The Daily Audio Bible

8 In that day king Ahasuerus gave to Esther, the queen, the house of Haman, enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered in before the face of the king; for Esther acknowledged to him, that he was her father’s brother. (On that day, King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai went in before the king, for Esther had told him, that he was her father’s nephew.)

² Therefore the king took (off) the ring, which he had commanded to be received (back) from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther ordained Mordecai to be sovereign over her household (And Esther ordained Mordecai to be the ruler over Haman’s household).

³ And Esther was not appeased with these things, and felled down to the feet of the king, and wept, and spake to him, and prayed, that he should command the malice of Haman of (the kindred of) Agag, and his worst casts, which he had thought out against the Jews, to be made void. (But Esther was not yet appeased with these things, and she fell down at the king’s feet, and wept, and spoke to him, and begged him, that he would command that the malice of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, and his evil plans, that he had plotted against the Jews, be stopped.)

⁴ And the king by custom held forth the golden rod of the king with his hand, by which the token of his mercy was showed. And then Esther rose up, and stood before the king, (And, as by custom, the king held forth the king’s gold sceptre with his hand, by which the token of his mercy was shown. And then Esther rose up, and stood before the king,)

⁵ and said, If it pleaseth the king, and if I have found grace before his eyes, and if my prayer is not seen to be contrary to him, I beseech, that the eld letters of Haman, the traitor, and enemy of Jews, by which he had commanded them to perish in all the provinces of the king, be amended by new letters; (and she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his eyes, and if my prayer is not seen to be contrary to him, I beseech thee, that the old letters of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, by which he had commanded that all the Jews perish in all the provinces of the king, be amended with new letters;)

⁶ for how shall I be able to suffer the death, and the slaying, of my people? (for how shall I be able to endure the slaughter, and the death, of my own people?)

⁷ And king Ahasuerus answered to Esther, the queen, and to Mordecai, the Jew, and said, I have granted the house of Haman to Esther, the queen, and I commanded him to be hanged on the cross, for-thy that he was hardy to set hand against the Jews. (And King Ahasuerus answered to Queen Esther, and to Mordecai, the Jew, and said, I have given Haman’s house to Queen Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows, because he was so foolhardy as to put his hand against the Jews, that is, to threaten their lives.)

⁸ Therefore write ye to [the] Jews, as it pleaseth to you, by the name of the king, and aseal ye the letters with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durst against-say the letters, that were sent in the king’s name, and were sealed with his ring. (And so now write ye to the Jews, what pleaseth you, in the name of the king, and seal ye the letters with my ring. For it is the law, that no one can revoke the orders, that were sent before in the king’s name, and were sealed with his ring, or his signet.)

⁹ And when the arrayers of the king’s letters, and his writers, were called; it was then the time of the third month, that is called Sivan, that is, June, in the three and twentieth day of the month; letters were written, as Mordecai would, to [the] Jews, and to [the] princes, and to procurators, and to judges, that were sovereigns over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, from India unto Ethiopia, they were written to that province and to that province, to that people and to that people, by their languages and by their letters, and (also) to the Jews, (by their language and by their letters,) (so) that they (all) might read and hear them. (And when the king’s writers, or his royal secretaries, were called; it was then the third month, that is called Sivan, or June, on the twenty-third day of the month; letters were written, as Mordecai directed, to the Jews, and to the princes, or the leaders, and to the procurators, and the judges, who were the rulers over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia, yea, they were written to this province and to that province, to this people and to that people, to each in their own language and writing, and to the Jews in their own language and writing, so that they all might read and hear them.)

¹⁰ And those letters, that were sent in the name of the king, were asealed with his ring, and were sent forth by his messengers, the which ran about by all provinces, and they came with [the] new messages before that the eld letters were executed.

¹¹ To whom the king commanded, that they should call together the Jews, and command them to be gathered together by all cities, and that they should stand together for their lives; and that they should slay, and do away, all their enemies, with their wives, and with their children, and with all their households. (In which letters, the king granted permission to the Jews, in every city, to call themselves together, and to unite themselves, and to defend their own lives; and so they could kill, and do away with, all their enemies, along with their wives, and their children, and all their households.)

¹² And one day of vengeance, that is, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar, that is, March, was ordained by all provinces. (And one day of vengeance was ordained in all the provinces, that is, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is Adar, or March.)

¹³ And the short sentence of the epistle was this, that it were made known in all lands and (to all) peoples, that were subject to the empire of king Ahasuerus, that the Jews be ready that day to take vengeance of their enemies. (And in short, the sentence of the letter was this, that it should be made known in all the lands and to all the peoples, that were subject to the rule of King Ahasuerus, that the Jews be ready that day to take vengeance on all their enemies.)

¹⁴ And the messengers went out, before-bearing swift messages; and this same behest of the king hanged in the city of Susa. (And the messengers quickly went out, bearing the messages; and the king’s order was also hung up in the capital city of Susa.)

¹⁵ And Mordecai went out of the king’s palace and of the king’s sight, and he shined in the king’s clothes, that is, (clothes the colour) of jacinth, and (the) colour of the air, and he bare a golden crown on his head, and was clothed with a mantle of silk and of purple; and all the city fully joyed, and was glad. (And Mordecai went out from the king’s palace, and from before the king, and he shone in the king’s robes, that is, in his robes of blue and white, and he wore a gold crown on his head, and he also wore a cloak of silk and purple; and all the city rejoiced, and was glad.)

¹⁶ Certainly then a new light seemed to rise up to the Jews, and joy, and honour, and dancing (And so a new light seemed to rise up for the Jews, and joy, and honour, and dancing)

¹⁷ was at all peoples, and cities, and at all provinces, whither ever the commandments of the king came, (and) among them was a wonderful joy, and meats, and feasts, and an holy day, in so much, that many of another folk and sect were joined to the religion and ceremonies of them; for the great dread of the name of Jews had assailed all them. (were with all the people in all the cities, and provinces, wherever the king’s orders came; yea, among them there was such a wonderful joy, and food, and feasts, and holiday, that many people of other nations and sects, were joined to the religion and ceremonies of the Jews; for a great fear of the Jews had assailed all of them.)

9 Therefore in the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which we said now before to be called Adar, (that is, March,) when slaying was made ready to all the Jews by Haman, and their enemies setted treason to their blood, on the contrary, the Jews now began to be the higher part, and to venge them(selves) of their adversaries. (And so on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which earlier we said was called Adar, or March, when their enemies had intended slaughter for all the Jews, and had set treason for their blood, now, on the contrary, the Jews took the upper hand, to avenge themselves on their adversaries.)

² And the Jews were gathered together by all cities, castles, and places, to stretch forth (their) hand against their enemies and pursuers; and no man was hardy to against-stand them, for the dread of their greatness had pierced all peoples. (And the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities, in all the provinces, to put forth their hands against their enemies and pursuers; and no one was fool-hardy enough to stand against them/and no one was hardy enough to withstand them, for the fear of their greatness had pierced through all peoples.)

³ For why both the judges, dukes, and procurators of provinces, and each dignity, that were sovereigns of all places and works, enhanced the Jews, for the dread of Mordecai (was upon them), (And the judges, governors, and procurators of the provinces, who were the rulers of all the places and works, helped the Jews, because they all feared Mordecai,)

⁴ whom they knew to be (a) prince of the king’s palace (whom they knew to be a prince, or one of the leaders, in the king’s palace), and to be able to do full much; and the fame of his name increased each day, and (it) flew by the mouths of all men.

⁵ Therefore the Jews smote their enemies with great vengeance, and killed them, and yielded to their enemies that, that they had made ready to do to them, (And so the Jews struck down their enemies with a great vengeance, and killed them, and yielded to their enemies, what they had prepared to do to them,)

⁶ in so much, that also in the city of Susa the Jews killed five hundred men, without the ten sons of Haman of the kindred of Agag, the enemy of Jews, of the which sons these be the names; (and so in the capital city of Susa, the Jews killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, of which sons these be the names;)

⁷ Parshandatha, Dalphon, and Aspatha,

⁸ and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

⁹ and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha.

¹⁰ And when the Jews had slain the sons of Haman, they would not touch the preys of the chattels, or substance, of them. (And after the Jews had killed Haman’s sons, they did not take away any of the spoils of their chattel, or their possessions.)

¹¹ And anon the number of them, that were slain in the city of Susa, was told to the king. (And that same day, the number of people killed in the capital city of Susa, was told to the king.)

¹² And he said to the queen, The Jews have slain five hundred men in the city of Susa, and the ten sons of Haman; how great slaying guessest thou, that they haunt in all (the) provinces? what askest thou more? and what wilt thou, that I command to be done? (And he said to the queen, The Jews have killed five hundred men here in the capital city of Susa, and the ten sons of Haman as well; how great a slaughter thinkest thou that they have done in all the provinces? what more askest thou for? and what wilt thou, that I command to be done?)

¹³ To whom Esther answered, If it pleaseth the king, (let) power be given to the Jews, that as they have done today in Susa, so do they also tomorrow, and (also) that the (bodies of the) ten sons of Haman be hanged up in gibbets. (To whom Esther answered, If it please the king, let power be given to the Jews, so that as they have done today in Susa, let them do here also tomorrow, and let the bodies of the ten sons of Haman be hung up on the gallows.)

¹⁴ And the king commanded, that it should be done so; and anon the behest of the king hanged in Susa, and the (bodies of the) ten sons of Haman were hanged (up). (And the king commanded, that it be done so; and at once the king’s order was hung up in Susa, and the bodies of Haman’s ten sons were hung up as well.)

¹⁵ Therefore when the Jews were gathered together, in the fourteenth day of the month [of] Adar, that is, March, three hundred men were slain in Susa, and the Jews took not away the chattel of those men. (And so when the Jews were gathered together, on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, or of March, three hundred more men were killed in Susa, and again the Jews did not take away any of their chattel, or their possessions.)

¹⁶ But also by all the provinces, that were subject to the lordship of the king, Jews stood for their lives, when their enemies and pursuers were slain, in so much, that five and seventy thousand of slain men were filled, and no man touched any thing of the chattels of them. (And in all the provinces, which were subject to the king’s rule, when the Jews stood up for their lives, their enemies and pursuers were killed, indeed, over seventy-five thousand people were killed that day, but no Jew ever touched anything of their possessions.)

¹⁷ Certainly the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, or March, was the day of slaying with all them, and in the fourteenth day they ceased to slay; and that day they ordained to be solemn, so that therein in each time afterward, they should give attention to meats, to joy, and to feasts. (And so the thirteenth day of the month of Adar was the day that the Jews, outside the city of Susa, slaughtered their enemies, and then on the fourteenth day they ceased their slaughter; and that day they ordained as a time for feasting, so that at that time each year thereafter, they would give attention to food, and to joy, and to feasts.)

¹⁸ And those Jews, that used, or haunted, the slaying in the city of Susa, lived in (the) slaying in the thirteenth and fourteenth day(s) of the same month. But in the fifteenth day they ceased to slay; and therefore they ordained the same day to be solemn of feasts and of gladness. (But the Jews, who did the slaughter in the capital city of Susa, continued their slaughter from the thirteenth to the fourteenth day of the month. And then on the fifteenth day they ceased the slaughter of their enemies; and so they ordained that day to be a time for feasts and for gladness.)

¹⁹ And these Jews, that dwelled in burg towns not walled, and in villages, deemed the fourteen day of the month [of] Adar to be solemn of feasts, and of joy, so that they be joyful therein, and send, each to (the) other, parts of their feasts, and of their meats. (And this is why those Jews who live in remote towns without walls, and in villages, deem the fourteen day of the month of Adar, or of March, to be a time for feasts, and for joy, and indeed they be joyful on that day, and send portions of the food from their feasts to one another.)

²⁰ And Mordecai wrote all these things, and he sent all these things written by letters to the Jews, that dwelled in all the provinces of the king, as well to Jews dwelling nigh as far, (And Mordecai wrote down all these things, and he sent letters concerning all these things, to the Jews who lived in all the king’s provinces, yea, to the Jews living nearby, as well as to those living afar off,)

²¹ that they should receive and hold for their feast days the fourteenth and the fifteenth day(s) of the month [of] Adar, and ever[more] when the year turneth again, to hallow these days with solemn honour; (so that they would keep the fourteenth and the fifteenth days of the month of Adar, for their feast days, and forevermore when the year turneth again, celebrate these days with feasts of honouring;)

²² for in those days the Jews venged themselves of their enemies, and then their mourning and their sorrow were turned into gladness and joy; and therefore these days should be days of feasts, and of gladness, and that they should send, each to (the) other, parts of (their) meats, and give little gifts to poor men. (for in those days the Jews avenged themselves upon their enemies, and mourning and sorrow were turned into gladness and joy; and so these days should be feast days, filled with gladness, and they should send portions of their food to one another, and give little gifts to the poor.)

²³ And the Jews received into a solemn custom all those things, which they began to do in that time, and which things Mordecai had commanded by letters to be done. (And so the Jews undertook as a festive custom all these things, which they began to do at that time, and which Mordecai had commanded in his letters to be done.)

²⁴ For Haman, the son of Hammedatha, of the kindred of Agag, the enemy and adversary of Jews, thought evil against them, to slay them, and to do them away, and he cast pur, that is to say in our language, (a) lot, to do it. (For Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted evil against them, to kill them, and to do them away, and so he cast pur, that is to say, a lot, to determine when to do it.)

²⁵ And after this Esther entered in to the king, and besought, that the enforcings of Haman should be made void by the letters of the king, and that the evil, which he had thought against the Jews, should turn again into his head. Forsooth they hanged on the cross both him and his sons. (But then Esther went in to the king, and beseeched him, that Haman’s endeavours should be stopped with new written orders from the king, and that the evil, which Haman had plotted against the Jews, should return onto his own head. And so they hanged him and his sons on the gallows.)

²⁶ And from that time these days were called Purim, that is, (the days) of lots, for pur, that is, (a) lot, was sent, or cast, into a vessel; and the Jews received upon themselves, and upon their seed, and upon all men that would be coupled to their religion, all things that were done, and (that) be contained in the volume of the epistle, that is, of this book, (And from that time, these days were called Purim, that is, the Days of Lots, for pur, that is, a lot, was cast to determine the day that they would die; and the Jews took upon themselves, and upon their descendants, and upon all people who would be coupled to their religion, all the things that were done, and that be contained in this book,)

²⁷ and which things they suffered, and which things were changed afterward, so that it be not leaveful to any man to pass these two days without solemnity, which days the scripture witnesseth, and certain times ask, while the years come continually one after another. (and what things they suffered, and what things happened afterwards, so that it be not lawful for anyone to pass these two days without feasting, yea, the days to which this writing witnesseth, and for which a certain time is ordained, while the years continue to come, one after the other.)

²⁸ These be the days, which never any forgetting shall do away, but by all generations all the provinces, that be in all the world, shall hallow them; neither there is any city, in which the days of Purim, that is, (the days) of lots, shall not be kept of [the] Jews, and of the generation of them, which is bound to these ceremonies. (These be the days, which no forgetting shall do away, that is, they should always be remembered, and all the generations, or the descendants, of the people, who be in all the provinces, in all the world, shall keep and honour them; and there shall be no city, in which the Days of Purim, that is, the Days of Lots, shall not be kept by the Jews, and by their generations, or their descendants, who be bound and obliged to keep these ceremonies.)

²⁹ And Esther, the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai, the Jew, wrote also the second epistle, that this solemn day should be hallowed afterward with all busyness. (And Queen Esther, Abihail’s daughter, and Mordecai, the Jew, confirmed in writing with a second letter, that these feast days should be kept thereafter with all diligence.)

³⁰ And they sent (their letter) to those Jews, that dwelled in an hundred and seven and twenty provinces of king Ahasuerus, that they should have peace, and receive the truth, (And they sent their letter to all the Jews, who lived in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of King Ahasuerus, so that they would have peace, and receive the truth,)

³¹ and that they should keep the days of lots, and hallow them with joy in their time, as Mordecai and Esther had ordained; and they received the (rules for the) fastings, and the cries, and the days of lots, to be kept of themselves and of their seed, (and so that they would keep the Days of Purim, that is, the Days of Lots, and celebrate them with joy at their proper time, as Mordecai and Esther had ordained; just as they had received the rules for fasting, and mourning, or lamenting, to be kept by themselves, and by their descendants.)

³² and they received all things that be contained in the story of this book, that is called Esther. (And so Esther’s command confirmed these rules for Purim, or Lots, that be contained in this book.)

10 Forsooth king Ahasuerus made tributary each land, and all the isles of the sea; (And King Ahasuerus made every land, and all the islands of the sea, to pay him taxes/to pay tribute to him through forced labour;)

² whose strength and empire and his dignity and highness, by which he enhanced Mordecai, be written in the books of (the kings of) Media and of Persia; (and his strength and rule, as well as the dignity and highness to which he promoted Mordecai, all be written about in The Books of the Kings of Media and Persia;)

³ and how Mordecai of the kin of the Jews was the second from king Ahasuerus, and was great with (the) Jews, and acceptable to the people of his brethren, and he sought good things to his people, and spake those things, that pertained to the peace of his seed. (and also how that Mordecai, the Jew, was second only to King Ahasuerus, and that he was a great man among the Jews, and accepted by all the people of his kinsmen, and how he sought only the good for his people, and did what he could to bring peace to all their descendants.)^[a]

²⁷ And ye be the body of Christ, and members of member. [Forsooth ye be the body of Christ, and members of members.]

²⁸ But God set some men in the church, first apostles, the second time prophets [And soothly God put some in the church, first apostles, the second prophets], the third teachers, afterward works of power, afterward graces of healings, helpings, governings, kinds of languages, interpretations of words.

²⁹ Whether all [be] apostles? whether all [be] prophets? Whether all teachers? whether all works of power?

³⁰ whether all have grace of healings? whether all speak with languages? whether all expound [whether all interpret, or expound]?

³¹ But follow ye the better ghostly gifts. And yet I show to you a more excellent way.

13 If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and I have not charity, I am made as brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling.

² And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all knowing [and all knowing, or science], and if I have all faith, so that I move hills from their place [so that I bear over hills from one place to another], and I have not charity, I am nought.

³ And if I part all my goods into the meats of poor men, and if I betake my body, so that I burn, and if I have not charity, it profiteth to me nothing.

⁴ Charity is patient, it is benign; charity envieth not, it doeth not wickedly, it is not blown [it is not in-blown with pride],

⁵ it is not covetous [of worships], it seeketh not those things that be his own [it seeketh not those things that be her own], it is not stirred to wrath, it thinketh not evil,

⁶ it joyeth not on wickedness, but it joyeth together to truth; [it joyeth not in wickedness, forsooth it joyeth together with truth;]

⁷ it suffereth all things, it believeth all things, it hopeth all things, it sustaineth all things.

⁸ Charity falleth never down, whether prophecies shall be voided, either languages shall cease, either science shall be destroyed [whether prophecies shall be voided, or languages shall cease, or science shall be destroyed].

⁹ For a part we know, and a part we prophesy; [For of part we know, and of part we prophesy;]

¹⁰ but when that shall come that is perfect, that thing that is of part shall be voided.

¹¹ When I was a little child, I spake as a little child, I understood as a little child, I thought as a little child; but when I was made a man, I voided those things that were of a little child.

¹² And we see now [Forsooth we see now] by a mirror in darkness, but then face to face; now I know of part, but then I shall know, as [and] I am known.

¹³ And now dwelleth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the most of these is charity.

37 To David. [The psalm of David.] Do not thou follow wicked men; neither love thou men doing wickedness. (The song of David. Do not thou follow the wicked; nor love thou those who do wickedly.)

² For they shall wax dry swiftly as hay; and they shall fall down soon as the worts of herbs. (For they shall quickly grow dry like the hay, or the grass; and soon they shall fall down like the best herbs, or the plants.)

³ Hope thou in the Lord, and do thou goodness (Trust thou in the Lord, and do good); and inhabit thou the land, and thou shalt be fed with his riches.

⁴ Delight thou in the Lord; and he shall give to thee the askings of thine heart.

⁵ Show thy way to the Lord; and hope in him, and he shall do. (Give all thy ways to the Lord, and trust in him; and he shall make it happen.)

⁶ And he shall lead out thy rightfulness as light, and thy doom as midday; (And he shall lead forth thy righteousness like the light, and thy judgement like the midday sun;)

⁷ be thou subject to the Lord, and pray thou him. Do not thou follow him, that hath prosperity in his way; (nor) a man doing unrightfulness. (be thou subject to the Lord, and wait thou for him. Do not thou follow a man, simply because he hath prospered along his way; nor a man doing unrighteousness, or wickedness.)

⁸ Cease thou of ire, and forsake strong vengeance; do not thou follow, that thou do wickedly. (Cease thou from anger, and abandon taking vengeance; do not thou follow after these things, so that thou do wickedly.)

⁹ For they, that do wickedly, shall be destroyed; but they that suffer the Lord, shall inherit the land. (For they, who do wickedly, shall be destroyed; but they who hope in the Lord, shall inherit the earth.)

¹⁰ And yet a little, and a sinner shall not be (For after but just a little time, that sinner shall not be); and thou shalt seek his place, and thou shalt not find it.

¹¹ But mild men shall inherit the land (And the humble, or the meek, shall inherit the earth); and shall delight in the multitude of peace.

²³ He that keepeth his mouth and his tongue (under control), keepeth his soul from anguishes.

²⁴ A proud man and (a) boaster is called a fool, (for) that (he) worketh (his) pride in ire.