Esther 8

1 On that day did king Achashverosh give the house of Haman the adversary of the Jews unto Esther the queen: and Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto 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 And the king took off his signet-ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai: and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.

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 And Esther spoke again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and wept, and besought him to do away the evil of Haman the Agagite, and his device which he had devised against 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 And the king held out toward Esther the golden sceptre; and Esther arose, and stood up before the king;

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 And she said, If it be pleasing to the king, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem proper before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to recall the letters, the device of Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he hath written to exterminate the Jews who are 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 could I endure to look on the evil that is to befall my people? and how could I endure to look on the extermination of my kindred?

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

7 Then said king Achashverosh unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, the house of Haman have I given to Esther, and him have they hanged on the gallows, because he had stretched out his hand against 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 But ye write yourselves concerning the Jews, as it may be good in your eyes, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet-ring; for a writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's signet-ring, cannot be recalled.

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 Then were called the king's scribes at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written all just as Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the governors and the princes of the provinces who were from India unto Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, unto every province according to its writing, and unto every people according to its language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their 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 And he wrote in the name of king Achashverosh, and sealed it with the king's signet-ring, and he sent letters through means of the swift messengers on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

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 That the king had granted to the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand forward for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to exterminate all the military strength of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to plunder their property as spoil,

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 On one day in all the provinces of king Achashverosh, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month 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 writing to be given out as a law in every province, was published unto all nations, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on 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 The swift messengers that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and hurried forward with the command of the king: and the law was given out at Shushan the capital.

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

15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in a royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a cloak of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan was glad and joyful.

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 there was light, with joy and gladness, and honor.

Forsothe a newe liyt semede to rise to the Jewis,

17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's command reached with his law, there were joy and gladness for the Jews, entertainments and a feast-day: and many of the people of the land became Jews; for the dread of the Jews had fallen upon 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.