Textus Receptus Bibles
Matthew's Bible 1537
| 2:1 | After these actes when the displeasure of king Ahasuerus was laied, he thought vpon Vasthi, what she had done, and what was concluded concernynge her. |
| 2:2 | Then sayd the kynges seruauntes: Let there be fayre young virgins soughte for the king, |
| 2:3 | and let the king appoynte ouersears in all the landes of hys empyre, that they maye brynge together all fayre younge virgins vnto the castell of Susan to the wemens buyldynge, vnder the hand of Hagei the kynges chamberlayne, that kepeth the Wemen, and let hym geue them their apparell. |
| 2:4 | And loke whiche Damosell pleaseth the kyng, let her be quene in Vasthis steade. This pleaseth the kyng, and he did so. |
| 2:5 | In the castel of Susan there was a Iewe, whose name was Mardocheus, the sonne of Iair, the sonne of Semei, the sonne of Cis the sonne of Iemini, |
| 2:6 | whyche was caryed awaye from Ierusalem, when Iekoniah the kinge of Iuda was led awaye (whom Nabuchodozor the kinge of Babilon caryed awaye) |
| 2:7 | and he noryshed Hadasah (that is Esther) hys vncles doughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and she was a fayre and beutiful Damosel. And when her father and mother dyed, Marchodeus receyued her as hys own doughter. |
| 2:8 | Now when the kynges commaundement and commission was publyshed, and many Damoselles were broughte together vnto the castel of Susan, vnder the hande of Hagei, Esther was taken also vnto the kinges house vnder the hand of Hagei the keper of the wemen, |
| 2:9 | and the damosel pleased him, & she found grace in hys sighte. And he caused her oyntment to be geuen her, and her gyftes, & gaue her seuen notable gentyl wemen of the kynges house, and arayed bothe her and her gentyll wemen very richely in the house of the wemen. |
| 2:10 | But Esther shewed not her people nor her kynred: for Mardocheus had charged her that she shoulde no tell it. |
| 2:11 | And Mardocheus walked euery daye before the courte of the wemens buyldynge, that he myghte knowe howe Esther dyd, and what shoulde become of her. |
| 2:12 | And when the appoynted tyme of euery damosell came that she shoulde come to the kynge Ahasuerus, after that she had ben twelue monethes in the deckynge of the wemen (for their deckynge most haue so muche tyme, namely sixe monethes wyth Balme & Mirre, & syxe Monethes with good spices, so were the wemen beutyfyed) |
| 2:13 | then wente one damosell vnto the kinge, and whatsoeuer she required, that must be geuen her to go wyth her out of the wemens buylding vnto the kinges palace. |
| 2:14 | And when one came in the euenynge, that same went from hym on the morowe into the seconde house of wemen, vnder the hande of Sasagas the kynges chamberlain, whyche kepte the concubynes. And she must come vnto the kynge no more, excepte it pleased the kynge, and that he caused her to be called by name. |
| 2:15 | Now when the tyme came of Esther the doughter of Abihail Mardocheus vncle (whom he had receyued as hys owne doughter) that she shoulde come to the kyng, she desyred nothynge but what Hagei the kinges chamberlayne the keper of the wemen sayde. And Esther founde fauoure in the syghte of all them that loked vpon her. |
| 2:16 | And Esther was taken vnto kynge Ahasuerus into the house royall, in the tenth moneth whyche is called Tebeth, in the seuenth yeare of hys raygne. |
| 2:17 | And the kinge loued Esther aboue all the wemen, and she founde grace and mercy in his syghte before all the virgins: and he sette the quenes croune vpon her heade, and made her quene in steade of Vasthi. |
| 2:18 | And the kinge made a great feaste vnto all hys prynces and seruauntes (whyche feaste was because of Esther) and let the landes be in quyetnes, & gaue royall gyftes. |
| 2:19 | And when the virgins were gathered together the seconde tyme, Mardocheus sat in the kinges gate. |
| 2:20 | And as yet had not Esther shewed her kinred & her people, according as Mardocheus had bidden her: for Esther dyd after the worde of Mardocheus, like as when he was her tutoure. |
| 2:21 | At the same tyme whyle Mardocheus sat in the kynges gate, two of the kinges chamberlaynes Bagathan and Thares whiche kepte the dore, were wroth, & sought to laye their handes on the kynge Ahasuerus: |
| 2:22 | wherof Mardocheus gat knoweledge, & tolde it vnto quene Esther, & Esther certyfied the kinge therof in Mardocheus name. |
| 2:23 | And when inquisicion was made, it was founde so. And they were bothe hanged on tre: and it was written in the Chronycles before the kinge. |
Matthew's Bible 1537
The Matthew Bible, also known as Matthew's Version, was first published in 1537 by John Rogers, under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew". It combined the New Testament of William Tyndale, and as much of the Old Testament as he had been able to translate before being captured and put to death, with the translations of Myles Coverdale as to the balance of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha, except the Apocryphal Prayer of Manasses. It is thus a vital link in the main sequence of English Bible translations.