1   Mardocheus the sonne of Iari, the sonne of Semei, the sonne of Cis of the tribe of Beniamin,

2   A Iewe, which had his dwelling in the citie of Susis, a man of great reputation, and excellent among all them that were in the kynges court.

3    ^noteNeuerthelesse, he was one of the prisoners whom Nabuchodonosor the kyng of Babylon had caryed away from Hierusalem vnto Babylon, with Iechonias the kyng of Iuda.

4   In the seconde yere of the raigne of great Artaxerxes, in the first day of the moneth Nisan, had this Mardocheus suche a dreame.

5   He thought he heard a great tempest, horrible thunderclappes, earthquakes, and great vprore in the lande,

6   And that he sawe two great dragons redie to fight one against another. B   

7   Their crye was great: At the whiche roaring ∧ crye, all the heathen were vp to fight against the righteous people.

8   And the same day was full of darkenesse and very vncleare, full of trouble and anguishe, yea a great fearefulnesse was there in the lande.

9   The righteous were amased, for they feared the plague and euyll that was deuised ouer them, and were at a poynt with them selues to dye: So they cryed vnto God.

10   And whyle they were crying, the litle well grewe into a great riuer, and into many waters.

11   And with that it was day, and the sunne rose vp agayne: And the lowly were exalted, and deuoured the glorious and proude.

12   Nowe when Mardocheus had seene this dreame, he awoke, ∧ mused stedfastly in his heart what God would do, and so he desired to know al the matter, and his mind was thervpon vntil night.

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