The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XIV.

[verse 1] Also the [Om. I.] queen Hester fledde to the Lord [Lord God I.] , and dredde [sche dredde .] the perel, that neiȝede. [verse 2] And whanne sche hadde put awei the kyngis clothis [clothis that perteyneden to the queen I.] , sche took [took thanne I.] clothis couen|able to wepyngis and morenyng [to morenyng I.] ; and for dyuerse oynementis [oynementis that sche had vsid bifore I.] sche `fillide the [fulfillide hir I.] heed with aische and dust [drit plures. vile poudre or dust I.] , and `made meke [sche mekide I.] hir bodi with fastyngys; and with to [Om. I.] |breidyng awei of heeris [hir heer I.] , sche fillide [fulfillide I.] alle places [the places of hir heed I.] , in which [which placis I.] sche was wont to be [verse 3] glad; and bisouȝte [sche bisouȝte I.] the Lord God of Israel, and seide, My Lord, which [that I.] aloone art oure kyng, helpe me a womman left aloone, and of whom noon othere helpere [verse 4] is outakun thee; my perel is in my hondis. [verse 5] Y haue herd of my fadir, that thou, Lord, tokist [hast take I.] awei Israel fro alle folkis, and [and thou hast taken or chosen I.] oure fadris fro alle her grettere men bi|fore, that thou schuldist welde euerlast|ynge [an euerlastynge I.] eritage; and thou hast do to hem, as thou hast spoke [spoke or hiȝt I.] . [verse 6] We synneden [haue synned I.] in thi siȝt, and therfor thou hast bitake vs [verse 7] in to the hondis of oure enemyes; for [forsothe I.]

we worschipiden [haue wirschipid I.] the goddis of hem. [verse 8] Lord [And S.] , thou art iust; and now it suffisith not to hem [oure enmyes I.] , that thei oppressen vs with hardeste [ful hard I.] seruage, but thei aretten the strengthe of her hondis to the power of [verse 9] idols, and [and therfor thei I.] wolen chaunge thi biheestis, and do [thei woln do I.] awei thin eritage, and close the mouthis of men heriynge thee, and quenche [thei woln quenche I.] [verse 10] the glorie of thi [the plures.] temple and auter [of the auter I.] , that [and I.] thei opene [woln opene I.] the mouthis of hethene men, and preise [thei woln preise I.] the strengthe of ydols, and preche a fleischli [fleischi ACHNOU. fleischli man to the I.] kyng with outen ende. [verse 11] Lord, ȝyue thou not thi kyngis ȝerde [ȝerde or gouernaile I.] to hem, that ben noȝt [not plures. not of thi sort I.] , lest [that I.] thei leiȝen [leiȝe not I.] at oure fallyng; but turne thou the councel of hem on [upon I.] hem [hemself I.] , and distrie thou hym, that bigan to be cruel aȝens vs. [verse 12] Lord, haue thou mynde, and schewe thee to vs in the tyme of tribulacioun; and, Lord, kyng of goddis and [and kyng I.] of al power, ȝyue [verse 13] thou trist to me; ȝyue thou a word wel dressid in my mouth in the [Om. I.] siȝt of the lioun [lioun Assuerus I.] , and turne [turne thou I.] ouer his herte in to the hatrede of oure enemy, that bothe he perische, and othere men that consenten [consentiden I.] to hym. [verse 14] But [But, Lord I.] delyuere vs in thin hond, and helpe me, hauynge noon othere help no [Om. I.] but thee, Lord, that hast the kunnyng [verse 15] of alle thingis; and knowist [Lord, thou knowist I.] that Y hate the glorie of wickid men, and that Y wlate the bed of vncircumcidid men, and of ech alien. [verse 16] Thou [And, Lord, thou I.] knowist my freelte and nede [my nede I.] , that Y holde abhomynable the signe [signe or schewyng I.] of my pride and glorie [of my glorie I.] , which is on myn heed in the daies [day I.] of my schewyng, and that Y wlate it `as the cloth of a womman hauynge vncleene blood [Om. I sec. m. as the blodi skin of wommans infirmytee S.] , and Y bere not [not, or vse it I. not, that is, I vse not swich pride S.] [verse 17] in the daies of my stillenesse [stilnesse, oute of the kingis presence S.] , and that [thou wost, Lord, that S.] Y eet not in the boord of Aaman, nether the feeste of the kyng pleside me, and Y

drank not the wiyn of moiste sacrifices, [verse 18] and [and thou woost I. and Lord, thou wost S.] that thin [I thin IS.] handmayde `was neuere glad [Om. IS.] , sithen [sith I.] Y was translatid hidur til in to present [this present IS.] dai [dai was neuer glad IS.] , no [Om. I.] but in thee [the ARU.] , Lord God of Abraham. [verse 19] `God stronge [A! stronge God I. That art a stronge God S.] aboue alle [alle other S.] , here thou [thou, Lord S.] the vois of hem, that han noon othere hope [hope than thee I. hope than in thee S.] , and delyuere thou vs fro the hond of wickid men, and delyuere thou me fro my drede. Also Y foond `these wordis [these thingis addid B. these addid plures. this addid C pr. m. this thingis addid C sec. m.] in the comyn translacioun.