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Golden. Sceptre. anfwer.

tre,that he may live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king thefe thirty days.

36. And they told to Mordecai Efther's words. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Efther, think not with thyfelf that thou shalt escape in the king's houfe more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace deliverance. at this time, then fhall there enlargement and deliverance arife to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's houfe fhall be deftroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for fuch a time as this?

deftroyed.

neither

maidens.

perish.

apparel.

obtained.

touched.

37. Then Efther bade them return Mordecai this anfwer. Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shufhan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night nor day. I alfo and my maidens will fast likewife; and fo will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perith, I perish.

SECTION 4. Efther's Banquet.

38. So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Efther had commanded him. Now it came to pafs on the third day, that Efther put on her royal apparel,and flood in the inner court of the king's house; and the king fat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. 39. And it was fo when the king faw Efther the queen ftanding in the court, that she obtained' favour in his fight and the king held out to Efther the golden fceptre that was in his hand. So Efther drew near, and touched

:

the top of the fceptre. Then faid the king unto her, What wilt thou queen Efther? and what is thy request? it fhall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

40. And Efther anfwered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come

this

this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. Then the king faid,cause Haman to make hafte,that he may do as Efther hath faid. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Efther had prepared.

Banquet ?

hafte.

41. And the king faid unto Efther at the petition. banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it fhall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it ihall be per- half. formed. Then anfwered Efther, and faid,

my petition and my requeft is; if I have found favour in the fight of the king,and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform perform? my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I fhall prepare for them,and

I will do to-morrow as the king hath faid.

42. Then went Haman forth that day joy- forth. ful and with a glad heart : but when Haman faw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he flood

not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation. indignation against Mordecai.

43. Nevertheless, Haman refrained himself; and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zerefh his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children,and all the things wherein the king had promoted him,and how he had advanced him above the princes and fervants of the king.

refrained?

promoted ?

advanced.

availeth?

44. Haman faid moreover, Yea, Efther the to-morrow, queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that he had prepared but myself; and to-morrow am I invited unto her alfo with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing,fo long as I feeMordecai,the Jew, fitting at the king's gate.

fitting.

45. Then faid Zereth his wife and all his gallows. friends unto him,let a gallows be made of fif

ty cubits high, and to-morrow speak thou un

to the king that Mordecai may be hanged hanged.

thereon;

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thereon; then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing peafed Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

SECTION 5. Mordecai rewarded-Haman hanged.

46. On that night could not the king fleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who fought to lay hands on king Ahafuerus.

47. And the king faid, what honor and dignity have been done to Mordecai for this? Then faid the king's fervants that ministered unto him, there is nothing done for him. And the king faid,who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

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48. And the king's fervants faid unto him, behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king faid let him come in. So Haman came in. And the king faid unto him, what fhall be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, whom would the king delight to honor more than myself?

49. And Haman answered the king, for the man whom the king delighteth to honor, Let the royal apparel be brought which the king ufeth to wear, and the horfe that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is fet upon his head; And let this apparel and horfe be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may

array

array the man withal whom the king de- Street. lighteth to honor, and bring him on horfe

back through the freet of the city, and pro- proclaim? claim before him, thus fhall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor.

fail.

arrayed.

horjeback.

50. Then the king faid to Haman make fitteth. hafte, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even fo to Mordecai the Jew, that fitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou haft fpoken. Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on hereback thro the ftreet of the city, and proclaimed before him, thus fhall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. 1. AndMordecai came again to the king's befallen. gate. But Haman hafted to his houfe mourning, and having his head covered. And Haman told Zerefh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then faid his wife men and Zerefh his wife unto him, if furely. Mordecaibe of the feed of the jews, before whom thou haft begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but fhalt furely fall before him.

prevail?

talking

52. And while they where yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains and hafted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Efther had prepared. So the king and Haman came to banquet with Efther the queen. And the petition. king faid again unto Eftheron the focond day at the banquet of wine, what is thy petition, queen Efther; and it fhall be granted thee; and what is thy requeft? and it fhall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

53. Then Efther the queen anfwered and faid, people. If I have found favour in thy fight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given

me at my petition, and my people at my re- perifh?, queft: For we are fold, I and my people, to

be destroyed, to be flain, and to perifh. But

Countervail? if we had been fold for bondmen and bondwemen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

durft.

prefume?

afraid.

palace.

determined?

gallows.

hangedi

pacified?

Avail.

fitting.

endowed?

54. Then the king Ahafuerus aniwered and faid unto Efther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durft prefume in his heart to do fo? And Efther faid, the adverfary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen

::

55. And the king arifing from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace gardes and Haman food up to make request for his life to Efther the queen; for he faw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Efther was. Then faid the king, Will he force the queen alfo before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

56.And Harbanah, one of the chamberlains, faid before the king, Behold alfo, the gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, ftandeth in the houfe of Haman. Then the king faid hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

LA PRADESH CHANDON BEN DURASSICA WOW ROSE ASSPO

"Yet all this availeth me nothing."

1.

H

AMAN was rich,honored by his king
and bleffed with a multitude of chil-
dren; yet all this was of no avail fo long as
he faw Mordecai, the jew fitting at the king's
gate.
The poffeffor of riches and honor un-
le's endowed with reafon and virtue becomes
a flave to his paffions.

This

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