Esther 7
1 So the king and Aman went in, to drink with the queen.
Therfor the kyng and Aaman entriden to the feeste, to drynke with the queen.
2 And the king said to her again the second day, after he was warm with wine: What is thy petition, Esther, that it may be granted thee? and what wilt thou have done: although thou ask the half of my kingdom, thou shalt have it.
And the kyng seide to hir, yhe, in the secounde dai, aftir that he was hoot of the wiyn, Hester, what is thin axyng, that it be youun to thee, and what wolt thou be doon? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, thou schalt gete.
3 Then she answered: If I have found Favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please thee, give me my life for which I ask, and my people for which I request.
To whom sche answeride, A! king, if Y haue founde grace in thin iyen, and if it plesith thee, yyue thou my lijf to me, for which Y preie, and my puple, for which Y biseche.
4 For we are given up, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. And would God we were sold for bondmen and bondwomen: the evil might be borne with, and I would have mourned in silence: but now we have an enemy, whose cruelty redoundeth upon the king.
For Y and my puple ben youun, that we be defoulid, and stranglid, and that we perische; `and Y wolde, that we weren seeld in to seruauntis and seruauntessis, `and the yuel `were suffrable, and Y `were stille weilynge; but now oure enemy is, whos cruelte turneth `in to the kyng.
5 And king Assuerus answered and said: Who is this, and of what power, that he should do these things?
And kyng Assuerus answeride, and seide, Who is this, and of what power, that he be hardi to do these thingis?
6 And Esther said: It is this Aman that is our adversary and most wicked enemy. Aman hearing this was forthwith astonished, not being able to bear the countenance of the king and of the queen.
And Hester seide, Oure worste aduersarie and enemy is this Aaman. Which thing he herde, and was astonyde anoon, and `suffride not to bere the semelaunt of the kyng and of the queen.
7 But the king being angry rose up, and went from the place of the banquet into the garden set with trees. Aman also rose up to entreat Esther the queen for his life, for he understood that evil was prepared for him by the king.
Forsothe the kyng roos wrooth, and fro the place of the feeste he entride in to a gardyn biset with trees. And Aaman roos for to preie Hester, the queen, for his lijf; for he vndurstood yuel maad redi of the kyng to hym.
8 And when the king came back out of the garden set with trees, and entered into the place of the banquet, he found Aman was fallen upon the bed on which Esther lay, and he said: He will force the queen also in my presence, in my own house. The word was not yet gone out of the king’s mouth, and immediately they covered his face.
And whanne the kyng turnede ayen fro the gardyn `biset with wode, and hadde entrid in to the place of feeste he foond that Aaman felde doun on the bed, wherynne Hester lai. And the king seide, `Also he wole oppresse the queen, while Y am present, in myn hows. The word was not yit goon out of the kyngis mouth, and anoon thei hiliden his face.
9 And Harbona, one of the eunuchs that stood waiting on the king, said: Behold the gibbet which he hath prepared for Mardochai, who spoke for the king, standeth in Aman’s house, being fifty cubits high. And the king said to him: Hang him upon it.
And Arbona seide, oon of the onest seruauntis and chast, that stoden in the seruyce of the kyng, Lo! the tre hauynge fifti cubitis of heiythe stondith in the hows of Aaman, which tre he hadde maad redi to Mardochee, that spak for the kyng. To whom the kyng seide, Hange ye Aaman in that tre.
10 So Aman was hanged on the gibbet, which he had prepared for Mardochai: and the king’s wrath ceased.
Therfor Aaman was hangid in the iebat, which he hadde maad redi to Mardochee, and the ire of the kyng restide.
