Study Desk

and his brethren, Semaia, Asareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nathaneel and Iuda and Hanani, with the musicall instrumentes of Dauid ye man of God. And E?dras ye scrybe before the

vpon the office of their God, and the office of the purificacion. And the syngers & porters stode after the commaundemet of Dauid & of Salomon his sonne:

In the tyme of Zorobabel and Nehemias, dyd all Israel geue porcios vnto the syngers and porters, euery daye his porcion, and they gaue thinges halowed vnto the Leuites, and the Leuites gaue thinges that were sanctified, vnto the childre of Aaron.

And before this had the prest Eliasib delyuered the chest of ye house of oure God vnto his kynsman Tobia:

And I perceaued, that the porcions of ye Leuites were not geuen them, for the which cause the Leuites and syngers were fled, euery one to his londe for to worke.

Dyd not Salomon ye kynge of Israel synne ther in? & yet amonge many Heythen was there no kynge like him, & he was deare vnto his God, and God made him kynge ouer all Israel, and the outlandish wemen.

Thus clensed I them from all soch as were outlandish, and appoynted the courses of the prestes and Leuites, euery one to his office,

what tyme as he sat on his seate roiall in the castell of Susan

in the thirde yeare of his reigne, he made a feast vnto all his prynces and seruauntes, namely vnto the mightie men of Persia and Media, to the Debities and rulers of his countrees,

that he mighte shewe the noble riches of his kingdome, and the glorious worshippe of his greatnesse, many dayes longe, euen an hundreth and foure score dayes.

And no man was appoynted what he shulde drinke: for the kynge had commaunded all the officers of his house, that euery one shulde do as it lyked him.

But the quene Vasthi wolde not come at the kynges worde by his chamberlaynes. Then was the kynge very wroth, and his indignacio kyndled in him.

What lawe shulde be execute vpon the quene Vasthi, because she dyd not acordynge to the worde of the kynge by his chamberlaines.

And yt this wrytinge of the kynge which shalbe made, be published thorow out all his empyre (which is greate) that all wyues maye holde their hu?bandes in honoure, both amonge greate and smal.

Then were there letters sent forth in to all the kynges londes, in to euery londe acordinge to the wrytinge ther of, and to euery people after their laguage, yt euery man shulde be lorde in his awne house. And this caused he be spoken after the language of his people.

and let the kynge appoynte ouerseers in all ye londes of his empyre, that they maye brynge together all fayre yonge virgins vnto the castel of Susan to the Wemens buyldinge, vnder the hande of Hegai the kynges clamberlayne, that kepeth the wemen, and let him geue them their apparell.

and he norished Hadassa (that is Hester) his vncles danghter: for she had nether father ner mother, and she was a fayre and beutyfull damsell. And whan hir father and mother dyed, Mardocheus receaued her as his awne daughter.

& the damsell pleased him, & she founde grace in his sighte. And he put her wt hir maydes in ye best place of ye Womes buildige.

Now whan the tyme came of Hester the daughter of Abihail Mardocheus vncle (whom he had receaued as his awne daughter) yt she shulde come to the kynge, she desyred nothinge but what Hegai the kynges chamberlayne the keper of the wemen sayde. And Hester founde fauoure in the sighte of all them that loked vpon her.

And Hester was taken vnto kynge Ahasuerus in to the house royall, in the tenth moneth which is called Tebeth, in the seuenthe yeare of his reigne.