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

CAP. IX.

[verse 1] Thanne of [Om. A.] the twelfthe moneth, whom Adar to be clepid now beforn wee seiden, the threttenthe day, whanne to alle the Jewis slaȝter was greithid, and enemys waiteden to the blod of hem, the while turned, the Jewis begunne to ben ouer heiȝere, and hem of the aduersaries to venge. [verse 2] And ther ben gedered bi alle cites [the citees H.] , burȝ [and burȝ AC.] tounys, and placis, that thei shulde strecchen out hond aȝen enemys and ther pursueris; and no man was hardi to withstonde, for thi that the fer of the gretnesse of hem alle puplis hadde persid. [verse 3] For and of prouyncis the iugis, dukis, and procuratoures, and al dignete, that to alle placis and werkis weren be|forn, ful out enhauncide the Jewis, for [verse 4] drede of Mardoche, whom to be prince of the paleis and of myche power thei

knewen; also the fame of his name wex eche dai, and bi the [Om. A.] mouthis of alle men ofte fleiȝ. [verse 5] And so the Jewis smyten ther enemys with a gret veniaunce, and slowen hem, ȝeldende to hem that thei to them [verse 6] hadden maad redi to do [han don E pr. m.] , in so miche, that also in Susis fiue hundrid men thei slowen, with oute the ten sonys of Aman Agagite, enemy of the Jewis, of whom [verse 7] these ben the namys; Fasondatha, Del|fon, [verse 8] and Esfata, and Forata, and Dalia, [verse 9] and Aridatha, and Efermesta, and Arisai, [verse 10] and Aridai, and Vaisatha. Whom whan thei hadde slain, thei wolden not pursue praies [pris C.] of the substauncis [substaunce AH.] of hem. [verse 11] And anon the noumbre of hem, that weren slain in Susis, is told to the king. [verse 12] The whiche seide to the quen, In the cite of Susis the Jewis slowen fiue hundrid men, and othere ten sones of Aman; hou myche slaȝter wenest thou them to en|haunten [haunten A.] in alle prouyncis? what more askist thou? and what wilt thou, that I [verse 13] comaunde to be don? To whom she an|suerde, If to the king it plese, be ther ȝiue power to the Jewis, that as thei diden to day in Susis, so and do thei to morn, and the ten sones of Aman be thei hangid in iebetis. [verse 14] And the king comaundide, that so it shulde be do; and anon in Susis heeng [hangede AEFH.] a maundement, and the ten sonus of Aman ben hangid. [verse 15] The Jewis gederede togidere, the fourtenthe dai of the monyth of Adar, and ther be slain in Susis thre hundrid men, ne ther substaunce fro them is raueshid awei. [verse 16] But and bi alle the [Om. AH.] prouyncis, that vnder leȝen to the maundement of the king, the Jewis stoden for ther liues, the enemys slain and ther pursueris, in so miche, that fiue and seuenti thousend of slaine men weren fulfild, and no man

of ther substaunce any thing touchide. [verse 17] Forsothe the threttenthe dai of the monyth Adar [of Adar AH.] was of o slaȝter anentis alle, and the fourtenthe dai thei lafte to slen; whom thei ordeyneden to be so|lempne, that in that time eche ȝer ther|after thei shulden voiden to plenteuous metis, and to ioȝe, and to festis. [verse 18] And these, that in the cite of Susys hadden hauntid the [Om. C.] slaȝter, the threttenthe and the fourtenthe dai of the same moneth ben ocupied in the slaȝter. The fiftenthe forsothe dai thei laften to smyte; and therfore the same dai thei ordeyneden solempne of plenteuous metis and of gladnesse. [verse 19] These forsothe Jewis, that in burȝ tounys not wallid and tounes duelten, the fourtenthe daie of the moneth of Adar, of festis, and of ioȝe demeden, so that thei ful [fulli AEFH.] out gladen in it, and senden to hemself togidere partis of plentes and of metis. [verse 20] And so Mar|doche wrot alle these thingus, and com|prehendid in lettris sente [and sente A.] to the Jewis, that in alle the [Om. A.] prouyncis of the king [verse 21] dwelten, bothe in neeȝh set and afer, that the fourtenthe and the fiftenthe dai of the moneth of [Om. AEFH.] Adar thei shulden take for festis, and euermor, the ȝer turnende aȝeen, with solempne wrshipe thei shul|den [verse 22] halewe; for in tho daȝis the Jewis vengide them of ther enemys, and weil|ing and sorewe in to ioȝe and gladnesse ben turned; and these daȝes shulde ben daȝes of plenteuous metis, and of glad|nesse, and thei shulden sende to them|self partis togidere of the [Om. A.] metis, and to pore men thei shulden graunt litle ȝiftis. [verse 23] Forsothe the Jewis token in to a so|lempne custum alle thingus, that thei hadde begunne that time to do, and that

Mardoche in lettris hadde sent to be do. [verse 24] Aman forsothe, the sone of Amadathi, stoc of Agag, enemy and aduersarie of Jewis, thoȝte aȝen hem euel, that he shulde sle them and don awei, and leide fur, that in oure tunge is turned in to lot. [verse 25] And afterward Ester wente in to the king, besechende, that his ententis with the [Om. A.] lettris of the king shulden be maad voide, and the euel, that aȝen Jewis he hadde thoȝt, shulde be turned aȝeen in to his hed. Afterward and [bothe A.] hym and his sonus thei ficcheden to [on A.] the cros. [verse 26] And fro that time these daȝis be clepid Furim, that is, of lotis, forthi that fur, that is, lot, in to a pot was put; and alle thingus that ben don ben contened in the volume [verse 27] of the epistil, that is, of this boc; alle thingus that thei suffreden, and that ther after ben chaungid, Jewis and ther sed token vp on hem, and vp on alle that wolden to ther religioun be couplid, that to no man it be leful these two daȝes with oute solempnete to ouer|passe, whom scripture witnesseth, and othere tymes asken, the ȝeres to them|self continueli comende aftir other. [verse 28] These ben the daȝis, whom neuer any forȝeting shal don awei, and bi sunder ienera|ciouns alle prouyncis, that in alle the world ben, shuln halewen; ne ther is any cite, in the whiche daȝis of Furim, that is, of lotis, be not kept of the [Om. AH.] Jewis, and of ther progenye, that with these cerimoynes is oblisht. [verse 29] And Ester, quen, the doȝtir of Abihael, and Mar|doche, Jeu, writen also the secounde epistil, that with alle besynesse this dai solempneli shulde ben halewid ther af|terward. [verse 30] And thei sente to the [hem AH.] Jewis, that in an hundrid and seuene and twenti

prouyncis of king Assuer dwelten, that thei shulden han pes, and resceyue treuthe, [verse 31] kepende wel the daȝes of lotis, and in ther tyme with ioȝe shulden halewe; as hadden ordeyned Mardoche and Ester, thei to be kept hadden taken, of hemself and of ther sed, fastingis [fastynge A.] , and clamoures, [verse 32] and daȝes of lotis, and alle thingus that ben contened in the storie of this boc, that is clepid Ester.