Additions to Esther — The Coverdale Bible (1535)
The Additions to Esther are the passages of the Greek Esther not found in the Hebrew, including the dream of Mordecai, royal letters and the prayers of Mordecai and Esther. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the Apocrypha, which Coverdale gathered into a section of their own under the heading “The chapters in the boke of Hester, which are not founde in the text of the Hebrue, but in the Greke and Latyn”. The 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 6 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.
The chapters in the boke of Hester, which are not founde in the text of the Hebrue, but in the Greke and Latyn.
Chapter 11
The XI. Chapter after the Latyn. In this chapter is descrybed the dreame of Mardocheus.
[A] MArdocheus the sonne of Iair, the sonne of Semei,⁽¹⁾ yᵉ sonne of Cisei of yᵉ trybe of Ben Iamin a Iew: which had his dwelllynge in Susis, a man of greate reputaciō, & excellent amonge all them that were in the kynges courte (Neuerthelesse he was one of the presoners,⁽²⁾ whom Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babilō had caried awaye from Ierusalem vnto Babilon wᵗ Iechonias the kynge of Iuda.) In the seconde yeare of the raigne of greate Artaxerses in the first daye of yᵉ moneth Nisan, had this Mardocheus soch a dreame: He thought he herde a greate tēpest, horrible thonder clappes, erthquakes, & greate vproʳ in yᵉ londe: & yᵗ he sawe two greate dragōs, ready to fight one agaīst another. Their crye was greate. At the which roaringe and crye all Heithen were vp, to fight agaynst yᵉ righteous people. And yᵉ same daye was full [B] of darcknes & very vncleare, full of trouble & anguysh, yee a greate fearfulnes was there in all the londe. The righteous were amased, for they feared yᵉ plage & euell yᵗ was deuysed ouer thē, & were at a poynte wᵗ them selues to dye. So they cried vnto God. and while they were cryenge, the litle well grew in to a greate ryuer & in to many waters. And with yᵗ it was daye, & the sonne rose vp agayne. And yᵉ lowly were exalted, and deuoured the glorious and proude.
Now whan Mardocheus had sene this dreame, he awoke, and mused stedfastly in his hert, what God wolde do: and so he desyred to knowe all the matter, and his mynde was there vpon vntyll the night.
Notes to Chapter 11
⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽²⁾ 4. Reg. 24 d Iere. 24. a
Chapter 12
The XII. Chapter. In this chapter is declared, how Mardocheus vttereth the treason of the two seruauntes agaynst the kynge, and therfore doth the kynge rewarde him.
AT the same tyme dwelt Mardocheus [A] with Bagatha and Thares the kynges chamberlaynes and porters of the palace. But whan he herde their deuyce, and had diligently considered their ymaginacions, he perceaued that they wente aboute,⁽¹⁾ to laye their cruell handes vpon the kynge Artaxerses: and so he certified the kinge therof. Then caused the kynge to examen yᵉ two gelded with tormentes. And whan they had graunted it, they were put to death.
This the kynge caused to be put in yᵉ Cronicles for an euerlastinge remembraūce, and [B] Mardocheus wrote vp the same matter. So the kynge commaunded, that Mardocheus shulde do seruyce in the courte, and for this faithfulnesse of his, he gaue him a rewarde. But Aman the sonne of Amadathu the Agagite, which was holden in greate honoure and reputacion in the kynges courte, vndertoke to hurte Mardocheus & his people, because of the two chamberlaynes that were put to death.
Notes to Chapter 12
⁽¹⁾ Hest. 2. d and 6. a
Chapter 13
The XIII. Chapter. The copie of the commaundement, which kīge Artaxerses (by the entisinge of Amā) sent out in to all countres, for the destruccion of the Iewes. The prayer of Mardocheus.
[A] THe greate kynge Artaxerses which raigneth from India vnto Ethiopia,⁽¹⁾ ouer an hundreth and seuen and twētye londes, sendeth his frendly salutacion vnto all the prynces and debytes of the countrees, which be subiecte vnto his dominion. Whan I was made lorde ouer many people, and had subdued the whole earth vnto my dominion, my mynde was not with crueltye and wronge to exalte myself by the reason of my power: but purposed wᵗ equyte allwaye and gentylnes, to gouerne those that be vnder my iuriszdiccion, and wholy to set them in a peaceable life, and therby to brynge my kingdome vnto tranquylite, that men might safely go thorow on euery syde, and to renue [B] peace agayne, which all men desyre. Now whan I axed my councelers, how these thines might be brought to a good ende, there was one by vs, excellēt in wyszdome, whose good wyll, trueth & faithfulnes hath oft bene shewed & proued (which was also yᵉ pryncipall & next vnto yᵉ kīge) Amā by name, which certified vs, how yᵗ in all lōdes there was crepte in a rebellious folke, yᵗ made statutes & lawes agaynst all other people, & haue allwaye despysed the proclamed commaundementes of kynges: and how that for this cause it were not to be suffred, that soch rule shulde contynue by you & not to be put downe. Seinge now we perceaue the same, that this people alone are contrary vnto euery man, vsynge [C] straunge and other maner of lawes, & withstonde oure statutes and doinges, and go aboute to stablish shrewd matters, that oure kyngdome shulde neuer come to good estate and stedfastnes: Therfore haue we commaūded, that all they that are appoynted in wrytinge and shewed vnto you by Aman (which is ordened and set ouer all oure busynes, and the most pryncipall next vnto the kynge, and in maner as a father shal with their wiues & children be destroyed and roted out with the swerde of their enemies and aduersaries: & yᵗ there shalbe no mercy shewed, & no man spared. And this shalbe done yᵉ xiiij. daye of the moneth called Adar) of this yeare, that they which of olde (and now also) haue euer bene rebellious, maye in one daye with violence be thrust downe in to the hell, to the intēt that after this maner, oure empyre maye haue peace and tranquylite.
But Mardocheus thought vpon all the [D] workes and noble actes of yᵉ LORDE, & made his prayer vnto him, sayenge: O LORDE LORDE, thou valeaunt and allmightie kynge (for all thinges are in thy power, and yf thou wilt helpe and delyuer Israel, there is no mā that can withstōde ner lett the: for thou hast made heauen & earth, and what wonderous thinge so euer is vnder the heauen: thou art LORDE of all thinges, and there is no man, yᵗ can resist the O LORDE) Thou knowest all thinges, thou wotest LORDE, that it was nether of malyce, ner presumpcion, ner for eny desyre of glory, that I wolde not bowe downe myself ner worshipe yonder proude presumptuous Aman (for I wolde haue bene cōtent, and yᵗ with good wyll, yf it might haue done Israel eny good, to haue kyst euē his fotesteppes) but that I dyd it, because I wolde not sett the honoure of a mā in the steade of the glorye of God, and because I wolde worshipe [E] none but onely yᵉ my LORDE. And this haue I done in no pryde ner presumpcion.
And therfore O LORDE thou God and kinge, haue mercy vpon thy people for they ymagyn how they maye bringe vs to naught, yee their mynde and desyre is to destroye and to ouerthrowe the people, that hath euer bene thine enheritaunce of olde. O despyse not thy porciō, which thou hast delyuered & brought out of Egipte for thine owne self. Heare my prayer, and be mercifull vnto yᵉ people, whō thou hast chosen for an heretage vnto thyself. Turne oure complaynte and sorow in to ioye, that we maye lyue O LORDE, and prayse thy name. O LORDE, suffre not yᵉ mouthes of them that praise the, to be destroyed.
All yᵉ people of Israel in like maner cried as earnestly as they coude vnto the LORDE, for their death and destruccion stode before their eyes.[A]
Notes to Chapter 13
⁽¹⁾ Hest. 1. a and 16. a
Chapter 14
The XIIII. Chapter. Of the sorowe, complaynte and prayer of quene Hester.
QVene Hester also beynge in the battayll of death, resorted vnto the LORDE, layed awaye hir glorious apparell, and put on the garmētes that serued for sighinge and mournynge. In the steade of precious oyntment, she scatred ashes and dōge vpon hir heade: and as for hir body, she humbled it, and brought it very lowe, All the places where she was wōte to haue ioye afore, those fylled she with yᵉ hayre, yᵗ she plucte out hirself. She prayed also vnto the LORDE God of Israel with these wordes:
O my LORDE, thou onely art oure kynge, helpe me desolate womā, which haue no helper but yᵉ, for my misery and destruccion is harde at my hande. Fro my youth vp I haue herde out of the kynred of my father,⁽¹⁾ that thou tokest Israel from amōge all people (and so haue oure fathers of their fore elders) that they shulde be thy perpetuall inheritaunce, and loke what thou didest promise thē, thou hast made it good vnto thē.
[B] Now well LORDE, we haue synned before the,⁽²⁾ therfore hast thou geuen vs in to the hādes of oure enemies, because we worshipped their goddes. LORDE thou art righteous. Neuertheles it satisfieth thē not, that we are in bytter and heuy captiuyte and oppressed amonge them, but thou hast layed their hondes vpon the hondes of their goddes: so that they begynne to take awaye, the thinge that thou with thy mouth hast ordened and appoynted: to destroye thyne inheritaunce, to shut and to stoppe yᵉ mouthes of them that prayse the, to quēch the glory and worshipe of thy house and thine aulter, and to open the mouthes of the Heithen, yᵗ they maye prayse the power & vertue of the goddes, and to magnifie the fleshly kynge for euer.
[C] O LORDE, geue not thy cepter vnto thē that be nothinge, lest they laugh vs to scorne in oure misery and fall: but turne their deuyce vpō them selues, and punysh him, that hath begonne the same ouer vs, and set him to an exampls. Thinke vpon vs O LORDE, and shew thy self in yᵉ tyme of oure distres and of oure trouble. Strength me O thou kynge of goddes, thou LORDE of all power, geue me an eloquēt and pleasaunt speach in my mouth before the Lyon.⁽³⁾ Turne his hert in to yᵉ hate of oure enemie, to destroye him, and all soch as consent vnto him. But delyuer vs with thy hande, and helpe me desolate woman, which haue no defence ner helper but onely yᵉ. LORDE thou knowest all thinges, thou wotest that I loue not the glory and worshipe of the vnrighteous, and that I hate and abhorre the bed of the vncircūcyded and of all Heithen.
[D] Thou knowest and wotest my necessite, yᵗ I hate the token of my preemynence & worshipe, which I beare vpon my heade, what tyme as I must shew my self and be sene, & that I abhorre it as an vncleane cloth, and that I weere it not whā I am quyete and alone by my self. Thou knowest also that I thy honde mayden haue not eaten at Amās table, and that I haue had no pleasure ner delyte in the kynges feast, that I haue not dronke the drynk offeringes, and that I thy honde mayden haue had not ioye sens yᵉ daie that I was brought hither vnto this daye: but onely in the O LORDE. O thou God of Abraham, O thou mightie God aboue all, heare the voyce of them, that haue none other hope, and delyuer vs out of the hande of yᵉ wicked, & delyuer me out of my feare.
Notes to Chapter 14
⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 4. c ⟨illegible⟩ 7. d
⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 12. c
⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
Chapter 15
The XV. Chapter. Quene Hester appeareth before the kynge, with an heuy hert for the trouble of hir people, and God turneth the kynges hert.
ANd vpon yᵉ thirde daye it happened,[A] that Hester layed awaye yᵉ mournynge garmētes,⁽¹⁾ and put on hir glorious apparell, and decte hirself goodly (after that she had called vpon God, which is the beholder & Sauioure of all thinges) toke two maydes wᵗ her: vpon the one she leaned hir self, as one yᵗ was tender: the other folowed her, and bare the trayne of hir vesture. The shyne of hir bewtye made hir face rose coloured. The similitude of hir face was chearfull and amyable, but hir hert was soroufull for greate feare. She wente in thorow all the dores, and stode before the kynge. The kynge sat vpon the trone of his kingdome, and was clothed in his goodly araye, all of golde, and sett wᵗ precious stones, and he was very terryble. He lift vp his face, that shone in the clearnes, and loked grymly vpon her. Then fell the Quene downe, was pale and faynt, leaned hir self vpon the heade of the mayde that wente with her.
Neuertheles God turned yᵉ kynges mynde,[B] that he was gentle,⁽²⁾ that he leape out of his seate for feare, and gat her in his armes, & helde hir vp tyll she came to herself agayne. He gaue her louynge wordes also, & sayde vnto her: Hester, what is the matter? I am yᵉ brother, be of good cheare, thou shalt not dye: for oure commaundement toucheth the comons, not the. Come nye. And with that he helde vp his golden wande, and layed it vpon hir neck, and enbraced her frendly, and sayde: talke with me. Thē sayde she:⁽³⁾ I sawe the (O lorde) as an angell of God, & my hert was troubled for feare of thy maiesty and clearnesse. For excellent and wonderfull art thou (O lorde) and thy face is full of amyte. But as she was thus speakynge vnto him, she fell downe agayne for fayntnes: for the which cause the kynge was afrayed, and all his seruauntes comforted her.
Notes to Chapter 15
⁽¹⁾ Hester. 5. a
⁽²⁾ Prou. 21. a
⁽³⁾ Gen. 33. b 2. Re 19. c
Chapter 16
The XVI. Chapter. A copye of the commaundement, which kinge Artaxerses caused to be proclamed in all the countrees of his domynion, for the wealth of the Iewes.
[A] THe greate kynge Artaxerses, which raigneth frō India vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundreth and xxvij. londes, sendeth vnto the prynces & rulers of the same londes, soch as loue him, his frendly salutacion. There be many, that for the sondrye frendshipes and benefites which are diuersly done vnto them for their worshipe, be euer yᵉ more proude and hye mynded, and vndertake not onely to hurte oure subiectes (for plenteous benefites maye they not suffre, and begynne to ymagin some thinge agaynst those that do them good, and take not onely all vnthankfulnes awaye fro men) but in pryde and presumpcion (as they that be vnmyndefull and vnthākfull for the good dedes) they go aboute to escape the iudgment of God, yᵗ seyth all thinges, which (iudgment) hateth & punysheth all wickednes. It happeneth oft also, yᵗ they which be set in office by the hyer power, and vnto whom the busynes and causes of the subiectes are cōmytted to be handled, waxe proude, and defyle thē selues with sheddynge of innocent bloude, which bryngeth them to intollerable hurte. Which also with false and disceatfull wordes and with lyenge tales, disceaue and betraye the innocent goodnes of prynces.
[B] Now is it profitable and good, that we take hede, make search therafter, and consider, not onely what hath happened vnto vs of olde, but the shamefull, vnhonest, and noysome thinges, that the debites haue now taken in hande before oure eyes: and therby to bewarre in tyme to come, that we maye make the kyngdome quyete & peaceable for all men, and that we might some tyme drawe it to a chaunge: and as for yᵉ thinge that now is present before oure eyes, to withstande it, and to put it downe, after the most frendly maner.
⁽¹⁾What tyme now as Aman the sonne of Amadathu yᵉ Macedonyan (a straunger verely of the Persians bloude, and farre from oure goodnes) was come in amōge vs as an aleaunt, and had optayned the frendshipe that we beare towarde all people, so that he was called oure father, and had in hye honoure of euery man, as the next and pryncipall vnto the kynge, he coude not forbeare him self from his pryde, hath vndertaken not onely to robbe vs of the kyngdome, but of oure life.
With manyfolde disceate also hath he desyred [C] to destroye Mardocheus oure helper and preseruer, which hath done vs good in all thinges: and innocent Hester the like partaker of oure kyngdome, with all hir people. For his mynde was (whan he had takē them out of the waye, and robbed vs of them) by this meanes to translate the kyngdome of the Persians vnto thē of Macedonia. But we fynde, that the Iewes (which were accused of yᵉ wicked, yᵗ they might be destroyed) are no euell doers, but vse reasonable & right lawes, and that they be the children of the most Hye lyuynge God, by whom the kyngdome of vs and oure progenitours hath bene well ordred hither to. Wherfore, as for the letters and cōmaundementes, that were put forth by Aman the sonne of Amadathu, ye shal do well, yf ye holde them of none effecte: for he that set them vp and inuented thē, hangeth at Susis before the porte, with all his kinred, and God (which hath all thinges in his power) hath rewarded him after his deseruynge.
And vpon this ye shal publish and set vp [D] the copy of this letter in all places, that the Iewes maye frely and without hinderaunce holde them selues after their owne statutes, and that they maye be helped, and that vpō yᵉ xiij. daye of yᵉ xij. moneth Adar they maye be auenged of them, which in the tyme of their anguysh and trouble wolde haue oppressed thē. For the God that gouerneth all thinges, hath turned to ioye, the daye wherin yᵉ chosen people shulde haue perished.
Morouer, amōge the hye solempne dayes that ye haue, ye shall holde this daye also wᵗ all gladnesse: that now and in tyme to come, this daye maye be a remembraūce to good, for all soch as loue the prosperite of the Persians: but a remembraunce of destruccion to those that be sedicious vnto vs.
All cities and lōdes that do not this, shal horribly perish and be destroyed wᵗ the swerde and fyre, and shall not onely be nomore inhabited of men, but be abhorred also of yᵉ wilde beastes & foules.
Notes to Chapter 16
⁽¹⁾ Hester 3. a
Colophon
This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.
3 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 5 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (0 in the text, 5 in the marginal notes).
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