Historical

4 And when Mordecai had heard these things, he rent his clothes, and he was clothed in a sackcloth, and he sprinkled ashes upon his head, and he cried with great voice in the street of the midst of the city, and showed the bitterness of his soul, (And when Mordecai had heard these things, he tore his clothes, and then he was clothed in a sackcloth, and he sprinkled ashes on his head, and he cried with a great voice in the streets in the midst of the city, and told of the bitterness in his soul,)

² and he went with this yelling unto the gates of the palace; for it was not leaveful (for) a man clothed with a sackcloth to enter into the hall of the king (for it was not lawful for someone clothed in sackcloth to enter into the king’s hall).

³ Also in all provinces, cities, and places, to which the cruel sentence of the king was come, there was great wailing, fasting, and weeping, and yelling with the Jews, and many Jews used a sackcloth and ashes for their bed. (And in all the provinces, and cities, and places, to which the cruel sentence of the king had come, there was great wailing, and fasting, and weeping, and yelling from the Jews, and many Jews lay in sackcloth and ashes.)

⁴ And the damsels, and the honest servants and chaste of Esther entered in (and the honest and chaste servants of Esther entered in), and told this thing to Esther; which thing she heard, and was astonished; and she sent a cloak to Mordecai, that when the sackcloth was taken away, he should clothe him(self) therein; the which cloak he would not take. (And Esther’s young women, and the eunuchs, came in, and told her about this; and when she had heard about it, she was astonished, or shocked; and she sent some clothes to Mordecai, so that he would put away the sackcloth, and clothe himself in them; but he would not take the clothes.)

⁵ And after that, Hatach, the honest servant and chaste (the honest and chaste servant), was called, whom the king had given (as) a minister to her, and she commanded, that he should go to Mordecai, and learn of him, why he did this thing. (And after that, the eunuch Hatach was called, whom the king had given to her for a servant, and Esther commanded that he go to Mordecai, and learn from him why he did this thing.)

⁶ And Hatach went forth, and he came to Mordecai standing in the street of the city, before the gate(s) of the palace;

⁷ and he showed to Hatach all things that had befallen, how Haman had promised to bring silver into the treasures of the king, for the death of the Jews. (and he told Hatach about all the things that had happened to him, and how Haman had promised to pay a great deal of silver into the king’s treasury, for the death of all the Jews.)

⁸ Also Mordecai gave to Hatach the copy of the king’s behest, that hanged in Susa, to show to the queen, and to admonish her for to enter to the king, and to beseech him for her people. (And Mordecai gave Hatach a copy of the king’s order, which was hung up in Susa, and told him to show it to the queen, and then to admonish her to go to the king, and to beseech him for her people.)

⁹ And Hatach went again, and told to Esther all things, which Mordecai had said. (And Hatach came back, and told Esther all the things, which Mordecai had said to him.)

¹⁰ And she answered to Hatach, and said, that he should say to Mordecai,

¹¹ All the servants of the king, and all the provinces which be under his lordship, know, that whether man either woman, not called of the king, entereth into the inner hall of the king, he shall be slain anon without any tarrying, but if in hap the king hold forth to him the golden rod for a token of mercy, and that he may live so; therefore how may I enter to the king, that am not called to him now by thirty days? (All the king’s servants, and all the people in the provinces that be under his rule, know that if a man or a woman, not called by the king, entereth into the inner court of the king, that person shall be killed at once, without any tarrying, unless perhaps the king hold forth to him the gold sceptre as a token of mercy, and then he shall live; and so how can I go to the king, when I have not been called to him now for thirty days?)

¹² And when Mordecai had heard this thing,

¹³ he sent again to Esther, and said, Guess thou not, that thou shalt deliver only thy life, for thou art in the house of the king, before all (the) Jews; (he sent back word to Esther, saying, Do not thou think, that since thou art in the king’s palace, thou shalt save thy own life, even though the other Jews shall not escape;)

¹⁴ for if thou art still now, the Jews shall be delivered by another way, and thou and the house of thy father shall perish; and who knoweth, whether therefore thou camest to the realm, that thou shouldest be made ready in such a time to help? (for if thou art silent now, the Jews shall be saved by another way, but thou and thy father’s house shall all perish; and who knoweth, whether thou camest to the kingdom, that is, to thy crown, so that now thou couldest help in such a time of need?)

¹⁵ And again Esther sent these words to Mordecai, saying, (And Esther sent back an answer to Mordecai, saying,)

¹⁶ Go thou, and gather together all the Jews, which thou findest in Susa, and pray ye for me; eat ye not, that is, fast ye, neither drink ye, in three days and three nights, and I with mine handmaidens shall fast in like manner; and then I not called, shall enter in to the king, and I shall do against the law, and I shall betake me to death and to peril. (Go thou, and gather together all the Jews, whom thou findest in Susa, and pray ye for me; eat ye not, that is, fast ye, and drink ye not, for three days and three nights, and I shall fast with my servantesses in like manner; and then though I be not called, I shall go to the king, and I shall go against the law, and I shall deliver myself unto peril and even death.)

¹⁷ Therefore Mordecai went, and did all things, that Esther had commanded to him. (And so Mordecai went, and did everything, that Esther had bidden him to do.)

5 Forsooth in the third day, Esther was clothed in royal clothes, and she stood in the porch of the king’s house, that was withinforth over against the king’s hall; and the king sat upon his throne, in the consistory of his palace, (over) against the door of the house. (And on the third day, Esther was clothed in royal robes, and she went and stood in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace, facing the palace; and the king sat on his throne, in the consistory of his palace, facing the entrance to the palace.)

² And when he had seen Esther, the queen, standing there, she pleased his eyes, and he held forth against her the golden rod, that he held in his hand; and she nighed, and kissed the highness of his rod. (And when he had seen Queen Esther standing there, she pleased his eyes, and he held forth toward her the gold sceptre, which he held in his hand; and she came over, and touched the top of the sceptre.)

³ And the king said to her, Esther, the queen, what wilt thou? what is thine asking? Yea, though thou ask the half part of my realm, it shall be given to thee. (And the king said to her, Queen Esther, what wilt thou have? what is thy asking? Yea, if thou ask for half my kingdom, it shall be given to thee!)

⁴ And she answered, If it pleaseth the king, I beseech, that thou come to me today, and Haman with thee, to the feast, that I have made ready. (And she answered, If it please the king, I beseech thee, that thou, and Haman with thee, come today to the feast, that I have prepared for thee.)

⁵ And anon the king said, Call ye anon Haman, that he obey to the will of Esther. And then the king and Haman came to the feast, which the queen had made ready to them. (And at once the king said, Call ye Haman at once, so that he obey the will of Esther. And so the king and Haman went to the feast, which the queen had prepared for them.)

⁶ And the king said to Esther, after that he had drunk (the) wine plenteously, What thing askest thou of me, that it be given to thee, and for what thing askest thou? Yea, though thou ask the half part of my realm, thou shalt get it (Yea, if thou ask for half my kingdom, thou shalt get it).

⁷ To whom Esther answered, My asking and [my] prayers be these.

⁸ If I have found grace in the sight of the king, and if it pleaseth the king, that he give to me that thing, that I ask, and that he fulfill mine asking, the king and Haman come they tomorrow to the feast, that I have made ready to them; and tomorrow, I shall open my will to the king. (If I have found favour before the king, and if it please the king, that he give me what I ask for, and that he grant my request, then may the king and Haman come to the feast that I shall prepare for them tomorrow; and then tomorrow, I shall tell my desire to the king.)

⁹ Therefore Haman went out glad and swift in that day. And when he had seen Mordecai sitting before the gates of the palace, and not only to have not risen up to him, but soothly neither moved from the place of his sitting, he was full wroth; (And so Haman went out that day happy and well pleased with himself. But when he saw Mordecai in attendance at the royal court, and he did not rise up before him to show respect, or even move from the place where he was sitting, he was enraged;)

¹⁰ and Haman feigned him(self) as not wroth therefore, and turned again into his house, and he called together his friends, and Zeresh, his wife; (but Haman feigned himself as not being angry because of that, and returned to his house, and he called together his friends, and his wife Zeresh;)

¹¹ and he told to them (of) the greatness of his riches, and the company of his children, and with how great glory the king had enhanced him above all his princes and servants. (and he told them of his great riches, and of the multitude, or the great number, of his children, and how the king had promoted him to great glory above all his other leaders and servants.)

¹² And he said after these things, Also the queen Esther called none other man with the king to the feast, except me, with whom I shall eat also tomorrow with the king. (And after these things he said, And Queen Esther called no other man to the feast with the king, except me, and tomorrow I shall also eat with her and the king.)

¹³ And though I have all these things, I guess that I have nothing, as long as I see Mordecai, the Jew, sitting before the king’s gates. (And yet, even though I have all these things, I feel like I have nothing, as long as I see that Jew Mordecai, in attendance at the royal court.)

¹⁴ And Zeresh, his wife, and his friends answered to him, Command thou an high beam, or a gallows tree, to be made ready, having fifty cubits of height; and speak thou tomorrow early to the king, and ask of him, that Mordecai be hanged thereon; and so thou shalt go glad with the king to the queen’s feast. And the counsel of them pleased him, and he commanded an high cross, that is a gibbet, to be made ready. (And his wife Zeresh, and his friends, answered to him, Command thou that a gallows be prepared, that is fifty cubits in height; and then early tomorrow speak thou to the king, and ask him to have Mordecai hanged on it; and then thou shalt go with the king to the queen’s feast in high spirits. And their counsel pleased him, and he commanded that the gallows be prepared.)

6 The king led that night without sleep, and he commanded the stories and the books of years of former times to be brought to him. And when those books were read in his presence, (That night the king went without sleep, and he commanded that the stories of former times, that is, The Books of the Years, or The Official Annals, be brought to him. And when those books were read before him, to help him get to sleep,)

² men came to the place, where it was written, how Mordecai had told (of) the treasons of Bigthan(a) and Teresh, honest servants (the honest and chaste servants), coveting to strangle king Ahasuerus. (they came to the place, where it was written, how Mordecai had told of the treason of Bigthana and Teresh, the king’s eunuchs, who desired, or plotted, to strangle King Ahasuerus.)

³ And when the king had heard this, he said, What honour and meed got Mordecai for this faithfulness? And his servants and ministers said to him, Utterly he took no meed. (And when the king had heard this, he said, What honour and reward did Mordecai receive for this loyalty? And the servants who ministered to the king said to him, He received utterly no reward for what he did.)

⁴ And anon the king said, Who is in the hall? Soothly Haman had entered into the inner hall of the king’s house, to make suggestion to the king, that he should command Mordecai to be hanged on the gibbet, which was made ready to him. (And then hearing something, the king asked, Who is that in the courtyard? For it was now early morning, and Haman had just come into the outer courtyard of the palace, to suggest to the king, that he should command that Mordecai be hanged on the gallows, which was now prepared for him.)

⁵ And the servants of the king said to him, Haman standeth in the hall. And the king said, Enter he in. (And the king’s servants said to him, Haman standeth in the courtyard. And the king said, Let him come in.)

⁶ And when Haman was come in, the king said to him, What oweth to be done to the man, whom the king desireth to honour? (And when Haman had come in, the king said to him, What ought to be done for the man, whom the king desireth to honour?) And Haman thought in his heart, and he guessed, that the king was about to honour no other man but (he) himself, Haman;

⁷ and he answered, The man, whom the king coveteth to honour, (and so he answered, The man, whom the king desireth to honour,)

⁸ oweth to be clothed in the king’s clothes, and to be set on the horse which is of the king’s saddle, and to take the king’s diadem, that is, his crown, upon his head; (ought to be clothed in the king’s robes, and to be put on a horse which is of the king’s saddle, and to wear the king’s crown on his head;)

⁹ and the first, or chief, of the princes and of the strong men of the king, he (should) hold his horse, leading him, and go he by the streets of the city, and cry he, and say, Thus he shall be honoured, whom the king will honour. (and then one of the king’s most honoured princes, or leaders, should lead his horse through the city square, and he should cry, and say, Thus shall he be honoured/He is worthy of this honour, whom the king desireth to honour.)

¹⁰ And then the king said to Haman, Haste thou thee, and when the king’s clothing, and his horse, is taken to thee, do thou, as thou hast spoken, to Mordecai, the Jew, that sitteth before the gates of the palace; and be thou ware, that thou leave not out, (or) undone, any thing of these (things), which thou hast now spoken. (And then the king said to Haman, Now hasten thou thee, and when the king’s robes, and his horse, be brought to thee, do thou, just as thou hast spoken, for Mordecai, the Jew, who is in attendance at the royal court; and be thou ware, lest thou leave anything undone, of all these things, of which thou hast now spoken.)

¹¹ And then Haman took the king’s cloak and his palfrey, and he went forth, and cried before Mordecai, (who was) clothed in the king’s clothing, (leading him) in the chief street of the city, and set upon his palfrey, (saying,) He is worthy (of) this honour, whomever the king will honour. (And then Haman took the king’s robes and his horse, and he clothed Mordecai in the king’s clothing, and put him on the king’s horse; and then leading him through the city square, he cried as he went before him, He is worthy of this honour, whom the king desireth to honour.)

¹² And after this Mordecai turned again to the gate of the palace, and Haman hasted to go into his house, mourning, and with his head covered. (And after this Mordecai returned to the royal court, and Haman hastened to go to his house, mourning, and with his head covered.)

¹³ And he told to Zeresh, his wife, and to his friends all things that had befallen to him. To whom the wise men, which he had in counsel, and his wife, answered, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, is of the seed of Jews, thou shalt not be able to against-stand him, but thou shalt fall in his sight. (And he told his wife Zeresh, and his friends, all the things that had befallen him. And the wise men, whom he had in counsel, and his wife, answered, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, is a descendant of the Jews, then thou shalt not be able to stand against him, but thou shalt utterly fall before him.)

¹⁴ Yet while they spake these things, the honest servants and chaste of the king came after Haman (the honest and chaste servants of the king came for Haman), and they compelled him to go anon to the feast, which the queen had made ready. (And yet while they spoke these things, the king’s eunuchs came for Haman, and they compelled him to come at once to the feast, which the queen had prepared.)