Esther 9

¹ To whom Hester answeride, My axyng and preieris ben these. ² If Y haue founde grace in the siyt of the kyng, and if it plesith the kyng, that he yyue to me that, that Y axe, and that he fille myn axyng, the kyng and Aaman come to the feeste, which Y haue maad redi to hem; and to morewe Y schal opene my wille to the kyng. ³ Therfor Aaman yede out glad and swift in that dai. And whanne he hadde seyn Mardochee sittynge bifor the yatis of the paleys, and not oneli to haue not rise to hym, but sotheli nether moued fro the place of his sittyng, he was ful wrooth; 4 and whanne the ire was dissymelid, he turnede ayen in to his hows, and he clepide togidire to him silf frendis, and Zares, his wijf; 5 and he declaride to hem the greetnesse of his richessis, and the cumpeny of children, and with hou greet glorie the kyng hadde enhaunsid hym aboue alle hise princis and seruauntis. 6 And he seide after these thinges, Also the queen Hester clepide noon other man with the kyng to the feeste, outakun me, anentis which queen Y schal ete also to morewe with the kyng. ⁷ And whanne Y haue alle these thingis, Y gesse that Y haue no thing, as long as Y se Mardochee, Jew, sittynge bifor the kyngis yatis. 8 And Zares, his wijf, and othere frendis answeriden to hym, Comaunde thou an hiy beem to be maad redi, hauynge fifti cubitis of heiythe; and seie thou eerly to the kyng, that Mardochee be hangid theronne; and so thou schalt go glad with the kyng to the feeste. And the counsel plesyde him, and he comaundide an hiy cros to be maad redi. 10 The kyng ledde that nyyt with out sleep, and he comaundide the stories and the bookis of yeeris of formere tymes to be brouyt to hym. And whanne tho weren red in his presense, ¹¹ me cam to the place, where it was writun, hou Mardochee hadde teld the tresouns of Gabathan and Thares, oneste seruauntis, couetynge to strangle kyng Assuerus. ¹² And whanne the kyng hadde herd this, he seide, What onour and meede gat Mardochee for this feithfulnesse? And hise seruauntis and mynystris seiden to hym, Outirli he took no meede. ¹³ And anoon the kyng seide, Who is in the halle? Sotheli Aaman hadde entrid in to the ynnere halle of the kyngis hows, to make suggestioun to the kyng, that he schulde comaunde Mardochee to be hangid on the iebat, which was maad redi to him. ¹⁴ And the children answeriden, Aaman stondith in the halle. ¹⁵ And the kyng seide, Entre he. And whanne he was comun yn, the kyng seide to hym, What owith to be don to the man, whom the kyng desirith onoure? Aaman thouyte in his herte, and gesside, that the kyng wolde onoure noon othere man no but hym silf; ¹⁶ and he answeride, The man, whom the kyng couetith to onoure, ¹⁷ owith to be clothid with the kyngis clothis, and to be set on the hors which is of the kyngis sadel, and to take the kyngis diademe on his heed; ¹⁸ and the firste of the princes and stronge men of the kyng holde his hors, and go bi the stretis of the citee, and crie, and seie, Thus he schal be onourid, whom euer the kyng wole onoure. ¹⁹ Therfor the kyng seide to hym, Haste thou, and whanne a stoole and hors is takun, do thou, as thou hast spoke, to Mardochee the Jew, that sittith bifor the yatis of the paleis; be thou war, that thou leeue not out ony thing of these, whiche thou hast spoke. 20 Therfor Aaman took a stoole and hors, and yede, and criede bifor Mardochee clothid in the strete of the citee, and set on the hors, He is worthi this onour, whom euer the kyng wole onoure. 21 And Mardochee turnede ayen to the yate of the paleis, and Aaman hastide to go in to his hows, morenynge, and with the heed hilid. 22 And he teld to Zares, his wijf, and to frendis alle thingis that hadden bifelde to hym. To whom the wise men, whiche he hadde in counsel, and his wijf, answeriden, If Mardochee, bifor whom thou hast bigunne to falle, is of the seed of Jewis, thou schalt not mowe ayenstonde hym, but thou schalt falle in his siyt. 23 Yit while thei spaken, the oneste seruauntis and chast of the kyng camen, and compelliden hym to go soone to the feeste, which the queen hadde maad redi. 25 Therfor the kyng and Aaman entriden to the feeste, to drynke with the queen. 26 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. 27 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. 28 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. ²⁹ And kyng Assuerus answeride, and seide, Who is this, and of what power, that he be hardi to do these thingis? ³⁰ 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. 31 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. 32 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.