The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

¶The .xiiij. Chapter.

¶The prayer of Hester, for the deliueraunce of her and her people.

1 QVeene Hester also be∣yng [unspec A] in the “ 1.1 battayle of death, resorted vnto the Lorde,

2 Layde away her glorious apparell, and put on the garmentes that serued for sighing and mourning: In the steede of precious oyntment, she scattered ashes and dounge vpon her head: and as for her body, she humbled it with fasting, and brought it very low: All the places where she was wont to haue ioy afore, those filled she with her owne heere that she pluckt of.

3 She prayed also vnto the Lorde God of Israel with these wordes: O my Lorde, thou only art our kyng, helpe me desolate woman, whiche haue no helper but thee.

4 For my miserie and destruction is harde at my hande.

5 Fro my youth vp I haue hearde out of the kinred of my father, that thou to∣kest Israel from among all people, and so haue our fathers of their fore elders, that they shoulde be thy perpetuall in∣heritaunce, and looke what thou didst promise them, thou hast made it good vnto them.

6 Nowe Lorde we haue sinned before thee, therefore hast thou geuen vs into the handes of our enemies,

7 Because we worshipped their gods: Lorde thou art righteous.

8 Neuerthelesse it satisfieth them not [unspec B] that we are in bitter and heauie capti∣uitie and oppressed among them, but thou hast layde their handes vpon the handes of their gods.

9 So that they begin to take away the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordayned and appoynted, to destroy thine inheritaunce, to shut and to stop the mouthes of them that prayse thee, to quench the glory and worship of thy house and thyne aulter:

10 And to open the mouthes of the hea∣then, that they may prayse the power and vertue of the gods, and to magni∣fie the fleshly kyng for euer.

11 O Lorde geue not thy scepter vnto them that be nothing, lest they laugh vs to scorne in our miserie and fall: but turne their deuice vpon them selues, and punishe hym that hath begun the same ouer vs, and set hym to an exam∣ple.

12 Thinke vpon vs O Lord, and shewe thy selfe vnto vs in the tyme of our di∣stresse and of our trouble: strength me O thou kyng of Gods, thou Lorde of all power,

[unspec C] 13 Geue me an eloquent and pleasaunt speache in my mouth before the lion: Turne his heart into the hate of our enemies, to destroy him, and all such as consent vnto him.

14 But deliuer vs with thy hande, and helpe me thy handmayde, which haue no defence nor helper but onlye the Lorde.

15 Thou knowest all thinges, thou wo∣test that I loue not the glory and wor∣ship of the vnrighteous, and that I hate and abhorre the bed of the vncir∣cumcised, and of all heathen.

16 Thou knowest my necessitie, that I [unspec D] hate the token of my preeminence and worship, which I beare vpon my head what tyme as I must shewe my selfe and be seene, and that I abhorre it as an vncleane cloth, and that I weare it not when I am quiet and alone by my selfe.

17 Thou knowest also that I thy hand∣mayden haue not eaten at Amans ta∣ble, and that I haue had no pleasure nor delight in the kinges feast, that I haue not drunke the wine of the drinke offeringes.

18 And that I thy handmayden haue no ioy since the day that I was brought hyther vnto this day, but only in thee O Lorde, O thou God of Abraham,

19 O thou mightie God aboue all, heare the voyce of them that haue no other hope, and deliuer vs out of the hande of the wicked, and deliuer me out of my feare.

Notes

• “ 1.1

  Or, perill.