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Apocrypha.

CHAP. XI, XII, XIII.

Apocrypha.

salem before the sanctuary for the space of three | being an hundred and five years old, and made
months, and Judith remained with them.
21 After this time every one returned to his they buried her in the cave of her husband
her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and
own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, Manasses.
and remained in her own possession, and was
in her time honourable in all the country.

22 And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.

24 And the house of Israel lamented her bute her goods to all them that were nearest seven days: and before she died, she did distriof kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

23 But she increased more and more in dren of Israel any more afraid in days of Judith, 25 And there was none that made the chilhonour, and waxed old in her husband's house, nor a long time after her death.

¶ The rest of the Chapters of the Book of ESTHER, which are found neither in the Hebrew, nor in the Chaldee.

THE

Part of the Tenth Chapter after the Greek.

HEN Mardocheus said, God hath done 7 And at their cry all nations were prepared these things. 5 For I remember a dream which I saw con-eous people. to battle, that they might fight against the rightcerning these matters, and nothing thereof hath failed.

6 A little fountain became a river, and there was light, and the sun, and much water: this river is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen.

7 And the two dragons are I and Aman. 8 And the nations were those that were sembled to destroy the name of the Jews:

8 And lo, a day of darkness and obscurity, roar, upon the earth. tribulation and anguish, affliction and great up

bled, fearing their own evils, and were ready to 9 And the whole righteous nation was trou perish.

as-cry, as it were from a little fountain, was made 10 Then they cried unto God, and upon their a great flood, even much water.

lowly were exalted, and devoured the glorious. 11 The light and the sun rose up, and the 12 Now when Mardocheus, who had seen

9 And my nation is this Israel, which cried to God, and were saved: for the Lord hath saved his people, and the Lord hath delivered us from all those evils, and God hath wrought this dream, and what God had determined to signs and great wonders, which have not been do, was awake, he bare this dream in mind, done among the Gentiles. know it. and until night by all means was desirous to

10 Therefore hath he made two lots, one for the people of God, and another for all the Gentiles. 11 And these two lots came at the hour, and time, and day of judgment, before God among

all nations.

12 So God remembered his people, and justified his inheritance.

13 Therefore those days shall be unto them in the month Adar, the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the same month, with an assembly, and joy, and with gladness before God, according to the generations for ever among his people. CHAP. XI.

IN the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemeus

and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and Levite, and Ptolemeus his son, brought this epistle of Phurim, which they said was the same, and that Lysimachus the son of Ptolemeus, that was in Jerusalem, had interpreted it.

2 In the second year of the reign of Arta

CHAP. XII.

AND Mardocheus took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king, and keepers of the palace.

2 And he heard their devices, and searched about to lay hands upon Artaxerxes the king; out their purposes, and learned that they were and so he certified the king of them.

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

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

serve in the court, and for this he rewarded him.
5 So the king commanded Mardocheus to
Agagite, who was in great honour with the
6 Howbeit Aman the son of Amadathus the
king, sought to molest Mardocheus and his
people because of the eunuchs of the king.
CHAP. XIII.

xerxes the great, in the first day of the month THE copy of the letters was this: The great Nisin, Mardocheus the son of Jairus, the son of Semel, the son of Cisai of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream;

3 Who was a Jew, and dwelt in the city of Susa, a great man, being a servitor in the king's

court.

the princes and governors that are under him
king Artaxerxes writeth these things to
seven and twenty provinces.
from India unto Ethiopia, in an hundred and

2 After that I became lord over many na4 He was also one of the captives, which not lifted up with presumption of my authority, tions, and had dominion over the whole world, Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon carried but carrying myself alway with equity and from Jerusalem with Jechonias king of Judea; mildness, I purposed to settle my subjects conand this was his dream.

5 Behold, a noise of a tumult, with thunder, and earthquakes, and uproar in the land:

6 And behold, two great dragons came forth ready to fight, and their cry was great.

dom peaceable, and open for passage to the ut-
tinually in a quiet life, and making my king-
all men.
most coasts, to renew peace, which is desired of

3 Now when I asked my counsellors how this
47

Apocrypha.

ESTHER.

Apocrypha. might be brought to pass, Aman, that excelled help me, desolate woman, which have no helper in wisdom among us, and was approved for his but thee:

constant good will and steadfast fidelity, and had 4 For my danger is in mine hand. the honour of the second place in the kingdom, 5 From my youth up I have heard in the tribe

4 Declared unto us, that in all nations through of my family, that thou, O Lord, tookest Israel out the world there was scattered a certain ma- from among all people, and our fathers from all licious people, that had laws contrary to all na- their predecessors, for a perpetual inheritance, tions, and continually despised the command- and thou hast performed whatsoever thou didst ments of kings, so as the uniting of our kingdoms, promise them." honourably intended by us, cannot go forward. 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:

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:

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.

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

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

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

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

14 But I did this, that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God: neither will I worship any but thee, O God, neither will I do it in pride.

15 And now, O Lord God 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.

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

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

7 Because we worshipped their gods: O Lord, thou art righteous.

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

9 That they will abolish the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordained, and destroy thine inheritance, and stop the month of them that praise thee, and quench the glory of thy house, and of thine altar,

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

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.

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.

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 like-minded to him:

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

15 Thou knowest all things, O Lord; thou knowest that I hate the glory of the unrighteous, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised, and of all the heathen.

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 Iwear it not when I am private by myself.

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.

18 Neither had thine handmaid any joy since the day that I was brought hither to this present, but in thee, O Lord God of Abraham. 17 Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto 19 O thou mighty God above all, hear the thine inheritance: turn our sorrow into joy, that voice of the forlorn, and deliver us out of the we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: hands of the mischievous, and deliver me out and destroy not the mouths of them that praise of my fear. thee, O Lord.

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

CHAP. XIV.

resorted unto the Lord:

ΑΝ

CHAP. XV.

ND upon the third day, when she had ended her prayer, she laid away her mourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel. 2 And being gloriously adorned, after she

QUEEN Esther also, being in fear of death, had called upon God, who is the beholder and saviour of all things, she took two maids with her:

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.

3 And upon the one she leaned, as carrying herself daintily;

4 And the other followed, bearing up her train. 5 And she was ruddy through the perfection of her beauty, and her countenance was cheer3 And she prayed unto the Lord God of Is-ful and very amiable; but her heart was in rael, saying, O my Lord, thou only art our King: anguish for fear.

Apocrypha.

CHAP. I.

Apocrypha. 6 Then having passed through all the doors, come, that our kingdom may be quiet and she stood before the king, who sat upon his roy-peaceable for all men,

al throne, and was clothed with all his robes of 9 Both by changing our purposes, and almajesty, all glittering with gold and precious ways judging things that are evident with more stones; and he was very dreadful. equal proceeding.

7 Then lifting up his countenance that shone with majesty, he looked very fiercely upon her: and the queen fell down, and was pale, and fainted, and bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before her.

8 Then God changed the spirit of the king into mildness, who in a fear leaped from his throne, and took her in his arms, till she came to herself again, and comforted her with loving words, and said unto her,

9 Esther, what is the matter? I am thy brother, be of good cheer:

10 For Aman, a Macedonian, the son of Amadatha, being indeed a stranger from the Persian blood, and far distant from our goodness, and as a stranger received of us,

11 Had so far forth obtained the favour that we shew toward every nation, as that he was called our father, and was continually honoured of all men, as the next person unto the king.

12 But he, not bearing his great dignity, went about to deprive us of our kingdom and life: 13 Having by manifold and cunning deceits sought of us the destruction as well of Mardo

· 10 Thou shalt not die, though our command-cheus, who saved our life, and continually proment be general: come near.

11 And so he held up his golden sceptre, and laid it upon her neck,

12 And embraced her, and said, speak unto

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HE great king Artaxerxes unto the princes and governors of an hundred and seven and twenty provinces from India unto Ethiopia, and unto all our faithful subjects, greeting.

2 Many, the more often they are honoured with the great bounty of their gracious princes, the more proud they are waxen,

3 And endeavour to hurt not our subjects only, but not being able to bear abundance, do take in hand to practise also against those that do them good:

cured our good, as also of blameless Esther, partaker of our kingdom, with their whole nation.

14 For by these means he thought, finding us destitute of friends, to have translated the king. dom of the Persians to the Macedonians.

15 But we find that the Jews, whom this wicked wretch hath delivered to utter destruction, are no evil-doers, but live by most just laws:

16 And that they be children of the most high and most mighty living God, who hath ordered the kingdom both unto us and to our progenitors in the most excellent manner.

17 Wherefore ye shall do well not to put in execution the letters sent unto you by Aman the son of Amadatha.

18 For he, that was the worker of these things, is hanged at the gates of Susa with all his family: God, who ruleth all things, speedily rendering vengeance to him according to his

deserts.

19 Therefore ye shall publish the copy of this letter in all places, that the Jews may freely live after their own laws.

20 And ye shall aid them, that even the same 4 And take not only thankfulness away from day, being the thirteenth day of the twelfth among men, but also lifted up with the glorious month Adar, they may be avenged on them, words of lewd persons, that were never good, who in the time of their affliction shall set upon they think to escape the justice of God, that them. seeth all things, and hateth evil.

21 For Almighty God hath turned to joy unto 5 Oftentimes also fair speech of those that them the day wherein the chosen people should are put in trust to manage their friends' affairs, have perished.

hath caused many that are in authority to be 22 Ye shall therefore among your solemn partakers of innocent blood, and hath enwrap-feasts keep it an high day with all feasting: ped them in remediless calamities: 23 That both now and hereafter there may

6 Beguiling with the falsehood and deceit of be safety to us, and the well-affected Persians; their lewd disposition the innocency and good- but to those which do conspire against us, a ness of princes. memorial of destruction.

7 Now ye may see this, as we have declared. 24 Therefore every city and country whatsonot so much by ancient histories, as ye may, if ever, which shall not do according to these ye search what hath been wickedly done of things, shall be destroyed without mercy, with late through the pestilent behaviour of them fire and sword, and shall be made not only unthat are unworthily placed in authority. passable for men, but also most hateful to wild

8 And we must take care for the time to beasts and fowls for ever.

L

The WISDOM of SOLOMON.

CHAP. I.

3 For froward thoughts separate from God:

OVE righteousness, ye that be judges of and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the the earth: think of the Lord with a good unwise. (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him.

2 For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and sheweth himself unto such as do not distrust him.

4 For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin.

5 For the holy spirit of discipline will flee

Apocrypha.

WISDOM OF SOLOMON.

Apocrypha. deceit, and remove from thoughts that are with- | 10 Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let out understanding, and will not abide when un-us not spare the widow, nor reverence the anrighteousness cometh in. cient grey hairs of the aged.

6 For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.

11 Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth. 12 Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is 7 For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us and that which containeth all things, hath know-with our offending the law, and objecteth to our ledge of the voice. infamy the transgressings of our education.

8 Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things cannot be hid: neither shall vengeance, when it punisheth, pass by him.

:

9 For inquisition shall be made into the counsels of the ungodly and the sound of his words shall come unto the Lord for the manifestation of his wicked deeds.

10 For the ear of jealousy heareth all things: and the noise of murmurings is not hid.

11 Therefore beware of murmuring, which is unprofitable; and refrain your tongue from backbiting for there is no word so secret, that shall go for nought: and the mouth that belieth, slayeth the soul.

12 Seek not death in the error of your life and pull not upon yourselves destruction with the works of your hands.

13 For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.

14 For he created all things, that they might have their being: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:

15 (For righteousness is immortal :)

16 But ungodly men with their works and words called it to them: for when they thought to have it their friend, they consumed to nought, and made a covenant with it, because they are worthy to take part with it.

FOR

CHAP. II.

OR the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright, Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy neither was there any man known to have returned from the grave.

2 For we are born at all adventure: and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a little spark in the moving of our heart:

3 Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft air,

4 And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall have our works in remembrance, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist that is driven away with the beams of the sun, and overcome with the heat thereof.

5 For our time is a very shadow that passeth away; and after our end there is no returning for it is fast sealed, so that no man cometh again.

6 Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth.

7 Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us:

8 Let us crown ourselves with rose-buds, before they be withered.

9 Let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness: let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this.

13 He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the

Lord.

14 He was made to reprove our thoughts. 15 He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion.

16 We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness. he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father.

17 Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him. 18 For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.

19 Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.

20 Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.

21 Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.

22 As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls.

23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. 24 Nevertheless, through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.

BUT

CHAP. III.

UT the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, 3 And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.

4 For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.

5 And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.

6 As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt-offering.

7 And in the time of their visitation, they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.

8 They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.

9 They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

10 But the ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations, which have neglected the righteous, and forsaken the Lord.

11 For whoso despiseth wisdom and nurture, he is miserable, and their hope is vain, their labours unfruitful, and their works unprofitable :

Apocrypha.

Apocrypha.

CHAP. IV, V. 12 Their wives are foolish, and their children] 17 For they shall see the end of the wise, and wicked: shall not understand what God in his counsel 13 Their offspring is cursed. Wherefore hath decreed of him, and to what end the Lord blessed is the barren that is undefiled, which hath set him in safety. hath not known the sinful bed; she shall have fruit in the visitation of souls.

14 And blessed is the eunuch, which with his hands hath wrought no iniquity, nor imagined wicked things against God: for unto him shall be given the special gift of faith, and an inheritance in the temple of the Lord more acceptable to his mind.

18 They shall see him, and despise him; but God shall laugh them to scorn: and they shall hereafter be a vile carcass, and a reproach among the dead for evermore.

19 For he shall rend them, and cast them down headlong, that they shall be speechless; and he shall shake them from the foundation; and they shall be utterly laid waste, and be in 15 For glorious is the fruit of good labours: sorrow; and their memorial shall perish. and the root of wisdom shall never fall away. 20 And when they cast up the accounts of their sins, they shall come with fear: and their own iniquities shall convince them to their face.

16 As for the children of adulterers, they shall not come to their perfection, and the seed of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out.

17 For though they live long, yet shall they be nothing regarded: and their last age shall be without honour :

18 Or, if they die quickly, they have no hope, neither comfort in the day of trial. 19 For horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation.

CHAP. IV.

Bitte for the memorial thereof is ETTER it is to have no children, and to have immortal: because it is known with God, and with men.

2 When it is present, men take example at it; and when it is gone, they desire it: it weareth a crown, and triumpheth for ever, having gotten the victory, striving for undefiled rewards.

3 But the multiplying brood of the ungodly shall not thrive, nor take deep rooting from bastard slips, nor lay any fast foundation.

4 For though they flourish in branches for a time; yet standing not fast, they shall be shaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they shall be rooted out.

5 The imperfect branches shall be broken off, their fruit unprofitable, not ripe to eat, yea, meet for nothing.

6 For children begotten of unlawful beds, are witnesses of wickedness against their parents in their trial.

7 But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be at rest.

8 For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.

9 But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.

10 He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated. 11 Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

12 For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.

13 He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:

14 For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.

THE

CHAP. V.

HEN shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labours.

2 When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for.

3 And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves, This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of reproach:

4 We fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honour:

5 How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints!

6 Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us.

7 We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction: yea, we have gone through deserts, where there lay no way: but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it.

8 What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? 9 All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a post that hasteth by;

10 And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the pathway of the keel in the waves;

11 Or as when a bird hath flown through the air, there is no token of her way to be found, but the light air being beaten with the stroke of her wings, and parted with the violent noise and motion of them, is passed through, and therein afterward no sign where she went is to be found;

12 Or like as when an arrow is shot at a mark, it parteth the air, which immediately cometh together again, so that a man cannot know where it went through:

13 Even so we in like manner, as soon as we were born, began to draw to our end, and had no sign of virtue to shew; but were consumed in our own wickedness.

14 For the hope of the ungodly is like dust 15 This the people saw, and understood it that is blown away with the wind; like a thin not, neither laid they up this in their minds, froth that is driven away with the storm; like That his grace and mercy is with his saints, as the smoke which is dispersed here and there and that he hath respect unto his chosen. with a tempest, and passeth away as the re16 Thus the righteous that is dead shall con-membrance of a guest that tarrieth but a day. demn the ungodly which are living; and youth 15 But the righteous live for evermore; their that is soon perfected, the many years and old reward also is with the Lord, and the care of age of the unrighteous. them is with the Most High.

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