disturbed; and she sent days, night and day: and I also and to clothe Mardochæus, and take away my maidens will fast; and then I will his sackcloth: but he consented not. go in to the king contrary to the law, 5 So Esther called for her chamberlain even if I must die. 17 So Mardochæus Achrathæus, who waited upon her; and went and did all that Esther Note.-The she sent to learn the truth from Mar- commanded him. [And he 7 And Mardochæus showed besought the Lord, making dochæus. him what was done, and the promise mention of all the works of which Aman had made the king of the Lord; and he said, Lord ten thousand talents to be paid into the treasury, that he might destroy the Jews. And he gave him the copy of the writing that was published in Susa concerning their destruction, to show to Esther; and told him to charge her to go in and entreat the king, and to beg him for the people, remembering, said he, the days of thy low estate, how thou wert nursed by my hand: because Aman who holds the next place to the king has spoken against us for death. Do thou call upon the Lord, and speak to the king concerning us, to deliver + part between brackets, i. e. the 4th chapter, not in the to the end of Heb. God, king ruling over all, s. 53. Note. for all things are in thy power, and there is no one that shall oppose thee in thy purpose to save Israel.—For thou hast made the heaven and the earth, and every wonderful thing in the world under heaven. And thou art Lord of all, and there is no one who shall resist thee the Lord. Thou knowest all things: thou knowest, Lord, that it is not in insolence, nor haughtiness, nor love of glory, that I have done this, to refuse obeisance to the haughty Aman. For I would and utterly to destroy thine inheritance, and to stop the mouth of them that praise thee, and to extinguish the glory of thine house and thine altar, and to open the mouth of the Gentiles to speak the praises of vanities, and in order that Gr. virtues. a mortal king should be admired for ever. O Lord, do not resign thy gladly have kissed the soles of his feet | slavery, but have laid their hands on for the safety of Israel. But I have the hands of their idols, in order to done this that I might not set the glory abolish the decree of thy mouth, of man above the glory of God: and I will not worship any one except thee, my Lord, and I will not do these things in haughtiness. And now, O Lord God, the king, the God of Abraam, spare thy people, for our enemies are looking upon us to our destruction, and they have desired to destroy thine ancient inheritance. Do not overlook + Gr. portion. thy peculiar people, whom sceptre to them that are not, and let thou hast redeemed for thyself out of them not laugh at our fall, but turn the land of Egypt. Hearken to my their counsel against themselves, and prayer, and be propitious to thine in- make an example of him who has heritance, and turn our mourning into begun to injure us. Re-Gr. begun gladness, that we may live and sing member us, O Lord, mani- against us. praise to thy name, O Lord; and do fest thyself in the time of our affliction, not utterly destroy the mouth of them and encourage me, O king of gods, that praise thee, O Lord. And all and ruler of all dominion. Put harIsrael cried with all their might, for monious speech into my mouth before their death was before their eyes. And the lion, and turn his heart to hate him queen Esther betook herself for refuge that fights against us, to the utter deto the Lord, being taken as it were instruction of him and of them that conthe agony of death. And having taken off her glorious apparel, she put on garments of distress and mourning; and instead of grand perfumes she filled her head with ashes and dung, and she greatly brought down her body and she filled all her places of glad adorning with the torn curls of her hair. And she besought the Lord God necessity, for I abhor the symbol of of Israel, and said, Ŏ my Lord, thou my proud station, which is upon my alone art our king: help me who am head in the days of my splendour: I destitute, and have no helper but thee, abhor it as a menstruous for my danger is near at hand. I have cloth, and I wear it not in spectanda fui. heard from my birth, in the the days of my tranquillity. And thy hand. tribe of my kindred, that handmaid has not eaten at the table of thou, Lord, tookest Israel out of all Aman, and I have not honoured the the nations, and our fathers out of all banquet of the king, neither have I their kindred for a perpetual inherit- drunk wine of libations. Neither has ance, and hast wrought for them all thy handmaid rejoiced since the day that thou hast said. And now we have of my promotion until now, except in sinned before thee, and thou hast thee, O Lord God of Abraam. O God, delivered us into the hands of our who hast power over all, hearken to enemies, because we honoured their the voice of the desperate, and deliver gods thou art righteous, O Lord. us from the hand of them that devise But now they have not been con- mischief; and deliver me from my tented with the bitterness of our fear.] + Gr. in my sent with him. But deliver us by + + Gr. vision. q. d. quo die + From the first verse to the commencement of the third the Gr. widely differs from the Heb. 6 5 5. And it came to pass on the day is my great day: if then it seem third day, when she had good to the king, let both him and ceased praying, that she Aman come to the feast which I will put off her mean dress and prepare this day. And the king said, put on her glorious apparel. Hasten Aman hither, that we may And being splendidly ar- perform the word of Esther. So they rayed, and having called upon God both come to the feast of which Esther the Overseer and Preserver of all things, had spoken. And at the banquet the she took her two maids, and she leaned king said to Esther, What is thy reupon one, as a delicate female, and the quest, queen Esther? speak, and thou other followed bearing her train. And shalt have all that thou requirest. she was blooming in the perfection of And she said, My request and my her beauty; and her face was cheerful, petition are: if I have found favour as it were benevolent, but her heart in the sight of the king, let the king was straitened for fear. And having and Aman come again to-morrow to passed through all the doors, she stood the feast which I shall prepare for before the king: and he was sitting them, and to-morrow I will do the upon his royal throne, and he had put same. 9 So Aman went out from the on all his glorious apparel, covered all king very glad and merry: but when over with gold and precious stones, Aman saw Mardochæus the Jew in and was very terrible. And having the court, he was greatly enraged. raised his face resplendent with glory, 10And having gone into his own house, he looked with intense anger: and he called his friends, and his wife Zothe queen fell, and changed her sara. 11 And he showed them his colour as she fainted; and she bowed wealth, and the glory with which the herself upon the head of the maid that king had invested him, and how he went before her. But God changed had caused him to take precedence the spirit of the king to gentleness, and bear chief rule in the kingdom. and in intense feeling he sprang from 12 And Aman said, The queen has off his throne, and took her into his called no one to the feast with the arms, until she recovered: and he com- king but me, and I am invited toforted her with peaceable words, and morrow. 13 But these things please me said to her, What is the matter, Esther? not, while I see Mardochæus the Jew I am thy brother; be of good cheer, in the court. 14 And Zosara his wife thou shalt not die, for our command and his friends said to him, Let there is openly declared to thee, Draw nigh. be a gallows made for thee + Gr. a tree 2 And having raised the golden sceptre of fifty cubits, and in the cut. he laid it upon her neck, and embraced morning do thou speak to the king, her, and said, Speak to me. And she and let Mardochæus be hanged on the said to him, I saw thee, my lord, as gallows: but do thou go in to the feast an angel of God, and my heart was with the king, and be merry. And troubled for fear of thy glory; for the saying pleased Aman, and the galthou, my lord, art to be wondered at, lows was prepared. and thy face is full of grace. And while she was speaking, she fainted and fell. Then the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her. And the king said, What wilt thou, Esther? and what is thy request? ask even to the half of my kingdom, and it shall be thine. And Esther said, To 6. But the Lord removed sleep from the king that night: and he told his servant to bring in the books + Gr. letters. the registers of daily events to read to him. And he found the re- + Gr. letters. cords written concerning Mardochæus, how he had told the king concerning M. &c., before if Mardochæus is of the race of the Jews, and thou hast begun Or, if it be to be humbled before him, whom. thou wilt assuredly fall, and thou wilt not be able to withstand him, for the living God is with him. 14 While they were yet speaking, the chamberlains arrived, to hasten Aman to the banquet which Esther had prepared. 7. So the king and Aman went in to drink with the queen. 2 And the king said to Esther at the banquet on the second day, What is it, queen Esther? and what is thy request, and what is thy petition? and it shall be done for thee, to the half of my kingdom. 3 And she answered and said, If the two chamberlains of the king, when they were keeping guard, and sought to lay hands on Artaxerxes. 3 And the king said, What honour or favour have we done to Mardochæus? And the king's servants said, Thou hast not done anything to him. And while the king was inquiring about the kindness of Mardochæus, behold, Aman was in the court. And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Aman was come in to speak to the king, that he should hang Mardochæus on the gallows, which he had prepared. 5 And the king's servants said, Behold, Aman stands in the court. And the king said, Call him. And the king said to Aman, What shall I do to the man whom I wish to honour? And I have found favour in the sight of the Aman said within himself, Whom would the king honour but myself? and he said to the king, As for the man whom the king wishes to honour, 8 let the king's servants bring the robe of fine linen which the king puts on, and the horse on which the king rides, 9 and let him give it to one of the king's noble friends, and let him array the man whom the king loves; and let him mount him on the horse, and pro+ Or, wide claim through the street of the city, saying, Thus shall it be done to every man whom the king honours. 10 Then the king said to Aman, Thou hast well said: so do to Mardochæus the Jew, who waits in the palace, and let not a word of what thou hast spoken be neglected. So Aman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mardochæus, and mounted him on the horse, and went through the street of the city, and proclaimed, saying, Thus shall it be to every man whom the king wishes to honour. 12 And Mardochæus returned to the palace: but Aman went home mourning, and having his head covered. 13 And Aman related the events that had befallen him to Zosara his wife, and to his friends: and his friends and his wife said to him, space. + man. 5 king, let my life be granted to my 10 So Aman was + Enemy, or, + 5 + Luke 22. 25. hanged on the gallows that had been according to their dialects. 10 And they prepared for Mardochæus: and then were written by order of the king, the king's wrath was appeased. and sealed with his ring, and they sent the letters by the posts: wherein he 8. And in that day king Artaxerxes charged them to use their own laws in gave to Esther all that belonged to every city, and to help each other, and Aman the slanderer: and to treat their adversaries, and those traducer. Mardochæus was called by who attacked them, as they pleased, the king; for Esther had shown that 12 on one day in all the kingdom of he was related to her. And the king Artaxerxes, on the thirteenth day of took the ring which he had taken the twelfth month, which is Adar. away from Aman, and gave it to Mar-13 And the following is the copy of the dochæus: and Esther appointed Mar- letter of the orders. dochæus over all that had been Aman's. The great king Artaxerxes sends 3 And she spoke yet again to the king, greeting to the rulers of provinces in a and fell at his feet, and besought him hundred and twenty-seven satrapies, to do away the mischief of Aman, and from India to Ethiopia, even to those all that he had done against the Jews. who are faithful to our interests. 4 Then the king stretched out to Esther Many who have been frequently hothe golden sceptre: and Esther arose noured by the most abundant kindness to stand near the king. And Esther of their benefactors have + Perhaps said, If it seem good to thee, and I conceived ambitious de- rulers, see have found favour in thy sight, let an signs, and not only endeavour to hurt order be sent that the letters sent by our subjects, but moreover, not being Aman may be reversed, that were able to bear prosperity, they also enwritten for the destruction of the Jews, deavour to plot against their own who are in thy kingdom. For how benefactors. And they not only would shall I be able to look upon the afflic- utterly abolish gratitude from among tion of my people, and how shall I be men, but also, elated by the boastings able to survive the destruction of my of men who are strangers to all that is +Gr. country. *kindred? And the king good, they suppose that they shall said to Esther, If I have given and escape the sin-hating vengeance of the freely granted thee all that was Aman's, ever-seeing God. And oftentimes evil and hanged him on a gallows, because exhortation has made partakers of the he laid his hands upon the Jews, what guilt of shedding innocent blood, and dost thou yet further seek? Write has involved in irremediable calamities, ye also in my name, as it seems good many of those who were appointed to to you, and seal it with my ring: offices of authority, who had been for whatever orders are written at entrusted with the management of the command of the king, and sealed their friends' affairs, while men, by the with my ring, it is not lawful to false sophistry of an evil disposition, + Or, possible. gainsay them. 9 So the have deceived the simple candour scribes were called in the first month, of the ruling powers. And it is which is Nisan, on the three and possible to see this, not so much from twentieth day of the same year; and more ancient traditionary accounts, orders were written to the Jews, what- as it is immediately in your power ever the king had commanded to the to see it by examining what things + Gr. stewards. local governors and chiefs have been wickedly per- + Or, conof the satraps, from India even to Ethi-petrated by the baseness trived. opia, a hundred and twenty-seven sa- of men unworthily holding power. traps, according to the several provinces, And it is right to take heed with + 8 |