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 giueth counſell that hee might doe him honour, 12 complayning of his misfortune, his friends tell him of his finall deſtinie.

N that night † could not the King ſleepe, and hee commanded to bring the booke of Records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of ‖ Bigthana, and Tereſh, two of the kings chamberlens, the keepers of the † doore, who ſought to lay hand on the king Ahaſuerus.

And the king ſaid, What honour and dignitie hath bene done to Mordecai for this? Then said the kings ſeruants that miniſtred vnto him, There is nothing done for him.

¶ And the king ſaid, Who is in the court? (now Haman was come into the outward court of the kings houſe, to ſpeake vnto the king, to hang Mordecai on the gallows that hee had prepared for him.)

And the kings ſeruants ſaid vnto him, Behold, Haman ſtandeth in the court. And the King ſaide, Let him come in.

So Haman came in, and the king ſaid vnto him, What ſhall be done vnto the man † whom the king delighteth to honour? (now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to doe honour, more then to my ſelfe?)

And Haman anſwered the king, For the man † whom the king delighteth to honour,

† Let the royall apparell bee brought, † which the King vſeth to weare, and the horſe that the King rideth vpon, and the crowne royal which is ſet vpon his head:

And let this apparell and horſe bee deliuered to the hand of one of the kings moſt noble Princes, that they may aray the man withall, whom the king delighteth to honour, and † bring him on horſebacke through the ſtreete of the city, and proclaime before him, thus ſhal it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

Then the king ſaide to Haman, Make haſte, and take the apparell, and the horſe, as thou haſt ſaid, and doe euen ſo to Mordecai the Iew, that ſitteth at the Kings gate: † let nothing faile of all that thou haſt ſpoken.

Then tooke Haman the apparell, and the horſe, ⁊ arayed Mordecai, and brought him on horſ-backe through the ſtreete of the city, and proclaimed before him: Thus ſhall it bee done vnto the man whom the King delighteth to honour.

¶ And Mordecai came againe to the kings gate: but Haman haſted to his houſe, mourning, and hauing his head couered.

And Haman told Zereſh his wife, and all his friends, euery thing that had befallen him. Then ſaide his wiſe men, and Zereſh his wife vnto him, If Mordecai be of the ſeed of the Iewes, before whom thou haſt begun to fall, thou ſhalt not preuaile againſt him, but ſhalt ſurely fall before him.

And while they were yet talking with him, came the kings chamberlens, and haſted to bring Haman vnto the banquet that Eſther had prepared.

O the King and Haman came † to banquet with Eſther the Queene.

And the king ſaid againe vnto Eſther, on the ſecond day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, Queene Eſther, and it ſhalbe granted thee? and what is thy requeſt? and it ſhall bee performed, euen to the halfe of the kingdome.

Then Eſther the Queene anſwered, and ſaid; If I haue found fauour in thy ſight, O King, and if it pleaſe the King, let my life be giuen me at my petition, and my people at my requeſt.

For we are ſold, I and my people, † to be deſtroyed, to be ſlaine, and to periſh: but if we had bene ſold for bondmen, and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not counteruaile the kings dammage.

¶ Then the king Ahaſuerus anſwered, ⁊ ſaid vnto Eſther the Queene: Who is he? and where is he, † that durſt preſume in his heart to do ſo?

And Eſther ſaid, † The aduerſary and enemie, is this wicked Haman. Then