Esther 8

1 On the day that he gave the king Ahasuerus to Esther the queen [the] house of Haman [the] opposer (of the Jews *Q(k)*) and Mordecai he came before the king for she had told Esther what? [was] he 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 And he removed the king signet-ring his which he had taken away from Haman and he gave it to Mordecai and she appointed Esther 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 she repeated Esther and she spoke before the king and she fell before feet his and she wept and she sought favor to him to take away [the] evil of Haman the Agagite and plan his which he had planned on 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 he extended the king to Esther [the] scepter of gold and she arose Esther and she stood 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 [is] on the king good and if I have found favor before him and it is proper the matter before the king and [am] good I in view his let it be written to revoke the letters [the] plan of Haman [the] son of Hammedatha the Agagite which he wrote to destroy 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? will I be able and I will look on the evil which it will find people my and how? will I be able and I will look on [the] destruction of kindred my.

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

7 And he said the king Ahasuerus to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew here! [the] house of Haman I have given to Esther and him they have hanged on the gallows on that he stretched out hand his (on the Jews. *Q(k)*)

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 And you write on the Jews according to the good in view your in [the] name of the king and seal [it] with [the] signet-ring of the king for a writing which [is] written in [the] name of the king and it is sealed with [the] signet-ring of the king not to revoke.

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 And they were summoned [the] scribes of the king at the time that in the month third that [is] [the] month of Sivan on [day] three and twenty in it and it was written according to all that he commanded Mordecai to the Jews and to the satraps and the governors and [the] officials of the provinces which - [were] from India and to Cush seven and twenty and a hundred province[s] province and province according to writing its and people and people according to language its and to the Jews according to writing their and according to language their.

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 the king Ahasuerus and he sealed [it] with [the] signet-ring of the king and he sent letters by [the] hand of couriers on horses [the] riders of the steed[s] royal [the] sons of the mares.

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 he had permitted the king to the Jews - who [were] in every city and city to assemble and to make a stand on life their to annihilate and to kill and to destroy every army of people and province which attacks them little one[s] and women and spoil their to take as plunder.

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 a day one in all [the] provinces of the king Ahasuerus on [day] thir-teen of month two [plus] ten that [is] [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 copy of The writing [was] to be given law in every province and province being disclosed to all the peoples and to be (the Jews *Q(k)*) (ready *Q(K)*) for the day this to avenge themselves from enemies their.

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 couriers [the] riders of the steed[s] royal they went out hastened and hurried at [the] word of the king and the law it was given in Susa the citadel.

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

15 And Mordecai he went out - from to before the king in clothing of royalty of violet and white cloth and a crown of gold great and a robe of fine linen and purple and the city of Susa it shouted for joy and it rejoiced.

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 To the Jews it belonged light and gladness and joy and honor.

Forsothe a newe liyt semede to rise to the Jewis,

17 And in every province and province and in every city and city [the] place where [the] word of the king and law his [was] reaching gladness and joy [belonged] to the Jews a feast and a day good and many of [the] peoples of the land [were] becoming Jews for it had fallen dread of the Jews on 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.