Esther 4

ThomsonBut when he came to the king’s gate, he stopped; for it was not lawful for him to enter the court in sackcloth and ashes.

BrentonAnd he came to the king's gate, and stood; for it was not lawful for him to enter into the palace, wearing sackcloth and ashes.

ThomsonAnd in every country where the writings were published there was a cry with lamentation and great grief among the Jews, and they put on sackcloth and ashes.

BrentonAnd in every province where the letters were published, there was crying and lamentation and great mourning on the part of the Jews: they spread for themselves sackcloth and ashes.

ThomsonThen Esther called Achrathaius, her chamberlain who attended her, and sent him to learn from Mordecai an exact state of the matter.

BrentonSo Esther called for her chamberlain Achrathæus, who waited upon her; and she sent to learn the truth from Mardochæus.

ThomsonWhereupon Mordecai told him what was done and the promise which Haman had made to the king of ten thousand talents to the royal treasury, that he might destroy the Jews;

BrentonAnd Mardochæus shewed him what was done, and the promise which Aman had made the king of ten thousand talents to be paid into the treasury, that he might destroy the Jews.

Thomsonand he gave him a copy of the decree for their destruction, which was published among the Susians to shew it to Esther, and told him that he charged her to go in and supplicate the king and to entreat him for the people, calling to mind the days of thy humiliation when thou wast brought up by my bounty. Seeing Haman who is second to the king, hath spoken against us to destroy us, call thou upon the Lord and speak to the king for us, to deliver us from death.

BrentonAnd he gave him the copy of the writing that was published in Susa concerning their destruction, to shew to Esther; and told him to charge her to go in and intreat the king, and to beg him for the people, remembering, said he, the days of thy low estate, how thou wert nursed by my hand: because Aman who holds the next place to the king has spoken against us for death. Do thou call upon the Lord, and speak to the king concerning us, to deliver us from death.

ThomsonThereupon Esther said to him, Go to Mordecai and tell him,

BrentonAnd Esther said to Achrathæus, Go to Mardochæus, and say,

Thomsonthat all the nations of the kingdom know, that no man or woman who shall go to the king into the inner court without being sent for, hath any security for life: he only can be saved to whom the king shall stretch forth the golden sceptre. Now I have not been called to go to the king these thirty days.

BrentonAll the nations of the empire know, that whoever, man or woman, shall go in to the king into the inner court uncalled, that person cannot live: only to whomsoever the king shall stretch out his golden sceptre, he shall live: and I have not been called to go in to the king, for these thirty days.

ThomsonWhen Achrathaius delivered this message of Esther to Mordecai,

BrentonAnd Achrathæus reported to Mardochæus all the words of Esther.

ThomsonBe assured, that if thou neglectest the present opportunity, help and protection will come to the Jews from some other quarter; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed. Who knoweth but that for this very occasion thou hast been made queen.

BrentonFor if thou shalt refuse to hearken on this occasion, help and protection will be to the Jews from another quarter; but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knows, if thou hast been made queen for this very occasion?

ThomsonThen Esther sent back the messenger to Mordecai, saying,

BrentonAnd Esther sent the man that came to her to Mardochæus, saying,

ThomsonGo, and assemble the Jews who are at Susa and fast for me. You must neither eat nor drink for three days, night nor day; and as for me, I and my maids will fast likewise, and then I will go to the king contrary to law, though perhaps I must die.

BrentonGo and assemble the Jews that are in Susa, and fast ye for me, and eat not and drink not for three days, night and day: and I also and my maidens will fast; and then I will go in to the king contrary to the law, even if I must die.

ThomsonSo Mordecai went and did as Esther commanded him.

BrentonSo Mardochæus went and did all that Esther commanded him.

ThomsonThou knowest all things, and [hence] Thou knowest, Lord, that it was neither out of contempt nor pride, nor out of vainglory, that I did not humble myself before the haughty Haman; for I had been content to kiss the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel. But I did this, that I might not hold the glory of man to be above the glory of God. Neither will I worship any save Thee, my Lord; nor will I do thus in pride.

BrentonLord God, king ruling over all, for all things are in thy power, and there is no one that shall oppose thee in thy purpose to save Israel.—

ThomsonAnd now, O Lord God King, O God of Abraham, spare Thy people: for they eye us to destroy us; yea, they have desired to destroy the inheritance that was Thine from the beginning. Ignore not Thy portion, which Thou hast delivered out of the land of Egypt for Thyself. Hearken to my prayer, and compassionate Thine inheritance. Turn our sadness into joy, that we may live, O Lord, and sing praises to Thy name. Destroy not the mouth of them that praise Thee, O Lord.

BrentonFor thou hast made the heaven and the earth, and every wonderful thing in the world under heaven. And thou art Lord of all, and there is no one who shall resist thee the Lord.

ThomsonAll Israel cried out most earnestly [in similar consternation]; for their death stood before their eyes.

BrentonThou knowest all things: thou knowest, Lord, that it is not in insolence, nor haughtiness, nor love of glory, that I have done this, to refuse obeisance to the haughty Aman. For I would gladly have kissed the soles of his feet for the safety of Israel.

ThomsonQueen Esther also, being in dire fear of death, sought refuge in the Lord; and having removed her rich apparel, she put on garments of anguish and mourning. And instead of precious perfumes, she covered her head with ashes and dung. And she humbled her body greatly; and in every place of her [former appearance in] finery, she strewed with locks of her hair. And she turned to the Lord God of Israel, saying:

BrentonBut I have done this, that I might not set the glory of man above the glory of God: and I will not worship any one except thee, my Lord, and I will not do these things in haughtiness.

ThomsonO my Lord, only Thou art our King! Rescue me who am alone, and have no helper save Thee; for my danger is at hand. From my birth have I heard in the tribe of my family that Thou, O Lord, chosest Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from all their kind, for a perpetual inheritance, and hast brought to pass whatsoever Thou hast promised them. And now we have sinned before Thee. Hence Thou hast brought us into the hands of our enemies, because we worshipped their gods. Thou art just, O Lord! Howbeit, our bitter captivity hath not contented them; but they have pledged their hands to their idols to abolish the command of Thy mouth, and to annihilate Thine inheritance and stop the mouth of them that praise Thee, and extinguish the glory of Thy house and Thine altar, and to open the mouth of the Gentiles to proclaim the virtues of vanities, that a mortal king should be honored for ever. O Lord, pass not Thy sceptre on to them that are nothing, and let them not laugh at our fall. Rather turn their plot upon themselves, and make an example of him who hath instigated against us. Remember, O Lord! make Thyself known in the time of our tribulation, and give me courage, O King of gods, and Ruler of all power.

BrentonAnd now, O Lord God, the King, the God of Abraam, spare thy people, for our enemies are looking upon us to our destruction, and they have desired to destroy thine ancient inheritance.

ThomsonGrant me fluent speech in my mouth before the lion [the king of Persia, Artaxerxes], and turn his heart to hate him who fighteth against us, to the utter destruction of him and his followers. But deliver us by Thy hand, and help me, that am alone and have no other save Thee, O Lord. Thou knowest all things, and knowest that I hate the opinions of transgressors and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and of every alien. Thou knowest my necessity; for I abhor the symbol of my high station, which is upon my head on days of public appearance, and I abhor it as a menstruous cloth, and wear it not on days when I am by myself.

BrentonDo not overlook thy peculiar people, whom thou hast redeemed for thyself out of the land of Egypt.

ThomsonThy handmaid hath not eaten at the table of Haman, and I have not esteemed the king’s banquet, nor drunk the wine of the libations. Neither had Thy handmaid any joy since the day of my preferment until now, save in Thee, Lord God of Abraham. O God Almighty, hear the voice of the despairing, and deliver us out of the hand of them that seek wickedness, and bring me out of my fear.

BrentonHearken to my prayer, and be propitious to thine inheritance, and turn our mourning into gladness, that we may live and sing praise to thy name, O Lord; and do not utterly destroy the mouth of them that praise thee, O Lord.

BrentonAnd queen Esther betook herself for refuge to the Lord, being taken as it were in the agony of death. And having taken off her glorious apparel, she put on garments of distress and mourning; and instead of grand perfumes she filled her head with ashes and dung, and she greatly brought down her body, and she filled every place of her glad adorning with the torn curls of her hair. And she besought the Lord God of Israel, and said,

BrentonI have heard from my birth, in the tribe of my kindred, that thou, Lord, tookest Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers out of all their kindred for a perpetual inheritance, and hast wrought for them all that thou hast said.

BrentonAnd now we have sinned before thee, and thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies, because we honoured their gods: thou art righteous, O Lord.

BrentonBut now they have not been contented with the bitterness of our slavery, but have laid their hands on the hands of their idols, in order to abolish the decree of thy mouth, and utterly to destroy thine inheritance, and to stop the mouth of them that praise thee, and to extinguish the glory of thine house and thine altar,

Brentonand to open the mouth of the Gentiles to speak the praises of vanities, and in order that a mortal king should be admired for ever.

BrentonRemember us, O Lord, manifest thyself in the time of our affliction, and encourage me, O king of gods, and ruler of all dominion.

BrentonPut harmonious speech into my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate him that fights against us, to the utter destruction of him and of them that consent with him.

BrentonBut deliver us by thine hand, and help me who am destitute, and have none but thee, O Lord.

BrentonThou knowest all things, and knowest that I hate the glory of transgressors, and that I abhor the couch of the uncircumcised, and of every stranger.

BrentonThou knowest my necessity, for I abhor the symbol of my proud station, which is upon my head in the days of my splendour: I abhor it as a menstruous cloth, and I wear it not in the days of my tranquillity.

BrentonAnd thy handmaid has not eaten at the table of Aman, and I have not honoured the banquet of the king, neither have I drunk wine of libations.

BrentonNeither has thy handmaid rejoiced since the day of my promotion until now, except in thee, O Lord God of Abraam.

BrentonO God, who hast power over all, hearken to the voice of the desperate, and deliver us from the hand of them that devise mischief; and deliver me from my fear.