Esther — Chapter 2

To whom Satan anfivering, faid: Skinne tor skinae, and al things that a man hath , he wil giue ror his lite: 5, ocherwift put thy hand, and touch his bone and fle:th , and then thale thou fee that he wil bleffe thee in the Face. 6.. Our Lord therfore fayd ro Satan: Behold he is in chy hand, but yet faue his life. 7. Satan chertore going out trom the tace of foot euento the top of his head : 8, who with a thel {craped the cor- thou yet continue inthy fimplicitie 2 bleffe God-and die, ro, Who fayd to her : Thou halt fpoken like-one of the foolifh women: if we haue re- ‘cetued good things of the hand of God , euil things why (hould we not receiue? Inal chefe things lob finned not with his lippes, 11. Therfore ” Tobs three freinds hearing al the cuil , that had chanced to him, came euerie one out of their place, Eliphaz a Themanite, and Baldad a Su- 5 together they would vifice him , and comfort him, 12, And when they wept, aud renting their clothes {prinkled duit ouer their head toward heauen. 13, And they fate with him on the ground (¢) feuen daies and Teuen nights , and no man fpake to him a word : for they faw the paine ‘tobe vehement. ANNOTATIONS,

Su mn and were deliuered to Egeus the eunuch: (a) Either alfo among the refi. of the maydens was deliueredto him , that fhe might be kept n the number of thewomen, 9. Who pleafed hin , and round grace in his Gicht, And he cOmanded the eunuch, that he fnould haften the womens ornaments , and fhould deliuer ber her parts, and fenen the moft beau- ful maydens of the kings houfe, and thould adorne pow her anid her wayti 1g maydes, 1c. Who wou'd not tel. him her peor 7 countric. For Mardochcus had commanded her, that of this thing wc inould altogether keep tilence:11.who Walked daily betere the cnirance of the houfe , wheran the choices virgins were kept , taking care ot Eithers welrare enidchirous to know what shows c1ante Vite herea2, Ard whoo the rine of cueric virginia order was come, that they mous coc intotac Karg, abthings accomplished that perteyucd to WoO. “Eececee oTuaments, and dccke both (a) Deut.9.¥.3. Ifraelites are forbid to ma- rie with Gen- tls, yet when there was no danger tobe ~ peruerted, and greathope of yood, Either by Mardochens icounfel.con- > fented to marie! Kinz Aduerus though. other. wile 1 edercflad} (she bed. of the arecer Mama (oda fof caserie fir acer Hea, dg. B19, [K. Dau 2bfo “maried the things daucae qrereof Glia, i : hearing fufpi- cious words & aénions , faw ded cuil ,& ia- formed the idifcouered , Rab.caiom. & Jofep. * C chant, obferuing thei: 926 ESTHER, 4 ornaméts,it was the twelfth month:yet fo,that tor fix moths the anointed with oyle of myrtle, and other fix months they vfed c payntings & {weet fpices.13.And going in to the King y were ertayne »What focuer they asked that perteyned to adorning, they received : and being trimmed, \ asit pleafed them, they pafled fro the chaber of the women to the Kina; chamber. 14. And fhe chat went in at euening ,-came out in the mor- niag, andtrom thencefhe was brought to the fecond houle , that was ‘vader the hand of Sufagazus the eunuch , who was chiefe -oner the Kings concubines : neither had fhe power to retutne any more to the i King , vnlefle the Kiag had wilied, and had commanded her to come by name. 15, And the time by order comming about, the day was at hand that Efther the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardochcus, whom he had adopted for his daughter,.fnould goe in tothe King. Who fought not womens ornaments, but whatfoeuer Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins would, thofe things he gaue her to her ador- ning. For fhe was exceeding fayre , and of incredible beautic , fhe {ee- med to al mens eies gratious and amiable.16 She therfore was brought tothe chamber of King Affuerus the tenth month, which is called Te~ beth , inthe feuenth yeare of his reigne, 27. And the King loued her more then althe women , and fhe had grace and mercie before him aboue al the women , and he put the crowne of the Kiagdome on her head, and made her rcigne in {tead of Vaithi. 18. And he commanded a verie magnifical feaft to be prepared to al the Princes , and to his f{er- ‘nants , for che coniunction and mariage of Efther. And gaue rett to al the Prouinces,and beftowed guitts according to princely magnificence.

as yer vecered her countric, & people , according to his commandment, \ \ t i t ‘ ‘ ‘ b)Mardocheus. For whatfocuer he commanded, Efther obferucd:& she did al things fo _ as fhe was wont at that time, when he nourifhed her a litle one. 21. At - that time therfore,whenMardocheus abode at the Kings gate, Bagathan _& Thares wereangric,two of the Kings eunuchs, that were porters, & that they inre., ete chiefe in the hrit entric of the palace: and they would make mfur- rection againft the King, and kil him. 22. Wherot Macdochcus () got notice, & immediately he told it to Queen Efther : & theto the Kung in King ; wherby the name of Mardocheus , who had reported the thing vnto her, 23. Ie their treafé was , was examined ,and found: and they were both hanged ona gibbet.And lit was put in the hiftorics , and reviltred in the chronicles betore the - * hing. CHAP. 4 ES THE RR, 929

had fitted vp their cies a far off, they knew him not,and crying our they ‘Thefe vifiters of Tob were indeed his freinds, & pro-i feifed true re- ligion, They erred in Icbs particular: afe. (And preficu- iced Heretikes. 959 THE BOOK thou haft moued me againit him , that fhould artlict niin in vatuc.