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Additions to the Book of Esther
CHAPTER
1
[1]
Then Mardocheus said, God hath done these things.
[2] For I remember a dream which
I saw concerning these matters, and nothing thereof hath failed.
[3] A little fountain became a
river, and there was light, and the sun, and much water: this river is Esther,
whom the king married, and made queen:
[4] And the two dragons are I and
Aman.
[5] And the nations were those
that were assembled to destroy the name of the Jews:
[6] And my nation is this Israel,
which cried to God, and were saved: for the Lord hath saved his people, and the
Lord hath delivered us from all those evils, and God hath wrought signs and
great wonders, which have not been done among the Gentiles.
[7] Therefore hath he made two
lots, one for the people of God, and another for all the Gentiles.
[8] And these two lots came at
the hour, and time, and day of judgment, before God among all nations.
[9] So God remembered his people,
and justified his inheritance.
[10] Therefore those days shall
be unto them in the month Adar, the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the same
month, with an assembly, and joy, and with gladness before God, according to the
generations for ever among his people.
CHAPTER
2
[1]
In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemeus and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said
he was a priest and Levite, and Ptolemeus his son, brought this epistle of
Phurim, which they said was the same, and that Lysimachus the son of Ptolemeus,
that was in Jerusalem, had interpreted it.
[2] In the second year of the
reign of Artexerxes the great, in the first day of the month Nisan, Mardocheus
the son of Jairus, the son of Semei, the son of Cisai, of the tribe of Benjamin,
had a dream;
[3] Who was a Jew, and dwelt in
the city of Susa, a great man, being a servitor in the king's court.
[4] He was also one of the
captives, which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon carried from Jerusalem with
Jechonias king of Judea; and this was his dream:
[5] Behold a noise of a tumult,
with thunder, and earthquakes, and uproar in the land:
[6] And, behold, two great
dragons came forth ready to fight, and their cry was great.
[7] And at their cry all nations
were prepared to battle, that they might fight against the righteous people.
[8] And lo a day of darkness and
obscurity, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great uproar, upon earth.
[9] And the whole righteous
nation was troubled, fearing their own evils, and were ready to perish.
[10] Then they cried unto God,
and upon their cry, as it were from a little fountain, was made a great flood,
even much water.
[11] The light and the sun rose
up, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the glorious.
[12] Now when Mardocheus, who had
seen this dream, and what God had determined to do, was awake, he bare this
dream in mind, and until night by all means was desirous to know it.
CHAPTER
3
[1]
And Mardocheus took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the two
eunuchs of the king, and keepers of the palace.
[2] And he heard their devices,
and searched out their purposes, and learned that they were about to lay hands
upon Artexerxes the king; and so he certified the king of them.
[3] Then the king examined the
two eunuchs, and after that they had confessed it, they were strangled.
[4] And the king made a record of
these things, and Mardocheus also wrote thereof.
[5] So the king commanded,
Mardocheus to serve in the court, and for this he rewarded him.
[6] Howbeit Aman the son of
Amadathus the Agagite, who was in great honour with the king, sought to molest
Mardocheus and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.
CHAPTER
4
[1]
The copy of the letters was this: The great king Artexerxes writeth these things
to the princes and governours that are under him from India unto Ethiopia in an
hundred and seven and twenty provinces.
[2] After that I became lord over
many nations and had dominion over the whole world, not lifted up with
presumption of my authority, but carrying myself always with equity and
mildness, I purposed to settle my subjects continually in a quiet life, and
making my kingdom peaceable, and open for passage to the utmost coasts, to renew
peace, which is desired of all men.
[3] Now when I asked my
counsellors how this might be brought to pass, Aman, that excelled in wisdom
among us, and was approved for his constant good will and steadfast fidelity,
and had the honour of the second place in the kingdom,
[4] Declared unto us, that in all
nations throughout the world there was scattered a certain malicious people,
that had laws contrary to ail nations, and continually despised the commandments
of kings, so as the uniting of our kingdoms, honourably intended by us cannot go
forward.
[5] Seeing then we understand
that this people alone is continually in opposition unto all men, differing in
the strange manner of their laws, and evil affected to our state, working all
the mischief they can that our kingdom may not be firmly established:
[6] Therefore have we commanded,
that all they that are signified in writing unto you by Aman, who is ordained
over the affairs, and is next unto us, shall all, with their wives and children,
be utterly destroyed by the sword of their enemies, without all mercy and pity,
the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar of this present year:
[7] That they, who of old and now
also are malicious, may in one day with violence go into the grave, and so ever
hereafter cause our affairs to be well settled, and without trouble.
[8] Then Mardocheus thought upon
all the works of the Lord, and made his prayer unto him,
[9] Saying, O Lord, Lord, the
King Almighty: for the whole world is in thy power, and if thou hast appointed
to save Israel, there is no man that can gainsay thee:
[10] For thou hast made heaven
and earth, and all the wondrous things under the heaven.
[11] Thou art Lord of all things,
and and there is no man that can resist thee, which art the Lord.
[12] Thou knowest all things, and
thou knowest, Lord, that it was neither in contempt nor pride, nor for any
desire of glory, that I did not bow down to proud Aman.
[13] For I could have been
content with good will for the salvation of Israel to kiss the soles of his
feet.
[14] But I did this, that I might
not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God: neither will I worship any
but thee, O God, neither will I do it in pride.
[15] And now, O Lord God and
King, spare thy people: for their eyes are upon us to bring us to nought; yea,
they desire to destroy the inheritance, that hath been thine from the beginning.
[16] Despise not the portion,
which thou hast delivered out of Egypt for thine own self.
[17] Hear my prayer, and be
merciful unto thine inheritance: turn our sorrow into joy, that we may live, O
Lord, and praise thy name: and destroy not the mouths of them that praise thee,
O Lord.
[18] All Israel in like manner
cried most earnestly unto the Lord, because their death was before their eyes.
CHAPTER
5
[1]
Queen Esther also, being in fear of death, resorted unto the Lord:
[2] And laid away her glorious
apparel, and put on the garments of anguish and mourning: and instead of
precious ointments, she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she humbled
her body greatly, and all the places of her joy she filled with her torn hair.
[3] And she prayed unto the Lord
God of Israel, saying, O my Lord, thou only art our King: help me, desolate
woman, which have no helper but thee:
[4] For my danger is in mine
hand.
[5] From my youth up I have heard
in the tribe of my family that thou, O Lord, tookest Israel from among all
people, and our fathers from all their predecessors, for a perpetual
inheritance, and thou hast performed whatsoever thou didst promise them.
[6] And now we have sinned before
thee: therefore hast thou given us into the hands of our enemies,
[7] Because we worshipped their
gods: O Lord, thou art righteous.
[8] Nevertheless it satisfieth
them not, that we are in bitter captivity: but they have stricken hands with
their idols,
[9] That they will abolish the
thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordained, and destroy thine inheritance, and
stop the mouth of them that praise thee, and quench the glory of thy house, and
of thine altar,
[10] And open the mouths of the
heathen to set forth the praises of the idols, and to magnify a fleshly king for
ever.
[11] O Lord, give not thy sceptre
unto them that be nothing, and let them not laugh at our fall; but turn their
device upon themselves, and make him an example, that hath begun this against
us.
[12] Remember, O Lord, make
thyself known in time of our affliction, and give me boldness, O King of the
nations, and Lord of all power.
[13] Give me eloquent speech in
my mouth before the lion: turn his heart to hate him that fighteth against us,
that there may be an end of him, and of all that are likeminded to him:
[14] But deliver us with thine
hand, and help me that am desolate, and which have no other help but thee.
[15] Thou knowest all things, O
Lord; thou knowest that I hate the glory of the unrighteous, and abhor the bed
of the uncircumcised, and of all the heathen.
[16] Thou knowest my necessity:
for I abhor the sign of my high estate, which is upon mine head in the days
wherein I shew myself, and that I abhor it as a menstruous rag, and that I wear
it not when I am private by myself.
[17] And that thine handmaid hath
not eaten at Aman's table, and that I have not greatly esteemed the king's
feast, nor drunk the wine of the drink offerings.
[18] Neither had thine handmaid
any joy since the day that I was brought hither to this present, but in thee, O
Lord God of Abraham.
[19] O thou mighty God above all,
hear the voice of the forlorn and deliver us out of the hands of the
mischievous, and deliver me out of my fear.
CHAPTER
6
[1]
And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away her
mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel.
[2] And being gloriously adorned,
after she had called upon God, who is the beholder and saviour of all things,
she took two maids with her:
[3] And upon the one she leaned,
as carrying herself daintily;
[4] And the other followed,
bearing up her train.
[5] And she was ruddy through the
perfection of her beauty, and her countenance was cheerful and very amiable: but
her heart was in anguish for fear.
[6] Then having passed through
all the doors, she stood before the king, who sat upon his royal throne, and was
clothed with all his robes of majesty, all glittering with gold and precious
stones; and he was very dreadful.
[7] Then lifting up his
countenance that shone with majesty, he looked very fiercely upon her: and the
queen fell down, and was pale, and fainted, and bowed herself upon the head of
the maid that went before her.
[8] Then God changed the spirit
of the king into mildness, who in a fear leaped from his throne, and took her in
his arms, till she came to herself again, and comforted her with loving words
and said unto her,
[9] Esther, what is the matter? I
am thy brother, be of good cheer:
[10] Thou shalt not die, though
our our commandment be general: come near.
[11] And so be held up his golden
sceptre, and laid it upon her neck,
[12] And embraced her, and said,
Speak unto me.
[13] Then said she unto him, I
saw thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy
majesty.
[14] For wonderful art thou,
lord, and thy countenance is full of grace.
[15] And as she was speaking, she
fell down for faintness.
[16] Then the king was troubled,
and ail his servants comforted her.
CHAPTER
7
[1]
The great king Artexerxes unto the princes and governors of an hundred and seven
and twenty provinces from India unto Ethiopia, and unto all our faithful
subjects, greeting.
[2] Many, the more often they are
honoured with the great bounty of their gracious princes, the more proud they
are waxen,
[3] And endeavour to hurt not our
subjects only, but not being able to bear abundance, do take in hand to practise
also against those that do them good:
[4] And take not only
thankfulness away from among men, but also lifted up with the glorious words of
lewd persons, that were never good, they think to escape the justice of God,
that seeth all things and hateth evil.
[5] Oftentimes also fair speech
of those, that are put in trust to manage their friends' affairs, hath caused
many that are in authority to be partakers of innocent blood, and hath enwrapped
them in remediless calamities:
[6] Beguiling with the falsehood
and deceit of their lewd disposition the innocency and goodness of princes.
[7] Now ye may see this, as we
have declared, not so much by ancient histories, as ye may, if ye search what
hath been wickedly done of late through the pestilent behaviour of them that are
unworthily placed in authority.
[8] And we must take care for the
time to come, that our kingdom may be quiet and peaceable for all men,
[9] Both by changing our
purposes, and always judging things that are evident with more equal proceeding.
[10] For Aman, a Macedonian, the
son of Amadatha, being indeed a stranger from the Persian blood, and far distant
from our goodness, and as a stranger received of us,
[11] Had so far forth obtained
the favour that we shew toward every nation, as that he was called our father,
and was continually honoured of all the next person unto the king.
[12] But he, not bearing his
great dignity, went about to deprive us of our kingdom and life:
[13] Having by manifold and
cunning deceits sought of us the destruction, as well of Mardocheus, who saved
our life, and continually procured our good, as also of blameless Esther,
partaker of our kingdom, with their whole nation.
[14] For by these means he
thought, finding us destitute of friends to have translated the kingdom of the
Persians to the Macedonians.
[15] But we find that the Jews,
whom this wicked wretch hath delivered to utter destruction, are no evildoers,
but live by most just laws:
[16] And that they be children of
the most high and most mighty, living God, who hath ordered the kingdom both
unto us and to our progenitors in the most excellent manner.
[17] Wherefore ye shall do well
not to put in execution the letters sent unto you by Aman the son of Amadatha.
[18] For he that was the worker
of these things, is hanged at the gates of Susa with all his family: God, who
ruleth all things, speedily rendering vengeance to him according to his deserts.
[19] Therefore ye shall publish
the copy of this letter in all places, that the Jews may freely live after their
own laws.
[20] And ye shall aid them, that
even the same day, being the thirteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, they may
be avenged on them, who in the time of their affliction shall set upon them.
[21] For Almighty God hath turned
to joy unto them the day, wherein the chosen people should have perished.
[22] Ye shall therefore among
your solemn feasts keep it an high day with all feasting:
[23] That both now and hereafter
there may be safety to us and the well affected Persians; but to those which do
conspire against us a memorial of destruction.
[24] Therefore every city and
country whatsoever, which shall not do according to these things, shall be
destroyed without mercy with fire and sword, and shall be made not only
unpassable for men, but also most hateful to wild beasts and fowls for ever.
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