Esther 1 | » |
1 (11:1) Mardocheus the sonne of Iari, the sonne of Semei, the sonne of Cis of the tribe of Beniamin, (11:2) A Iewe, which had his dwelling in the citie of Susis, a man of great reputation, and excellent among all them that were in the kynges court. (11:3) Neuerthelesse, he was one of the prisoners whom Nabuchodonosor the kyng of Babylon had caryed away from Hierusalem vnto Babylon, with Iechonias the kyng of Iuda. (11:4) In the seconde yere of the raigne of great Artaxerxes, in the first day of the moneth Nisan, had this Mardocheus suche a dreame. (11:5) He thought he heard a great tempest, horrible thunderclappes, earthquakes, and great vprore in the lande, (11:6) And that he sawe two great dragons redie to fight one against another. (11:7) Their crye was great: At the whiche roaring & crye, all the heathen were vp to fight against the righteous people. (11:8) And the same day was full of darkenesse and very vncleare, full of trouble and anguishe, yea a great fearefulnesse was there in the lande. (11:9) The righteous were amased, for they feared the plague and euyll that was deuised ouer them, and were at a poynt with them selues to dye: So they cryed vnto God. (11:10) And whyle they were crying, the litle well grewe into a great riuer, and into many waters. (11:11) And with that it was day, and the sunne rose vp agayne: And the lowly were exalted, and deuoured the glorious and proude. (11:12) Nowe when Mardocheus had seene this dreame, he awoke, & mused stedfastly in his heart what God would do, and so he desired to know al the matter, and his mind was thervpon vntil night. (12:1) At the same tyme dwelt Mardocheus with Bagatha and Thara in the kynges court, the kynges chamberlaynes and porters of the palace. (12:2) But when he hearde their deuice, and had diligently considered their imaginations, he perceaued that they went about to lay their [cruell] handes vpon the kyng Artaxerxes, and so he certified the kyng thereof. (12:3) Then caused the kyng to examine the two gelded with tormentes: And when they had graunted it, they were put to death. (12:4) This the kyng caused to be put in the Chronicles for an euerlasting remembraunce, and Mardocheus wrote vp the same matter. (12:5) So the king commaunded that Mardocheus shoulde remayne in the court, and for this faythfulnes of his he gaue hym a rewarde. (12:6) But Aman the sonne of Amadathu the Agagite, whiche was holden in great honour and reputation in the kynges court, vndertoke to hurt Mardocheus and his people, because of the two chamberlaynes that were put to death. It came to passe that in the dayes of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus whiche raigned from India vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundred and twentie and seuen prouinces)
2 Euen in those dayes when the king Ahasuerus sate on his seate royall, which was in Susan the chiefe citie:
3 In the third yere of his raigne, he made a feast vnto all his princes & seruauntes: and the mightie men of Persia and Media, the captaynes also and rulers of his countreys were before hym.
4 And he shewed the richesse and glorie of his kingdome, and the glorious worship of his greatnesse many dayes long, [euen] an hundred and fourescore dayes.
5 And when these dayes were expired, the king made a feast vnto al the people that were in Susan the chiefe citie, both vnto great & small, seuen dayes long, in the court of the garden by the kinges palace.
6 Where there hanged white, greene, and yelowe clothes, fastened with cordes of fine silke and purple, in siluer ringes, vpon pillers of marble stones: The benches also were of golde and siluer made vpon a pauement of greene, white, yelowe, and blacke marble.
7 And they dranke in vessels of gold, and chaunged vessel after vessel, and royal wine in aboundaunce, according to the power of the king.
8 And the drinking was by an order, none might compell: for so the king had appoynted to all the officers of his house, that they shoulde do according to euery mans pleasure.
9 And the queene Uasthi made a feast also for the women in the palace of Ahasuerus.
10 And on the seuenth day when the king was mery after the wine, he commaunded Nehuma, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagthan, Zethar, and Charchas, the seuen chamberlayns that did seruice in the presence of king Ahasuerus,
11 To fetch the queene Uasthi with the crowne regall into the kinges presence, that he might shewe the people & princes her fairenesse: for she was beautifull.
12 But the queene Uasthi would not come at the kinges worde by his chamberlaynes: Then was the king very wroth, and his indignation kindled in hym.
13 And the king spake to the wyse men which knewe the times (for so was the kinges maner towardes all that knewe the lawe and the iudgementes:
14 And the next vnto hym were, Carsena, Sethar, Admata, Thersis, Mares, Marsena, and Memuchan, the seuen princes of Persia and Media, whiche sawe the kinges face, and sate the first in the kingdome.)
15 What, shall we do vnto the queene Uasthi according to the lawe, because she dyd not according to the worde of the king Ahasuerus whiche he commaunded by his chamberlaynes?
16 And Memuchan aunswered before the king & the princes: The queene Uasthi hath not onely done euyll against the king, but also against all the princes, and against all the people that are in all the prouinces of king Ahasuerus.
17 For this deede of the queene shall come abrode vnto all women, so that they shall despise their husbandes before their eyes, and shall say: The king Ahasuerus commaunded Uasthi the queene to be brought in before hym, but she woulde not come.
18 And so shal the princesses in Persia and Media say lykewise this day vnto al the kinges princes when they heare of this deede of the queene: thus shal there arise to much despitefulnesse and wrath.
19 If it please the king, let there go a commaundement from hym, and let it be written according to the lawes of the Persians and Medians, and not to be transgressed, that Uasthi come no more before king Ahasuerus, and let the king geue her royal estate vnto an other that is better then she.
20 And when this commaundement of the king which shalbe made, is published throughout all his empire whiche is great, all women shall holde their husbandes in honour both among great and small.
21 Thus saying pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the worde of Memucan.
22 For he sent letters foorth into all the kinges prouinces, into euery lande according to the wryting therof, and to euery people after their language, that euery man shoulde be lorde in his owne house: and this to be published after the language of his people.
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.