Additions to Esther 15

Wycliffe Bible

(In the Greek Esther, the next 2 verses would follow verse 8 of Chapter 4; in the Hebrew Esther, these 2 verses would also follow verse 8 of Chapter 4.)

15 ^1″ And no doubt that Mordecai sent to Esther, that she should enter to the king, and pray for her people, and for her country. [And no doubt that Mordecai sent to her, that Esther should go in to the king, and pray for her people, and for her country.]

^1‴ He said, Be thou mindful of the days of thy meekness, how thou were nourished (or brought up) in (or by) mine hand; for Haman, ordained the second from the king, or which is ordained the second person in power from the king, spake against us into death; therefore thou inwardly call the Lord, and speak to the king for us, and deliver us from death. [Mindful, he saith, be thou of the days of thy meekness, how thou art nourished in mine hand; for Haman, ordained the second of the king, spake against us into death; and thou inwardly call the Lord, and speak to the king for us, and deliver us from death.]

(In the Greek Esther, verses 1-16 below follow Esther’s prayer, which follows Mordecai’s prayer, all of which precede Chapter 5; in the Hebrew Esther, these 16 verses would replace the first 2 verses of Chapter 5.)

¹ Forsooth in the third day she putted off the clothes of her adorning (or of her mourning), and was compassed with her glory. [Forsooth the third day she did down the clothes of her adorning (or of her mourning), and her own glory is done about.]

² And when she shined in the king’s (or in the royal) clothing, and had inwardly called the Governor of all things and the Saviour God, she took two servantesses,

³ and soothly she leaned on one, as not sustaining to bear her body, for delights and full great tenderness; [and upon the one forsooth she leaned, as for delights and full much tenderness not suffering to bear her own body;]

⁴ but the other servantess (pur)sued the lady, and bare up her clothes trailing down upon the earth (or upon the ground). [the tother forsooth of the damsels followed the lady, bearing up the clothes flowing down into the earth.]

⁵ Soothly she was beshed with (the) colour of roses in the cheer, or in (or on) her face/And Esther in her face was coloured with rose colours, and with her pleasant and shining eyes she covered her sorrowful soul, that was drawn together with full much dread. [She forsooth thrushed the cheer with rose colour, and freely, with bright eyes she covered the dreary inwit, and drawn together with full much dread.]

⁶ Therefore she entered through all the doors by order, and she stood against (or before) the king, where he sat upon the seat of his realm, and was clothed in the king’s clothes, and shined in gold and precious stones, and he was dreadful in sight. [Then she gone in all the doors by order, stood against (or before) the king, where he sat upon the see (or the throne) of his reign, clothed with king’s clothes, and shining with gold and precious stones; and he was fearful in sight.]

⁷ And when he had raised up his face, and had showed the madness, or austereness, of his heart with burning eyes, the queen felled down before him; and when her colour was changed into paleness, she rested her head bowed down upon her handmaid. [And when he had reared up the face, and with burning eyes the madness of the breast had showed, the queen fell down; and the colour changed into paleness, the weary head upon the handmaid she bowed down.]

⁸ And God turned the spirit of the king into mildness, and he hasted, and dreaded, and skipped out of the seat/and the king hasting, and dreading, rose up anon of (or at once from) his seat; and he sustained her/and he held up the queen with his arms, till she came again to herself; and he spake fair to her by these words,

⁹ Esther, what grief hast thou? I am thy brother; do not thou dread, [What hast thou, Esther? I am thy brother; do thou not dread,]

¹⁰ thou shalt not die, for this coming to me without (my) calling; for this law is not made for thee, but for all (other) men. Therefore nigh thou hither (And so approach thou to me), [thou shalt not die; forsooth not for thee, but for all (others) this law is ordained. Come hither then,]

¹¹ and touch the sceptre, that is, the king’s rod. And when she was still, he took the golden rod, and putted (it) on her neck; [and touch the king’s rod. And when she held her peace, he took the king’s rod, and put (it) upon her neck;]

¹² and he kissed her, and said, Why speakest thou not to me? [and kissed her, and saith, Why to me speakest thou not?]

¹³ And she answered, Lord, I saw thee as an angel of God, and mine heart was troubled for the dread of thy glory; [The which answered, I saw thee, lord, as the angel of God, and mine heart is disturbed for dread of thy glory;]

¹⁴ for, lord, thou art full wonderful, and thy face is full of graces.

¹⁵ And when she spake, again she felled down in a swoon, and was almost dead. [And when she spake, again she fell down, and utterly swooned.]

¹⁶ Soothly the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her.