< Esther 7 >

1 So the King and Haman came to banket with the Queene Ester.
Therfor the kyng and Aaman entriden to the feeste, to drynke with the queen.
2 And the King said againe vnto Ester on the second day at the banket of wine, What is thy petition, Queene Ester, that it may be giue thee? and what is thy request? It shalbe euen perfourmed vnto the halfe of the kingdome.
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 And Ester the Queene answered, and said, If I haue found fauour in thy sight, O King, and if it please the King, let my life be giuen me at my petition, and my people at my 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 solde, I, and my people, to be destroyed, to be slayne and to perish: but if we were solde for seruants, and for handmaides, I woulde haue helde my tongue: although the aduersarie could not recompense the Kings losse.
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 Then King Ahashuerosh answered, and said vnto the Queene Ester, Who is he? and where is he that presumeth to doe thus?
And kyng Assuerus answeride, and seide, Who is this, and of what power, that he be hardi to do these thingis?
6 And Ester said, The aduersarie and enemie is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afrayde before the King and the Queene.
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 And the King arose from ye banket of wine in his wrath, and went into the palace garden: but Haman stood vp, to make request for his life to the Queene Ester: for he sawe that there was a mischiefe prepared for him of 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 againe out of the palace garden, into the house where they dranke wine, Haman was fallen vpon the bed whereon Ester sate! therefore the King sayd, Will he force the Queene also before me in the house? As the worde went out of the Kings mouth, they couered Hamans 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 Harbonah one of the eunuches, sayde in the presence of the King, Beholde, there standeth yet the tree in Hamans house fiftie cubites hie, which Haman had prepared for Mordecai, that spake good for the King. Then the King sayd, Hang him thereon.
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 they hanged Haman on the tree, that he had prepared for Mordecai: then was the Kings wrath pacified.
Therfor Aaman was hangid in the iebat, which he hadde maad redi to Mardochee, and the ire of the kyng restide.

< Esther 7 >