1   Qveene Esther also, being in danger of death, resorted vnto the Lord,

2   And layd away her glorious apparell, and put on the garments of sighing, and mourning. In the stead of precious oyntment, she scattered ashes, and dongue vpon her head: and she humbled her body greatly with fasting, and all the places of her ioy filled she with the heare that she pluckt off.

3   And she prayed vnto the Lord God of Israel, saying, O my Lorde, thou onely art our King: helpe me desolate woman, which haue no helper but thee.

4   For my danger is at hand.

5   From my youth vp I haue heard in the kinred of my father, that thou, O Lord, tookest Israel from among all people, and our fathers from their predecessours for a perpetuall inheritance, and thou hast performed that which thou didest promise them.

6   Now Lord, we haue sinned before thee: therefore hast thou giuen vs into þe; hands of our enemies.

7   Because we worshipped their gods, O Lorde, thou art righteous.

8   Neuerthelesse, it satisfieth them not, that we are in bitter captiuitie, but they haue stroken hands with their idoles,

9   That they wil abolish the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordeined, & destroy thine inherit&abar;ce, to shut vp the mouth of them that praise thee, and to quench the glory of thy Temple, and of thine altar,

10   And to open the mouths of the heathen, that they may praise the power of the idoles, and to magnifie a fleshly King for euer.

11   O Lord, giue not thy scepter vnto them that be nothing, lest they laugh vs to scorne in our miserie: but turne their deuise vpon th&ebar;selues, and make him an example, that hath begunne the same against vs.

12   Thinke vpon vs, O Lord, and shewe thy selfe vnto vs in the time of our distresse, and strengthen me, O King of gods, and Lord of all power.

13   Giue me an eloquent speach in my mouth before the Lion: turne his heart to hate our enemie, to destroy him, and all such as consent vnto him.

14   But deliuer vs &wt; thine hand, and helpe me that am solitary, which haue no defence but onely thee.

15   Thou knowest all things, O Lord: thou knowest, that I hate the glory of the vnrighteous, and that I abhorre the bed of the vncircumcised, and of all the heathen.

16   Thou knowest my necessitie: for I hate this token of my preeminence, which I beare vpon mine head, what time as I must shewe my selfe, and that I abhorre it as a menstruous cloth, and that I weare it not when I am alone by my selfe,

17   And that I thine handmayde haue not eaten at Amans table, and that I haue had no pleasure in the Kings feast, nor drunke the wine of the drinke offerings,

18   And that I thine handmayde haue no ioye since the day that I was brought hither, vntill this day, but in thee, O Lord God of Abraham.

19   O thou mighty God aboue al, heare the voyce of them, þt; haue none other hope, & deliuer vs out of the hand of þe; wicked, & deliuer me out of my feare.

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