Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 27

AddEsth 11:7 And at their cry all nations were prepared to battle, that they might fight against the righteous people.

AddEsth 11:8 And lo a day of darkness and obscurity, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great uproar, upon earth.

AddEsth 11:9 And the whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own evils, and were ready to perish.

AddEsth 11:10 Then they cried unto G.o.d, and upon their cry, as it were from a little fountain, was made a great flood, even much water.

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

AddEsth 11:12 Now when Mardocheus, who had seen this dream, and what G.o.d had determined to do, was awake, he bare this dream in mind, and until night by all means was desirous to know it.

AddEsth 12:1 And Mardocheus took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king, and keepers of the palace.

AddEsth 12:2 And 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.

AddEsth 12:3 Then the king examined the two eunuchs, and after that they had confessed it, they were strangled.

AddEsth 12:4 And the king made a record of these things, and Mardocheus also wrote thereof.

AddEsth 12:5 So the king commanded, Mardocheus to serve in the court, and for this he rewarded him.

AddEsth 12:6 Howbeit 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.

AddEsth 13:1 The 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.

AddEsth 13:2 After 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 pa.s.sage to the utmost coasts, to renew peace, which is desired of all men.

AddEsth 13:3 Now when I asked my counsellors how this might be brought to pa.s.s, 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,

AddEsth 13:4 Declared unto us, that in all nations throughout the world there was scattered a certain malicious people, that had laws contrary to ail nations, and continually despised the commandments of kings, so as the uniting of our kingdoms, honourably intended by us cannot go forward.

AddEsth 13:5 Seeing 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:

AddEsth 13:6 Therefore 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:

AddEsth 13:7 That 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.

AddEsth 13:8 Then Mardocheus thought upon all the works of the Lord, and made his prayer unto him,

AddEsth 13:9 Saying, 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:

AddEsth 13:10 For thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things under the heaven.

AddEsth 13:11 Thou art Lord of all things, and and there is no man that can resist thee, which art the Lord.

AddEsth 13:12 Thou 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.

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

AddEsth 13:14 But I did this, that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of G.o.d: neither will I wors.h.i.+p any but thee, O G.o.d, neither will I do it in pride.

AddEsth 13:15 And now, O Lord G.o.d 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.

AddEsth 13:16 Despise not the portion, which thou hast delivered out of Egypt for thine own self.

AddEsth 13:17 Hear 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.

AddEsth 13:18 All Israel in like manner cried most earnestly unto the Lord, because their death was before their eyes.

AddEsth 14:1 Queen Esther also, being in fear of death, resorted unto the Lord:

AddEsth 14:2 And 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.

AddEsth 14:3 And she prayed unto the Lord G.o.d of Israel, saying, O my Lord, thou only art our King: help me, desolate woman, which have no helper but thee:

AddEsth 14:4 For my danger is in mine hand.

AddEsth 14:5 From 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.

AddEsth 14:6 And now we have sinned before thee: therefore hast thou given us into the hands of our enemies,

AddEsth 14:7 Because we wors.h.i.+pped their G.o.ds: O Lord, thou art righteous.

AddEsth 14:8 Nevertheless it satisfieth them not, that we are in bitter captivity: but they have stricken hands with their idols,

AddEsth 14:9 That 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,

AddEsth 14:10 And open the mouths of the heathen to set forth the praises of the idols, and to magnify a fleshly king for ever.

AddEsth 14:11 O 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.

AddEsth 14:12 Remember, O Lord, make thyself known in time of our affliction, and give me boldness, O King of the nations, and Lord of all power.

AddEsth 14:13 Give 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:

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

AddEsth 14:15 Thou knowest all things, O Lord; thou knowest that I hate the glory of the unrighteous, and abhor the bed of the uncirc.u.mcised, and of all the heathen.

AddEsth 14:16 Thou 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.

AddEsth 14:17 And 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.

AddEsth 14:18 Neither had thine handmaid any joy since the day that I was brought hither to this present, but in thee, O Lord G.o.d of Abraham.

AddEsth 14:19 O thou mighty G.o.d 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.

AddEsth 15:1 And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away her mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel.