Esther

Matthew^{(i) 1} In the tyme of Ahasuerus which raygned from Iudia vnto Ethiophia ouer an hundred & seuen and twentye landes, ² what tyme as he sate on hys seate royal in the castel of Susan ³ in the thyrde yeare of hys raygne, he made a feaste vnto all his princes and seruauntes, namely vnto the myghty men of Persia and Media, to the captaynes and rulers of hys countrey ⁴ that he might shewe the noble riches of hys kyngdome, and the gloryous worshippe of his greatnesse, many dayes longe, euen an hundreth and foure skore dayes. ⁵ And when these dayes were expired, the kinge made a feaste vnto all the people that were in the castel of Susan, bothe vnto great and small, seuen dayes longe in the courte of the garden by the kynges palace, ⁶ were there hanged whyte, reed and yalowe clothes, fastened wyth coardes of lynnen and scarlet in syluer rynges, vpon pylers of Marble stone. The benches were of goulde and syluer made vpon a pauement of grene, whyte, yalow, and black Marble. ⁷ And the drynke was caried in vessels of goulde, & there was euer chaunge of vessell. And the kinges wine was muche accordinge to the power of the kynge. ⁸ And no man was appoynted what he should drynke: for the kinge hath commaunded all the officers of his house, that euery one should do as it liked him. ⁹ And the quene Vasthi made a feaste also for the wemen in the palace of Ahasuerus. ¹⁰ And on the seuenth daye when the kynge was mery of the wine, he commaunded Mehuman, Bartha, Harbona, Bagatha, Abagatha, Zathar & Carcas, the seuen chamberlaynes (that dyd seruice in the presence of king Ahasuerus) ¹¹ to fetche the quene Vasthi, wt the crowne regal, that he myght shewe the people and princes her fairnesse: for she was bewtiful. ¹² But the quene Vasthi woulde not come at the kynges worde by his chamberlaynes. Then was the kinge very wroth, and his indignacion kindled in him. ¹³ And the king spake to the wyse men that hath vnderstanding in the ordynaunces of the land for the kinges matters must be handled before all suche as haue knowledge of the lawe and iudgement: ¹⁴ and the nexte vnto hym were Carsena, Sethar, Admatha, Charsis, Mares, Marsana and Mamucan, the seuen princes of the Persians, and Medes, which sawe the kinges face, and sat aboue in the kingedom. ¹⁵ What law should be execute vpon the quene Vasthi, because she dyd not accordynge to the worde of the kynge by his chamberlaynes. ¹⁶ Then sayde Mamucan before the kynge and the princes: the quene Vasthi hath not onely done euyl agaynst the kinge but also agaynst al the prynces and all the people in al the landes of king Ahasuerus, ¹⁷ for this deed of the quene shal come abroad vnto all the wemen, so that they shall despise their husbandes before their eyes, and shall saye: the kyng Ahasuerus commaunded Vasthi the quene to come before him, but she woulde not. ¹⁸ And so shall the princesses in Persia and Media saye lykewise vnto all the kynges prynces, when they heare of this deede of the quene, thus shal there aryse despitefulnes and wrath ynough. ¹⁹ Yf it please the kynge, let there go a commaundement from him, and let it be wrytten accordynge to the lawe of the Persians and Medians (and not to be transgressed) that Vasthi come no more before the kynge Ahasuerus, and let the king geue the kyngedome vnto another that is better then she. ²⁰ And that this writtinge of the king which shalbe made, be publyshed thorowe oute all his empyre (whiche is greate) that all wyues maye holde their husbandes in honoure, both amonge greate and small. ²¹ This pleased the kinge and the princes, and the kynge dyd accordynge to the worde of Mamucan. ²² Then were there letters sent forthe in all the kynges landes, into euery lande, accordynge to the wryttinge therof, & to euery people after their language, that euery man should be Lord in hys own house. And this caused he be spoken after the language of hys people.