1The gretteste kyng Artaxerses, fro Iynde `til to Ethiope, seith helthe to the princes and duykys of an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, whiche princes and duykis ben suget to his empire.stylus2Whanne Y was lord of ful many folkis, and Y hadde maad suget al the world to my lordschip, Y wolde not mysuse the greetnesse of power, but gouerne sugetis bi merci and softnesse, that thei, ledynge lijf in silence with outen ony drede, schulden vse pees couetid of alle deedli men.stylus3Sotheli whanne Y axide of my counselours, hou this myyte be fillid, oon, Aaman bi name, that passide othere men in wisdom and `feithfulnesse, and was the secounde aftir the kyng,stylus4schewide to me, that a puple was scaterid in al the roundnesse of londis, which puple vside newe lawis, and dide ayens the custom of alle folkis, and dispiside the comaundementis of kyngis, and defoulide bi his discencioun the acordyng of alle naciouns.stylus5And whanne we hadden lerned this thing, and sien, that o folk rebel ayens al the kynde of men vside weiward lawis, and was contrarie to oure comaundementis, and disturblide the pees and acording of prouynces suget to vs,stylus6`we comaundiden, that whiche euere Aaman `schewide, which is souereyn of alle prouynces, and is the secounde fro the kyng, and whom we onouren in `the place of fadir, thei with her wiues and children be doon awei of her enemyes, and noon haue merci on hem, in the fourtenthe dai of the twelfithe monethe Adar, of present yeer;stylus7that cursid men go doun to hellis in o dai, and yelde pees to oure empire, which thei hadden troblid.stylus8Forsothe Mardochee bisouyte the Lord, and was myndeful of alle `hise werkys, and seide,stylus9Lord God, kyng almyyti, alle thingis ben set in thi lordschip, `ethir power, and `noon is, that may ayenstonde thi wille; if thou demest for to saue Israel, we schulen be delyuered anoon.stylus10Thou madist heuene and erthe, and what euer thing is conteyned in the cumpas of heuene.stylus11Thou art Lord of alle thingis, and `noon is that ayenstondith thi maieste.stylus12Thou knowist alle thingis, and woost, that not for pride and dispit and ony coueytise of glorie Y dide this thing, that Y worschipide not Aaman moost proud;stylus13for Y was redi `wilfuli to kisse, yhe, the steppis of hise feet for the helthe of Israel, but Y dredde,stylus14lest Y schulde bere ouere to a man the onour of my God, and lest Y schulde worschipe ony man outakun my God.stylus15And now, Lord kyng, God of Abraham, haue thou merci on thi puple, for oure enemyes wolen leese vs, and do awei thin eritage;stylus16dispise not thi part, which thou ayenbouytist fro Egipt.stylus17Here thou my preier, and be thou merciful to the lot, and the part of thin eritage; and turne thou oure morenyng in to ioie, that we lyuynge herie thi name, Lord; and close thou not the mouthis of men heriynge thee.stylus18And al Israel with lijk mynde and bisechyng criede to the Lord, for certeyn deeth neiyede to hem.stylus
