Esther 13–14

The copy of the letters was this: ^aThe great king Artaxerxes writeth these things to the princes and governors that are under him ^bfrom India unto Ethiopia, in an hundred and seven and twenty provinces. After that I became lord over many nations, and had dominion over the whole ^cworld, not lifted up with presumption of my authority, but carrying myself alway with equity and mildness, I purposed to settle ^ccmy 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. Now when I asked my counsellers how this might be brought to pass, Aman, that excelled in wisdom among us, and was ^dapproved for his constant good will and stedfast fidelity, and ^ehad the honour of the second place in the kingdom, ^fdeclared unto us, that in all nations throughout ^cthe world there was scattered a certain malicious people, that had laws contrary to all nations, and continually despised the commandments of kings, so as the uniting of our kingdoms, honourably ^gintended by us, cannot go forward. 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: 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 ^hfourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar of this present year: 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.

Then Mardocheus thought upon all the works of the Lord, and made his prayer unto him, Saying, O Lord, Lord, the King ⁱAlmighty: for the whole world is in thy power, and if thou hast appointed to save Israel, there is no man that can gainsay thee: ^jfor thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things under the heaven. Thou art Lord of all things, and there is no man that can resist thee, which art the Lord. ^kThou knowest all things, and thou knowest, Lord, that it was neither in contempt nor pride, nor for any desire of glory, that ^lI did not bow down to proud Aman. For ^mI could have been content with good will for the salvation of Israel to kiss the soles of his feet. But I did this, that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God: ⁿneither will I worship any but thee, O God, neither will I do it in pride. And now, O Lord God and King, ^ospare 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. Despise not the portion, ^pwhich thou hast delivered out of Egypt for thine own self. Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto thine inheritance: ^qturn our sorrow into joy, that we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: and ^rdestroy not the mouths of them that praise thee, O Lord.

¹⁸All Israel in like manner cried most earnestly unto the Lord, because their death was before their eyes.

XIV.Queen Esther also, being in fear of death, resorted unto the Lord: ²and laid away her glorious apparel, and put on ^athe garments of anguish and mourning: and ^binstead of precious ointments, ^ashe covered her head with ashes and dung, and ^cshe humbled her body greatly, and all the places of her joy she filled ^bdwith her torn hair. ³And 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: ⁴for ^emy danger is in mine hand. ⁵From my youth up I have heard in the tribe of my family, that thou, O Lord, ^ftookest Israel from among all people, and ^gour fathers from all their predecessors, for a perpetual inheritance, and thou hast performed whatsoever thou didst promise them. ^6hAnd now we have sinned before thee: therefore hast thou given us into the hands of our enemies, ⁷because we worshipped their gods: O Lord, ⁱthou art righteous. ⁸Nevertheless it satisfieth them not, that we are in bitter captivity: but they have ^kstricken hands with their idols, ⁹that they will abolish the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordained, and destroy thine inheritance, and ^lstop the mouth of them that praise thee, and quench the glory of thy house, and of thine altar, ¹⁰and open the mouths of the heathen to set forth the praises of the idols, and ^mto magnify a fleshly king for ever. ¹¹O 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 ⁿmake him an example, that hath begun this against us. ¹²Remember, O Lord, ^omake thyself known in time of our affliction, and give me boldness, O King of the nations, and Lord of all power. ¹³Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before ^pthe lion: turn his heart to hate ^qhim that fighteth against us, that there may be an end of him, and of all that are likeminded to him: ¹⁴but deliver us with thine hand, and help me that am desolate, and which have no other helper but thee. ^15rThou 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. ¹⁶Thou knowest my necessity: for I abhor the sign of my high estate, ^swhich is upon mine head in the days wherein I shew myself, and that I abhor it ^tas a menstruous rag, and that I wear it not when I am private by myself. ¹⁷and that thine handmaid ^uhath 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. ¹⁸Neither had thine handmaid any joy since the day that I was brought hither to this present, but in thee, O Lord God of Abraham. ¹⁹O thou mighty God above all, hear the voice of the ^xforlorn, and deliver us out of the hands of the mischievous, and deliver me out of ^ymy fear.

XV.