Esther 8

1 That very day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the property that had belonged to Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Also, Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had explained who he was to her.

In that dai kyng Assuerus yaf to Hester, the queen, the hows of Aaman, aduersarie of Jewis. And Mardochee entride bifor the face of the kyng; for Hester knoulechide to hym, that he was `hir fadris brother.

2 The king removed his signet ring which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's property.

Therfor the kyng took the ryng, which he hadde comaundid to be resseyued fro Aaman, and yaf to Mardochee. Forsothe Hester ordeynede Mardochee ouer hir hows.

3 Esther went to speak to the king again, falling down at his feet and weeping, pleading with him to do away with the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite that he had thought up to destroy the Jews.

And Hester was not appaied with these thingis, and felde doun to the feet of the kyng, and wepte, and spak to hym, and preiede, that he schulde comaunde the malice of Aaman of Agag, and hise worste castis, whiche he hadde thouyte out ayens Jewis, `to be maad voide.

4 Once again the king held out the golden scepter to Esther. She got up and stood before him.

And the kyng bi custom helde forth the goldun yerde of the kyng with his hond, bi which the signe of merci was schewid. `Therfor sche roos vp,

5 Esther said, “If it please Your Majesty, and if he looks on me favorably, and if the king believes it is the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be issued that revokes the letters sent out by Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, with his devious scheme to destroy the Jews in all the provinces of the king.

and stood bifor hym, and seide, If it plesith the kyng, and if Y haue founde grace bifor hise iyen, and if my preier is not seyn `to be contrarie to hym, Y biseche, that the elde lettris of Aaman, traitour and enemy of Jewis, by whiche he hadde comaundid hem to perische in alle the prouynces of the kyng, be amendid bi newe pistlis;

6 For how can I bear to see the disaster about to fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

for hou schal Y mowe suffre the deth, and the sleyng of my puple?

7 King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Notice that I have given Haman's estate to Esther, and he was impaled on a pole because he wanted to kill the Jews.

And kyng Assuerus answeride to Hester, the queen, and to Mardochee, Jew, Y grauntide the hows of Aaman to Hester, the queen, and Y comaundide hym to be hangid `on the cros, for he was hardi to sette hond ayens the Jewis.

8 Now you may write an order regarding the Jews in whatever way you want, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring. For no decree written in the king's name and sealed with his signet ring can be revoked.”

Therfor write ye to Jewis, as it plesith to you, `bi the name of the kyng, and aseele ye the lettris with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durste ayenseie the pistlis, that weren sente in the kyngis name, and weren aseelid with his ryng.

9 The king's secretaries were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan, they wrote a decree of all of Mordecai's orders to the Jews and to the king's chief officers, the governors, and the nobles of the 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. They wrote to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.

And whanne the dyteris and `writeris of the kyng weren clepid; `sotheli it was the tyme of the thridde monethe, which is clepid Siban, in the thre and twentithe dai of that monethe; pistlis weren writun, as Mardochee wolde, to Jewis, and to princes, and to procuratouris, and to iugis, that weren souereyns of an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, fro Iynde `til to Ethiope, to prouynce and to prouynce, to puple and to puple, bi her langagis and lettris, and to Jewis, that thei myyten rede and here.

10 He wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the king's signet ring. He sent the letters by messenger on horseback, who rode fast thoroughbred horses of the king.

And tho pistlis, that weren sent `bi the kyngis name, weren aseelid with his ryng, and sent bi messangeris, whiche runnen aboute bi alle prouynces, and camen with newe messagis bifor the elde lettris.

11 The letters from the king authorized the Jews in every city to gather together in self-defense, and to destroy, kill, and annihilate any armed group of a people or province that might attack them, including women and children, and to confiscate their possessions.

To whiche the kyng comaundide, that thei schulden clepe togidere the Jewis bi alle citees, `and comaunde to be gaderid togidere, that thei schulden stonde for her lyues; and schulden sle, and do awei alle her enemyes, with her wyues and children, and alle howsis.

12 This was to happen on one day throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

And o dai of veniaunce, that is, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe Adar, was ordeined bi alle prouynces.

13 A copy of the decree was to be issued as law in every province and publicized to the people so that the Jews would be ready on that day to pay back their enemies.

And the schort sentence of the pistle was this, that it were maad knowun in alle londis and puplis, that weren suget to the empire of kyng Assuerus, that the Jewis ben redi to take veniaunce of her enemyes.

14 By order of the king, the messengers riding the king's relay horses rushed out, hurrying on their way. The decree was also issued in the fortress of Susa.

And the messangeris yeden out, bifor berynge swift messages; and the comaundement of the kyng hangide in Susa.

15 Then Mordecai left the king, wearing royal clothes of blue and white, with a large golden crown and a purple robe made of fine linen. The city of Susa shouted with joy.

Sotheli Mardochee yede out of the paleis and of the kyngis siyt, and schynede in the kyngis clothis, that is, of iacynct and of colour of the eir, and he bar a goldun coroun in his heed, and was clothid with a mentil of selk and of purpur; and al the citee fulli ioiede, and was glad.

16 For the Jews it was a bright time of happiness, joy, and respect.

Forsothe a newe liyt semede to rise to the Jewis,

17 In every province and in every city, wherever the king's order and decree had reached, the Jews were joyful and happy—they feasted and celebrated. Many people became Jews, because they had become afraid of them.

ioie, onour, and daunsyng, at alle puplis, citees, and alle prouynces, whidur euere the comaundementis of the kyng camen, a wondurful ioie, metis, and feestis, and an hooli dai, in so myche, that many of an other folk and sect weren ioyned to the religioun and cerymonyes of hem; for the greet drede of the name of Jewis `hadde asaylid alle hem.