Esther 7
1 Therfor the kyng and Aaman entriden to the feeste, to drynke with the queen.
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2 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.
And the king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is your petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted you: and what is your request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
3 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.
Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4 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.
For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for slaves and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
5 And kyng Assuerus answeride, and seide, Who is this, and of what power, that he be hardi to do these thingis?
Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that dared presume in his heart to do so?
6 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.
And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7 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.
And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8 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.
Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen on the bed where on Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 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.
And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
10 Therfor Aaman was hangid in the iebat, which he hadde maad redi to Mardochee, and the ire of the kyng restide.
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
