1 WYC The kyng ledde that nyyt with out sleep, and he comaundide the stories and the bookis of yeeris `of formere tymes to be brouyt to hym. And whanne tho weren red in his presense, BSB BSB: That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
2 WYC me cam to the place, where it was writun, hou Mardochee hadde teld the tresouns of Gabathan and Thares, oneste seruauntis, couetynge to strangle kyng Assuerus. BSB BSB: And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
3 WYC And whanne the kyng hadde herd this, he seide, What onour and meede gat Mardochee for this feithfulnesse? And hise seruauntis and mynystris seiden to hym, Outirli he took no meede. BSB BSB: The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king’s attendants.
4 WYC And anoon the kyng seide, Who is in the halle? Sotheli Aaman hadde entrid in to the ynnere halle of the kyngis hows, to make suggestioun to the kyng, that he schulde comaunde Mardochee to be hangid on the iebat, which was maad redi to him. BSB BSB: “Who is in the court?” the king asked. Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him.
5 WYC And the children answeriden, Aaman stondith in the halle. BSB BSB: So the king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” ordered the king.
6 WYC And the kyng seide, Entre he. And whanne he was comun yn, the kyng seide to hym, What owith to be don to the man, whom the kyng desirith onoure? Aaman thouyte in his herte, and gesside, that the kyng wolde onoure noon othere man no but hym silf; BSB BSB: Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me?”
7 WYC and he answeride, The man, whom the kyng couetith to onoure, BSB BSB: And Haman told the king, “For the man whom the king is delighted to honor,
8 WYC owith to be clothid with the kyngis clothis, and to be set on the hors which is of the kyngis sadel, and to take the kyngis diademe on his heed; BSB BSB: have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head.
9 WYC and the firste of the princes and stronge men of the kyng holde his hors, and go bi the stretis of the citee, and crie, and seie, Thus he schal be onourid, whom euer the kyng wole onoure. BSB BSB: Let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them array the man the king wants to honor and parade him on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!’”
10 WYC Therfor the kyng seide to hym, Haste thou, and whanne `a stoole and hors is takun, do thou, as thou hast spoke, to Mardochee the Jew, that sittith bifor the yatis of the paleis; be thou war, that thou leeue not out ony thing of these, whiche thou hast spoke. BSB BSB: “Hurry,” said the king to Haman, “and do just as you proposed. Take the robe and the horse to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything that you have suggested.”
11 WYC Therfor Aaman took `a stoole and hors, and yede, and criede bifor Mardochee clothid in the strete of the citee, and set on `the hors, He is worthi this onour, whom euer the kyng wole onoure. BSB BSB: So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai, and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!”
12 WYC And Mardochee turnede ayen to the yate of the paleis, and Aaman hastide to go in to his hows, morenynge, and with the heed hilid. BSB BSB: Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
13 WYC And he teld to Zares, his wijf, and to frendis alle thingis that hadden bifelde to hym. To whom the wise men, whiche he hadde in counsel, and his wijf, answeriden, If Mardochee, bifor whom thou hast bigunne to falle, is of the seed of Jewis, thou schalt not mowe ayenstonde hym, but thou schalt falle in his siyt. BSB BSB: Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him—for surely you will fall before him.”
14 WYC Yit while thei spaken, the oneste seruauntis and chast of the kyng camen, and compelliden hym to go soone to the feeste, which the queen hadde maad redi. BSB BSB: While they were still speaking with Haman, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.