Esther 3
1 Aftir these thingis kyng Assuerus enhaunside Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, that was of the kynrede of Agag, and settide his trone aboue alle the princes whiche he hadde.
Post hæc rex Assuerus exaltavit Aman filium Amadathi, qui erat de stirpe Agag: et posuit solium ejus super omnes principes quos habebat.
2 And alle the seruauntis of the kyng, that lyuyden in the yatis of the paleis, kneliden, and worschipiden Aaman; for the emperour hadde comaundid so to hem; Mardochee aloone bowide not the knees, nethir worschipide hym.
Cunctique servi regis, qui in foribus palatii versabantur, flectebant genua, et adorabant Aman: sic enim præceperat eis imperator: solus Mardochæus non flectebat genu, neque adorabat eum.
3 `To whom the children of the kyng seiden, that saten bifore at the yatis of the paleis, Whi kepist `thou not the comaundementis of the kyng, othere wise than othere men?
Cui dixerunt pueri regis, qui ad fores palatii præsidebant: Cur præter ceteros non observas mandatum regis?
4 And whanne thei seiden ful ofte these thingis, and he nolde here, thei tolden to Aaman, `and wolden wite, whether he contynuede in sentence; for he hadde seid to hem, that he was a Jew.
Cumque hoc crebrius dicerent, et ille nollet audire, nuntiaverunt Aman, scire cupientes utrum perseveraret in sententia: dixerat enim eis se esse Judæum.
5 And whanne Aaman hadde herd this thing, and hadde preued `bi experience, that Mardochee bowide not the kne to hym, nethir worschipide hym, he was ful wrooth,
Quod cum audisset Aman, et experimento probasset quod Mardochæus non flecteret sibi genu, nec se adoraret, iratus est valde,
6 and he ledde for nouyt to sette hise hondis on Mardochee aloone; for he hadde herd, that Mardochee was of the folc of Jewis, and more he wolde leese al the nacioun of Jewis, that weren in the rewme of Assuerus.
et pro nihilo duxit in unum Mardochæum mittere manus suas: audierat enim quod esset gentis Judææ; magisque voluit omnem Judæorum, qui erant in regno Assueri, perdere nationem.
7 In the firste monethe, whos nam is Nysan, in the tweluethe yeer of the rewme of Assuerus, lot was sent in to a vessel, which lot is seid in Ebrew phur, `bifor Aaman, in what dai and in what monethe the folk of Jewis ouyte to be slayn; and the tweluethe monethe yede out, which is clepid Adar.
Mense primo (cujus vocabulum est Nisan), anno duodecimo regni Assueri, missa est sors in urnam, quæ hebraice dicitur phur, coram Aman, quo die et quo mense gens Judæorum deberet interfici: et exivit mensis duodecimus, qui vocatur Adar.
8 And Aaman seide to the king Assuerus, A puple is scaterid bi alle the prouynces of thi rewme, and is departid fro it silf togidere, and vsith newe lawis and cerymonyes, and ferthermore it dispisith also the comaundementis of the kyng; and thou knowest best, that it spedith not to thi rewme, `that it encreesse in malice bi licence.
Dixitque Aman regi Assuero: Est populus per omnes provincias regni tui dispersus, et a se mutuo separatus, novis utens legibus et cæremoniis, insuper et regis scita contemnens: et optime nosti quod non expediat regno tuo ut insolescat per licentiam.
9 If it plesith thee, `deme thou that it perisch, and Y schal paie ten thousynde of talentis to the keperis of thi tresour.
Si tibi placet, decerne, ut pereat, et decem millia talentorum appendam arcariis gazæ tuæ.
10 Therfor the kyng took `fro his hond the ryng which he vside, and yaf it to Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, of the kynrede of Agag, to the enemy of Jewis.
Tulit ergo rex annulum, quo utebatur, de manu sua, et dedit eum Aman filio Amadathi de progenie Agag, hosti Judæorum,
11 And the kyng seide to hym, The siluer, which thou bihiytist, be thin; do thou of the puple that, that plesith thee.
dixitque ad eum: Argentum, quod tu polliceris, tuum sit; de populo age quod tibi placet.
12 And the scryuens of the kyng weren clepid in the firste monethe Nysan, in the threttenthe dai of the same monethe; and it was writun, as Aaman hadde comaundid, to alle prynces of the kyng, and to domesmen of prouynces and of dyuerse folkis, that ech folk myyte rede and here, `for dyuersite of langagis, bi the name of kyng Assuerus. And lettris aseelid with
Vocatique sunt scribæ regis mense primo Nisan, tertiadecima die ejusdem mensis: et scriptum est, ut jusserat Aman, ad omnes satrapas regis, et judices provinciarum, diversarumque gentium, ut quæque gens legere poterat et audire pro varietate linguarum ex nomine regis Assueri: et litteræ signatæ ipsius annulo
13 the ring of the kyng weren sent bi the corouris of the kyng to alle hise prouynces, that thei schulden sle, and `do awei alle Jewis, fro a child to an eld man, litle children and wymmen, in o dai, that is, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which is clepid Adar; and that thei schulden take awei the goodis of Jewis.
missæ sunt per cursores regis ad universas provincias, ut occiderent atque delerent omnes Judæos, a puero usque ad senem, parvulos et mulieres, uno die, hoc est tertiodecimo mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar; et bona eorum diriperent.
14 Forsothe the sentence `in schort of the pistlis was this, that alle prouyncis schulden wite, and make hem redi to the forseid dai.
Summa autem epistolarum hæc fuit, ut omnes provinciæ scirent, et pararent se ad prædictam diem.
15 And the coroures, that weren sent, hastiden to fille the comaundement of the kyng; and anoon the comaundement hangide in Susa, `while the kyng and Aaman maden feeste, and `the while that alle Jewis wepten, that weren in the citee.
Festinabant cursores, qui missi erant, regis imperium explere. Statimque in Susan pependit edictum, rege et Aman celebrante convivium, et cunctis Judæis, qui in urbe erant, flentibus.
