Greek Additions to Esther

4Then Mardocheus said, These things are of God.

5For I remember the dream which I saw concerning these matters, and nothing thereof has failed.

6As for the little fountain that became a river, and there was light, and the sun, and much water, the river is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen:

7and the two dragons are I and Aman:

8and the nations are those that were assembled to destroy the name of the Jews:

9and my nation, this is Israel, which cried to God, and were saved: for the Lord has saved his people, and the Lord has delivered us from all these evils, and God has wrought signs and great wonders, which have not been done among the nations.

10Therefore has he made two lots, one for the people of God, and another for all the nations.

11And these two lots came at the hour, and time, and day of judgement, before God among all the nations.

12So God remembered his people, and justified his inheritance.

13Therefore these days shall be to them in the month Adar, the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month, with an assembly, and joy, and with gladness before God, throughout the generations for ever among his people Israel.

1In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and Levite, and Ptolemy his son, brought the epistle of Phrurai here set forth, which they said was the same, and that Lysimachus the son of Ptolemy, that was in Jerusalem, had interpreted it.

2In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, in the first day of the month Nisan, Mardocheus the son of Jairus, the son of Semeias, the son of Kiseus, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream;

3who was a Jew, and lived in the city of Susa, a great man, being a servitor in the king’s court;

4and he was of the captivity, which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon carried from Jerusalem with Jechonias king of Judaea; and this was his dream:

5Behold, noise and tumult, thunderings and earthquake, and uproar upon the earth:

6and, behold, two great dragons came forth, both of them ready to fight, and their cry was great.

7And at their cry all nations were ready to battle, that they might fight against the righteous nation.

8And, behold, a day of darkness and gloominess, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great uproar upon the earth.

9And the whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing the evils that should befall them, and were ready to perish.

10Then they cried to God, and upon their cry, as it were from a little fountain, there came a great river, even much water.

11The light and the sun rose up, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the glorious.

12Now when Mardocheus, who had seen this dream, and what God had determined to do, was awake, he bare it in mind, and until night by all means was desirous to know it.

1And Mardocheus took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king, that were keepers of the court.

2And he heard their communings, and searched out their purposes, and learned that they were about to lay hands upon Artaxerxes the king; and he certified the king of them.

3Then the king examined the two eunuchs, and after that they had confessed it, they were led to execution.

4And the king wrote these things for a memorial; Mardocheus also wrote concerning these things.

5So the king commanded Mardocheus to serve in the court, and for this he gave him gifts.

6Howbeit Aman the son of Amadathus, a Bugean, who was in great honor with the king, sought to molest Mardocheus and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.

1Now this is the copy of the letter: The great king Artaxerxes writes these things to the princes of a hundred and seven and twenty provinces from India to Ethiopia, and to the governors that are set under them.

2After that I became lord over many nations, and had dominion over the whole world, not lifted up with presumption of my authority, but carrying myself always with equity and mildness, I purposed to settle my subjects continually in a quiet life, and making my kingdom peaceful, and open for passage to the utmost coasts, to renew peace, which is desired of all men.

3Now when I asked my counselors how this might be brought to pass, Aman, that excelled in wisdom among us, and was approved for his constant good will and stedfast fidelity, and had the honor of the second place in the kingdom,

4declared to us, that in all nations throughout the world there was scattered a certain malignant people, that had laws contrary to all nations, and continually set aside the commandments of kings, so as the uniting of our kingdoms, honorably intended by us, can’t go forward.

5Seeing then we understand that this nation is alone continually in opposition to all men, following perversely a life which is strange to our laws, and evil affected to our state, working all the mischief they can, that our kingdom may not be firmly established:

6therefore have we commanded, that they that are signified in writing to you by Aman, who is ordained over the affairs, and is a second father to us, shall all, with their wives and children, be utterly destroyed by the sword of their enemies, without all mercy and pity, the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar of this present year:

7that they, who of old and now also are malicious, may in one day with violence go down to the grave, and so ever hereafter cause our affairs to be well settled, and without trouble.

8Then Mardocheus made his prayer to the Lord, calling to remembrance all the works of the Lord,

9and said, O Lord, Lord, you King Almighty: for the whole world is in your power, and if it be your will to save Israel, there is no man that can gainsay you:

10for you have made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things that are beneath the heaven;

11and you are Lord of all, and there is no man that can resist you, which are the Lord.

12You know all things, and you know, Lord, that it was neither in contempt nor pride, nor for any desire of glory, that I did not bow down to proud Aman.

13For I could have been content with good will for the salvation of Israel to kiss the soles of his feet.

14But I did this, that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God: neither will I bow down to any but to you, which are my Lord, neither will I do it in pride.

15And now, O Lord, you God and King, the God of Abraham, spare your people: for their eyes are upon us to bring us to nothing, and they desire to destroy the heritage, that has been your from the beginning.

16Despise not your portion, which you did redeem out of the land of Egypt for your own self.

17Hear my prayer, and be merciful to your inheritance: and turn our mourning into feasting, that we may live, O Lord, and sing praises to your name: and destroy not the mouth of them that praise you, O Lord.

18And all Israel cried out mightily, because their death was before their eyes.

1Queen Esther also, being seized as it were with the agony of death, resorted to the Lord:

2and laid away her glorious apparel, and put on the garments of anguish and mourning: and instead of the most excellent ointments, she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she humbled her body greatly, and all the places of the ornaments of her joy she covered with her tangled hair.

3And she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, O my Lord, you only are our King: help me that am desolate and have no other helper but you:

4for my danger is in mine hand.

5From my youth up I have heard in the tribe of my family, that you, O Lord, took Israel from among all the nations, and our fathers from all their progenitors, for a perpetual inheritance, and did perform for them whatever you did promise.

6And now we have sinned before you, and you have given us into the hands of our enemies,

7because we glorified their gods: O Lord, you are righteous.

8Nevertheless it satisfies them not, that we are in bitter captivity: but they have stricken hands with their idols,

9that they will abolish the thing that you with your mouth have ordained, and destroy your inheritance, and stop the mouth of them that praise you, and quench the glory of your house, and your altar,

10and open the mouths of the heathen to set forth the virtues of idols, and that a fleshly king shall be magnified for ever.

11O Lord, give not your sceptre to them that be nothing, and let them not laugh at our fall; but turn their device upon themselves, and make him an example, that has begun this against us.

12Remember, O Lord, make yourself known in the time of our affliction, and give me boldness, O King of the gods, and holder of all dominion.

13Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion: and turn his heart to hate him that fights against us, that there may be an end of him, and of them that are like-minded with him:

14but deliver us with your hand, and help me that am desolate and have no other helper but you, O Lord.

15You have knowledge of all things; and you know that I hate the glory of the wicked, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised, and of every alien.

16You know my necessity: that I abhor the sign of my high estate, which is upon mine head in the days wherein I show myself. I abhor it as a menstruous rag, and I wear it not when I am private by myself.

17And your handmaid has not eaten at Aman’s table, neither have I honored the king’s feast, nor drunk the wine of the drink offerings.

18Neither had your handmaid any joy since the day that I was brought hither to this present, but in you, O Lord, you God of Abraham.

19O God, that are mighty above all, hear the voice of the forlorn, and deliver us out of the hands of the mischievous, and deliver me out of my fear.

1And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayer, she laid away her garments of service, and put on her glorious apparel.

2And being majestically adorned, after she had called upon the all-seeing God and savior, she took her two maids with her:

3and upon the one she leaned, as carrying herself delicately;

4and the other followed, bearing up her train.

5And she was ruddy through the perfection of her beauty, and her countenance was cheerful and right amiable: but her heart was in anguish for fear.

6Then having passed through all the doors, she stood before the king, who sat upon his royal throne, and was clothed with all his robes of majesty, all glittering with gold and precious stones; and he was very dreadful.

7Then lifting up his countenance that was flushed with glory, he looked upon her in fierce anger: and the queen fell down, and turned pale, and fainted, and she bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before.

8Then God changed the spirit of the king into mildness, who in an agony leaped from his throne, and took her in his arms, till she came to herself again, and comforted her with soothing words, and said to her,

9Esther, what is the matter? I am your brother, be of good cheer:

10you shall not die, for our commandment is for our subjects: come near.

11So he held up his golden sceptre, and laid it upon her neck,

12and embraced her, and said, Speak to me.

13Then said she to him, I saw you, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of your glory.

14For wonderful are you, my lord, and your countenance is full of grace.

15And as she was speaking, she fell down for faintness.

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

1The great king Artaxerxes to the governors of countries in a hundred and seven and twenty provinces from India to Ethiopia, and to them that are well affected to our state, greeting.

2Many, the more often they are honored with the great bounty of their benefactors, the more proud they are waxen,

3and endeavor to hurt not our subjects only, but not being able to bear abundance, do take in hand to practise also against those that do them good:

4and take not only thankfulness away from among men, but also lifted up with the boastful words of them that were never good, they think to escape the evil-hating justice of God, who always sees all things.

5Oftentimes also fair speech of those that are put in trust to manage their friends’ affairs, has caused many that are in authority to be partakers of innocent blood, and has enwrapped them in remediless calamities:

6beguiling with the false deceit of their lewd disposition the innocent good will of princes.

7Now you⌃ may see this, as we have declared, not so much by more ancient histories, as you⌃ may, if you⌃ search what has been wickedly done of late through the pestilent behavior of them that are unworthily placed in authority.

8And we must take care for the time to come, to render our kingdom quiet and peaceful for all men,

9both by changing our purposes, and always judging things that come before our eyes with more equal proceeding.

10For Aman, a Macedonian, the son of Amadathus, an alien in truth from the Persian blood, and far distant from our goodness, being as a guest received of us,

11had so far forth obtained the favor that we show toward every nation, as that he was called our father, and was continually honored of all men, as the next person to the royal throne.

12But he, not bearing his high estate, went about to deprive us of our kingdom and our life;

13having by manifold and cunning deceits sought of us the destruction, as well of Mardocheus, who saved our life, and continually procured our good, as also of Esther the blameless partaker of our kingdom, together with their whole nation.

14For by these means he thought, finding us destitute of friends, to have translated the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.

15But we find that the Jews, whom this most ungracious wretch has delivered to utter destruction, are no evil-doers, but live by most just laws:

16and that they be children of the most high and most mighty living God, who has ordered the kingdom both to us and to our progenitors in the most excellent manner.

17Wherefore you⌃ shall do well not to put in execution the letters sent to you by Aman the son of Amadathus.

18For he, that was the worker of these things, is hanged at the gates of Susa with all his family: God, who rules all things, speedily rendering vengeance to him according to his deserts.

19Therefore you⌃ shall publish openly the copy of this letter in all places, and let the Jews live after their own laws,

20and you⌃ shall aid them, that even the same day, being the thirteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, they may defend themselves against those who set upon them in the time of their affliction.

21For Almighty God has made this day to be a joy to them, instead of the destruction of the chosen people.

22And you⌃ shall therefore among your commemorative feasts keep it a high day with all feasting:

23that both now and hereafter there may be safety to us, and the well affected Persians; but to those which do conspire against us a memorial of destruction.

24Therefore every city or country whatever, which shall not do according to these things, shall be utterly destroyed without mercy with fire and sword; it shall be made not only unpassable for men, but also most hateful to wild beasts and fowls for ever.