(In the Greek Esther, verses 1-24 below, follow verse 12 of Chapter 8; in the Hebrew Esther, these 24 verses would also follow verse 12 of Chapter 8.)
1' The sampler of the letter of king Ahasuerus, which he sent for the Jews to all the provinces of his realm; and this same sampler is not had in the book of Hebrew [or in the Hebrew volume].
CHAPTER 16
1 The great king Ahasuerus, from India unto Ethiopia, saith health to the dukes and princes of an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, that obey to our commandment. [Ahasuerus, the great king, from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, to dukes and princes, that to our commanding obeish, saith greeting.]
2 Many men mis-use into pride the goodness and honour of princes, which is given to them;
3 and not only they endeavor to oppress [the] subjects to kings [or to the king], but they bear not duly the glory given to them, and make ready treasons against them, that gave their glory to them.
4 And they be not appeased to do not thankings for benefices [or benefits] or goodnesses, and to defoul in themselves the laws of courtesy; but also they deem, that they may flee the sentence of God seeing all things.
5 And they break out into so much madness, that they endeavor them with ropes, [or with the little cords, or the privy and subtle flatterings] of leasings to destroy them, that keep diligently [or busily] the offices betaken to them, and do so all things, that they be worthy the praising of all men;
6 while by subtle fraud false men deceive the simple ears of kings, and guessing other men by their own kind./and while malicious men guess-ing other men by their own kind blameful by subtle fraud, they deceive the simple ears of kings.
7 Which thing is proved both by eld [or old] stories, and by these things that be done each day; how the studies of kings be made shrewd [or depraved] by evil suggestions of some men.
8 Wherefore it is to purvey for the peace of all provinces.
9 And though we command diverse things, ye owe not to guess, that this cometh of the unstableness of our soul or of our heart; but that we give sentence by our counsel for the manner and need of times, as the profit of the common thing asketh.
10 And that ye understand more openly that thing, that we say; Haman the son of Hammedatha, a man of Macedonia by soul and folk [or will and kindred], and an alien from the blood of Persians, and defouling our piety with his cruelty, was a pilgrim, or a stranger, and was received of us;
11 and he feeled in himself so great courtesy of us, that he was called our father, and he was worshipped [or honoured] of all men as the second person after the king;
12 the which Haman was raised into so great swelling of pride, that he enforced to deprive us of the realm and of our life.
13 For by some new and unheard casts he asked into death Mordecai, by whose faith and benefices [or benefits] we live, and also the fellow of our realm, Esther, with all her folk;
14 and he thought these things, that when they were slain, he should set treason to our aloneness [or onlyhood], that is, to us-self alone, and that he should translate [or over-bear] the realm of Persians into the realm of the Macedonians.
15 Forsooth we found not the Jews in any guilt utterly [or We forsooth utterly find in no blame the Jews], that were ordained to death by him that is the worst of deadly men; but again-ward that they/the Jews, use just laws,
16 and be the sons of the highest and most God, and ever living/and be the sons of the highest and [the] most, and of everlasting [or evermore living] God, by whose benefice [or benefit], or goodness, the realm was given both to our fathers and to us, and is kept unto this day.
17 Wherefore know ye, that those letters be void, which that Haman sent under our name.
18 For which great trespass both he that imagined it, and all his kindred, hangeth in gibbets before the gates of he city of Susa; for not we, but God yielded to him that, that he deserved.
19 Forsooth this commandment, which we send now, be set forth [or purposed] in all cities./Therefore this behest, that we send forth now, be it set up in all cities, that it be leaveful to the Jews to use their laws.
20 Which Jews ye owe to help, that they may slay them, that made themselves ready to the death of Jews, in the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is called Adar, or March; [To whom ye shall be to help, that those men, the which themselves to their death had made ready, they may slay, the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, that is called Adar;]
21 for Almighty God hath turned this day of wailing and of mourning into joy to them. [this forsooth day of sorrow and of wailing the Almighty God turned to them into joy.]
22 Wherefore and ye have this day among other feast days, and hallow it with all gladness;
23 that it be known afterward [or hereafter], that all men, that obey faithfully to the kings of Persia, receive worthy meed for their faith; and that they, that set treason to the realm of them, perish for the felony.
24 And each province and city, that will not be partner of this solemnity, perish by sword and by fire; and be it so undone or destroyed [or done away], that not only it be without way to men, but also to beasts without end [or into evermore], for ensample [or example] of despising and unobedience.