Esther 14

1Queen Esther also, fearing the danger that was at hand, had recourse to the Lord.

2And when she had laid away her royal apparel, she put on garments suitable for weeping and mourning: instead of divers precious ointments, she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she humbled her body with fasts: and all the places in which before she was accustomed to rejoice, she filled with her torn hair.

3And she prayed to the Lord the God of Israel, saying: O my Lord, who alone art our king, help me a desolate woman, and who have no other helper but thee.

4My danger is in my hands.

5I have heard of my father that thou, O Lord, didst take Israel from among all nations, and our fathers from all their predecessors, to possess them as an everlasting inheritance, and thou hast done to them as thou hast promised.

6We have sinned in thy sight, and therefore thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies:

7For we have worshipped their gods. Thou art just, O Lord.

8And now they are not content to oppress us with most hard bondage, but attributing the strength of their hands to the power of their idols,

9They design to change thy promises, and destroy thy inheritance, and shut the mouths of them that praise thee, and extinguish the glory of thy temple and altar,

10That they may open the mouths of Gentiles, and praise the strength of idols, and magnify for ever a carnal king.

11Give not, O Lord, thy sceptre to them that are not, lest they laugh at our ruin: but turn their counsel upon themselves, and destroy him that hath begun to rage against us.

12Remember, O Lord, and shew thyself to us in the time of our tribulation, and give me boldness, O Lord, king of gods, and of all power:

13Give me a well ordered speech in my mouth in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to the hatred of our enemy, that both he himself may perish, and the rest that consent to him.

14But deliver us by thy hand, and help me, who have no other helper, but thee, O Lord, who hast the knowledge of all things.

15And thou knowest that I hate the glory of the wicked, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised, and of every stranger.

16Thou knowest my necessity, that I abominate the sign of my pride and glory, which is upon my head in the days of my public appearance, and detest it as a menstruous rag, and wear it not in the days of my silence,

17And that I have not eaten at Aman’s table, nor hath the king’s banquet pleased me, and that I have not drunk the wine of the drink offerings:

18And that thy handmaid hath never rejoiced, since I was brought hither unto this day, but in thee, O Lord, the God of Abraham.

19O God, who art mighty above all, hear the voice of them, that have no other hope, and deliver us from the hand of the wicked, and deliver me from my fear.

1Esther quoque regina confugit ad Dominum, pavens periculum quod imminebat.

2Cumque deposuisset vestes regias, fletibus et luctui apta indumenta suscepit, et pro unguentis variis, cinere et stercore implevit caput, et corpus suum humiliavit jejuniis: omniaque loca, in quibus antea lætari consueverat, crinium laceratione complevit.

3Et deprecabatur Dominum Deum Israël, dicens: Domine mi, qui rex noster es solus, adjuva me solitariam, et cujus præter te nullus est auxiliator alius.

4Periculum meum in manibus meis est.

5Audivi a patre meo quod tu, Domine, tulisses Israël de cunctis gentibus, et patres nostros ex omnibus retro majoribus suis, ut possideres hæreditatem sempiternam, fecistique eis sicut locutus es.

6Peccavimus in conspectu tuo, et idcirco tradidisti nos in manus inimicorum nostrorum:

7coluimus enim deos eorum. Justus es Domine:

8et nunc non eis sufficit, quod durissima nos opprimunt servitute, sed robur manuum suarum, idolorum potentiæ deputantes,

9volunt tua mutare promissa, et delere hæreditatem tuam, et claudere ora laudantium te, atque extinguere gloriam templi et altaris tui,

10ut aperiant ora gentium, et laudent idolorum fortitudinem, et prædicent carnalem regem in sempiternum.

11Ne tradas, Domine, sceptrum tuum his, qui non sunt, ne rideant ad ruinam nostram: sed converte consilium eorum super eos, et eum qui in nos cœpit sævire, disperde.

12Memento, Domine, et ostende te nobis in tempore tribulationis nostræ, et da mihi fiduciam, Domine rex deorum, et universæ potestatis:

13tribue sermonem compositum in ore meo in conspectu leonis, et transfer cor illius in odium hostis nostri, ut et ipse pereat, et ceteri qui ei consentiunt.

14Nos autem libera manu tua, et adjuva me, nullum aliud auxilium habentem nisi te, Domine, qui habes omnium scientiam,

15et nosti quia oderim gloriam iniquorum, et detester cubile incircumcisorum, et omnis alienigenæ.

16Tu scis necessitatem meam, quod abominer signum superbiæ et gloriæ meæ, quod est super caput meum in diebus ostentationis meæ, et detester illud quasi pannum menstruatæ, et non portem in diebus silentii mei,

17et quod non comederim in mensa Aman, nec mihi placuerit convivium regis, et non biberim vinum libaminum:

18et numquam lætata sit ancilla tua, ex quo huc translata sum usque in præsentem diem, nisi in te, Domine Deus Abraham.

19Deus fortis super omnes, exaudi vocem eorum qui nullam aliam spem habent, et libera nos de manu iniquorum, et erue me a timore meo.

1Queen Esther also, fearing the danger that was imminent, fled to the Lord.

2And when she had put aside her royal apparel, she took up garments suitable for weeping and mourning, and instead of various ointments, she covered her head with ashes from burnt dung, and she humbled her body with fasting, and all the aspects of her beauty she covered with her torn hair.

3And she begged the Lord God of Israel, saying, “My Lord, who alone is our King, help me, a solitary woman, for there is no other helper but you.

4My peril is close at hand.

5I have heard from my father that you, Lord, chose Israel from among all nations and our fathers from among all their former ancestors, to possess them as an everlasting inheritance, and you have done for them just as you said.

6We have sinned in your sight, and therefore you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies,

7for we have worshipped their gods. You are just, O Lord.

8And now they are not content to oppress us with a very difficult servitude, but attributing the strength of their hands to the power of their idols,

9they want to alter your promises, and erase your inheritance, and close the mouths of those who praise you, and extinguish the glory of your temple and your altar,

10so that they may open the mouths of the nations, and praise the strength of idols, and proclaim a worldly king in perpetuity.

11Lord, do not hand over your scepter to that which does not exist, lest they laugh at our ruin, but turn their counsel upon themselves and destroy him who has begun to rage against us.

12Be mindful, Lord, and show yourself to us in the time of our tribulation, and give me faith, Lord, King of gods and of every power.

13Grant fitting words to my mouth in the sight of the lion, and transform his heart to hate our enemy, so that both he, and the others who conspire with him, may perish.

14But free us by your hand, and help me, who has no other helper but you, Lord, who holds the knowledge of all things.

15And you know that I hate the glory of the wicked, and I detest the bed of the uncircumcised, and of all outsiders.

16You know my necessity, that I loathe the sign of my exaltation and glory, which is on my head in the days of my exhibition, and that I detest it like a menstruous rag and do not wear it in the days of my silence,

17and that I have not eaten at Haman’s table, nor has the king’s feasts pleased me, and that I have not drunk the wine of his libations,

18and that your handmaid has never rejoiced, from the time that I was carried here until this very day, except in you, Lord, God of Abraham.

19O God, whose strength is above all things, heed the voice of those who have no other hope, and free us from the hand of the wicked, and rescue me from my fear.”