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And the king said, '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. And the king's servants said unto him, ‘Behold, Haman standeth in the 'court.' And the king said, 'Let him come in.' So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, 'What 'shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to 'honour?' Now Haman thought in his heart, 'To whom 'would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?' And Haman answered the king, 'For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crownroyal which is set upon his head : and let this apparel ' and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's 'most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim 'before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom 'the king delighteth to honour." Then the king said to Haman, 'Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse,

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as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai, the Jew, 'that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all 'that thou hast spoken.' Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, 'Thus shall it be done unto the man whom 'the king delighteth to honour.'

And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered. And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all

his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, 'If Mordecai 'be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun 'to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt 'surely fall before him.'. And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared. So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, 'What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half ' of the kingdom.' Then Esther the queen answered and said, 'If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if 'it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. 'But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, 'I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not 'countervail the king's damage.'

Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, 'Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?' And Esther said, 'The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.' Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, 'Behold, also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the 'king, standeth in the house of Haman.' Then the king said, 'Hang him thereon.' So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king, and said, 'If it please the king, and if I have 'found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before 'the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written ' to reverse the letters devised by Haman, which he wrote 'to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces: 'for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto

my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction ' of my kindred ?'

Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, 'Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon 'the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. 'Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing ' which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.' And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries: wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy,

slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and provinces that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour. And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast, and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them. And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

THE BOOK OF EZRA.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying

'Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, "The LORD GOD of ' heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and 'He hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, ' which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his 'people? his GOD be with him, and let him go up to 'Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of 'the LORD GOD of Israel, (HE is the GOD,) which is ' in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place 'where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him 'with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with 'beasts, beside the freewill-offering for the house of GOD 'that is in Jerusalem."'

Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit GOD had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had broug