Textus Receptus Bibles
The Great Bible 1539
| 4:1 | When Mardocheus perceaued all that was done, he rente his clothes and put on sack cloth, with asshes, and went out into the myddes of the cytie, and cryed loud and lamentably, |
| 4:2 | & came before the kynges gate: but he myght not entre within the kynges gate, because he had sack cloth on. |
| 4:3 | And in all landes, countrees, & places, as farre as the kynges worde and commaundment extended, there was greate lamentacion among the Iewes, fasting, weping, and mourning, and many laye in sack clothes & in asshes. |
| 4:4 | So Esthers damosels and her chamberlaynes, came & told it her. Then was the quene exceadyngly astonnied. And she sent rayment, that Mardocheus shulde put on, and laye the sack cloth from him. But Mardocheus wold not take them. |
| 4:5 | Then called Esther Hathath one of the kynges chamberlaynes (whych stode before her) and gaue him a commaundment vnto Mardocheus, that he might knowe what it were, wherfore he dyd so. |
| 4:6 | So Hathat went forth to Mardocheus vnto the strete of the cytie, whych was before the kynges gate. |
| 4:7 | And Mardocheus tolde him of all that had happened vnto him, and of the summe of syluer that Haman had promised to weye downe into the kynges treasury, because of the Iewes yf he wolde destroye them |
| 4:8 | (& he gaue hym the copye of the kynges commaundement, that was deuysed at Susan, to destroye them, that he might shewe it vnto Esther) and to speake to her, and charge her, that she shuld go into the kyng, and make her prayer and supplicacion vnto him for her people. |
| 4:9 | And when Hathath came in, he told Esther the wordes of Mardocheus. |
| 4:10 | And agayne, Esther spake vnto Hathath, & commaunded him to saye vnto Mardocheus: |
| 4:11 | all the kynges seruauntes, & the people in the landes of the kynge, knowe that whosoeuer commeth within the court vnto the kyng, whether it be man or woman, whych is not called, the commaundment is, that the same shall dye, excepte the kynge holde out the golden scepter vnto him for then he shall lyue. As for me, I haue not bene called to come into the kyng now this thyrtie dayes. |
| 4:12 | And they certifyed Mardocheus of Esthers wordes, |
| 4:13 | & Mardocheus bad saye agayne vnto Esther, thynke not to saue thyne awne lyfe, while thou art in the kynges house, before all Iewes: |
| 4:14 | for yf thou holdest thy peace at this tyme, then shall the Iewes haue helpe and deliueraunce out of another place, & thou & thy fathers house shalbe destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kyngdom, for this causes sake? |
| 4:15 | Esther had them geue Mardocheus this answer: |
| 4:16 | Go thou thy waye, and gether together all the Iewes that are found at Susan, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not and drynke not in thre dayes, nether daye nor nyght. I and my damosels will fast lykewise, and so will I go into the kyng, which thing yet, is contrary to the commaundment: and yf I perishe, I perishe. |
| 4:17 | So Mardocheus went his waye, & dyd all that Esther had commaunded him. |
The Great Bible 1539
The Great Bible of 1539 was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. The Great Bible was prepared by Myles Coverdale, working under commission of Thomas, Lord Cromwell, Secretary to Henry VIII and Vicar General. In 1538, Cromwell directed the clergy to provide "one book of the bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it."