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/EsthGr/ - Esther (Greek)

<< Judith Wisdom >>The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther

The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther

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11In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemeus and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and Levite, and Ptolemeus his son, brought this epistle of Phurim, which they said was the same, and that Lysimachus the son of Ptolemeus, that was in Jerusalem, had interpreted it.

2In the second year of the reign of Artexerxes the great, in the first day of the month Nisan, Mardocheus the son of Jairus, the son of Semei, the son of Cisai, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream;

3Who was a Jew, and dwelt in the city of Susa, a great man, being a servitor in the king’s court.

4He was also one of the captives, which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon carried from Jerusalem with Jechonias king of Judea; and this was his dream:

5Behold a noise of a tumult, with thunder, and earthquakes, and uproar in the land:

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

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

8And lo a day of darkness and obscurity, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great uproar, upon earth.

9And the whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own evils, and were ready to perish.

10Then they cried unto God, and upon their cry, as it were from a little fountain, was made a great flood, 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 this dream in mind, and until night by all means was desirous to know it.

12And Mardocheus took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king, and keepers of the palace.

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

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

4And the king made a record of these things, and Mardocheus also wrote thereof.

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

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

13The copy of the letters was this: The great king Artexerxes writeth these things to the princes and governours that are under him from India unto Ethiopia in an hundred and seven and twenty provinces.

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 peaceable, and open for passage to the utmost coasts, to renew peace, which is desired of all men.

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

4Declared unto us, that in all nations throughout the world there was scattered a certain malicious people, that had laws contrary to all nations, and continually despised the commandments of kings, so as the uniting of our kingdoms, honourably intended by us cannot go forward.

5Seeing then we understand that this people alone is continually in opposition unto all men, differing in the strange manner of their 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 all they that are signified in writing unto you by Aman, who is ordained over the affairs, and is next unto 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 into the grave, and so ever hereafter cause our affairs to be well settled, and without trouble.

8Then Mardocheus thought upon all the works of the Lord, and made his prayer unto him,

9Saying, O Lord, Lord, the King Almighty: for the whole world is in thy power, and if thou hast appointed to save Israel, there is no man that can gainsay thee:

10For thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things under the heaven.

11Thou art Lord of all things, and and there is no man that can resist thee, which art the Lord.

12Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest, 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 worship any but thee, O God, neither will I do it in pride.

15And now, O Lord God and King, spare thy people: for their eyes are upon us to bring us to nought; yea, they desire to destroy the inheritance, that hath been thine from the beginning.

16Despise not the portion, which thou hast delivered out of Egypt for thine own self.

17Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto thine inheritance: turn our sorrow into joy, that we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: and destroy not the mouths of them that praise thee, O Lord.

18All Israel in like manner cried most earnestly unto the Lord, because their death was before their eyes.

14Queen Esther also, being in fear of death, resorted unto the Lord:

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

3And she prayed unto the Lord God of Israel, saying, O my Lord, thou only art our King: help me, desolate woman, which have no helper but thee:

4For my danger is in mine hand.

5From my youth up I have heard in the tribe of my family that thou, O Lord, tookest Israel from among all people, and our fathers from all their predecessors, for a perpetual inheritance, and thou hast performed whatsoever thou didst promise them.

6And now we have sinned before thee: therefore hast thou given us into the hands of our enemies,

7Because we worshipped their gods: O Lord, thou art righteous.

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

9That they will abolish the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordained, and destroy thine inheritance, and stop the mouth of them that praise thee, and quench the glory of thy house, and of thine altar,

10And open the mouths of the heathen to set forth the praises of the idols, and to magnify a fleshly king for ever.

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

12Remember, O Lord, make thyself known in time of our affliction, and give me boldness, O King of the nations, and Lord of all power.

13Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion: turn his heart to hate him that fighteth against us, that there may be an end of him, and of all that are likeminded to him:

14But deliver us with thine hand, and help me that am desolate, and which have no other help but thee.

15Thou knowest all things, O Lord; thou knowest that I hate the glory of the unrighteous, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised, and of all the heathen.

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

17And that thine handmaid hath not eaten at Aman’s table, and that I have not greatly esteemed the king’s feast, nor drunk the wine of the drink offerings.

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

19O thou mighty God 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.

15And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away her mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel.

2And being gloriously adorned, after she had called upon God, who is the beholder and saviour of all things, she took two maids with her:

3And upon the one she leaned, as carrying herself daintily;

4And the other followed, bearing up her train.

5And she was ruddy through the perfection of her beauty, and her countenance was cheerful and very 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 shone with majesty, he looked very fiercely upon her: and the queen fell down, and was pale, and fainted, and bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before her.

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

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

10Thou shalt not die, though our our commandment be general: come near.

11And so be held up his golden sceptre, and laid it upon her neck,

12And embraced her, and said, Speak unto me.

13Then said she unto him, I saw thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy majesty.

14For wonderful art thou, lord, and thy 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.

16The great king Artexerxes unto the princes and governors of an hundred and seven and twenty provinces from India unto Ethiopia, and unto all our faithful subjects, greeting.

2Many, the more often they are honoured with the great bounty of their gracious princes, the more proud they are waxen,

3And endeavour 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 glorious words of lewd persons, that were never good, they think to escape the justice of God, that seeth all things and hateth evil.

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

6Beguiling with the falsehood and deceit of their lewd disposition the innocency and goodness of princes.

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

8And we must take care for the time to come, that our kingdom may be quiet and peaceable for all men,

9Both by changing our purposes, and always judging things that are evident with more equal proceeding.

10For Aman, a Macedonian, the son of Amadatha, being indeed a stranger from the Persian blood, and far distant from our goodness, and as a stranger received of us,

11Had so far forth obtained the favour that we shew toward every nation, as that he was called our father, and was continually honoured of all the next person unto the king.

12But he, not bearing his great dignity, went about to deprive us of our kingdom and 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 blameless Esther, partaker of our kingdom, 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 wicked wretch hath delivered to utter destruction, are no evildoers, but live by most just laws:

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

17Wherefore ye shall do well not to put in execution the letters sent unto you by Aman the son of Amadatha.

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

19Therefore ye shall publish the copy of this letter in all places, that the Jews may freely live after their own laws.

20And ye shall aid them, that even the same day, being the thirteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, they may be avenged on them, who in the time of their affliction shall set upon them.

21For Almighty God hath turned to joy unto them the day, wherein the chosen people should have perished.

22Ye shall therefore among your solemn feasts keep it an 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 and country whatsoever, which shall not do according to these things, shall be destroyed without mercy with fire and sword, and shall be made not only unpassable for men, but also most hateful to wild beasts and fowls for ever.

The Book of Wisdom or The Wisdom of Solomon

1Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth: think of the Lord with a good (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him.

2For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and sheweth himself unto such as do not distrust him.

3For froward thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise.

4For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin.

5For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in.

6For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.

7For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice.

8Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things cannot be hid: neither shall vengeance, when it punisheth, pass by him.

9For inquisition shall be made into the counsels of the ungodly: and the sound of his words shall come unto the Lord for the manifestation of his wicked deeds.

10For the ear of jealousy heareth all things: and the noise of murmurings is not hid.

11Therefore beware of murmuring, which is unprofitable; and refrain your tongue from backbiting: for there is no word so secret, that shall go for nought: and the mouth that belieth slayeth the soul.

12Seek not death in the error of your life: and pull not upon yourselves destruction with the works of your hands.

13For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.

14For he created all things, that they might have their being: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:

15(For righteousness is immortal:)

16But ungodly men with their works and words called it to them: for when they thought to have it their friend, they consumed to nought, and made a covenant with it, because they are worthy to take part with it.

2For the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright, Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy: neither was there any man known to have returned from the grave.

2For we are born at all adventure: and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been: for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a little spark in the moving of our heart:

3Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft air,

4And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall have our works in remembrance, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, that is driven away with the beams of the sun, and overcome with the heat thereof.

5For our time is a very shadow that passeth away; and after our end there is no returning: for it is fast sealed, so that no man cometh again.

6Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth.

7Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us:

8Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be withered:

9Let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness: let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this.

10Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient gray hairs of the aged.

11Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.

12Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education.

13He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.

14He was made to reprove our thoughts.

15He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men’s, his ways are of another fashion.

16We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father.

17Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him.

18For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.

19Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.

20Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.

21Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.

22As for the mysteries of God, they kn ew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls.

23For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.

24Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.

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