18 The Jews in the city of Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day and rested; and they also observed the fifteenth with joy and gladness. 19 On this account then, the Jews dispersed in every foreign land keep the fourteenth of Adar as a† holy day with joy, each sending gifts of food to his neighbour.
20 Mordecai wrote these things in a book and sent them to the Jews, as many as were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, both those who were near and those who were far away, 21 to establish these as joyful days and to keep the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar; 22 for on these days the Jews obtained rest from their enemies; and in that month, which was Adar, in which a change was made for them from mourning to joy, and from sorrow to a holiday, to spend the whole of it in good days of‡ feasting and gladness, sending portions to their friends and to the poor. 23 And the Jews consented to this as Mordecai wrote to them, 24 showing how Haman the son of Hammedatha the Macedonian fought against them, how he made a decree and cast§ lots to destroy them utterly; 25 also how he went in to the king, telling him to hang Mordecai; but all the calamities he tried to bring upon the Jews came upon himself, and he was hanged, along with his children. 26 Therefore these days were called Purim, because of the lots (for in their language they are called Purim) because of the words of this letter, and because of all they suffered on this account, and all that happened to them. 27 Mordecai established it, and the Jews took upon themselves, upon their offspring, and upon those who were joined to them to observe it, neither would they on any account behave differently; but these days were to be a memorial kept in every generation, city, family, and province. 28 These days of Purim shall be kept forever, and their memorial shall not fail in any generation.
29 Queen Esther the daughter of Aminadab and Mordecai the Jew wrote all that they had done, and gave the confirmation of the letter about Purim. 31 Mordecai and Esther the queen established this decision on their own, pledging their own well-being to their plan. 32 And Esther established it by a command forever, and it was written for a memorial.
10
1 The king levied a tax upon his kingdom both by land and sea. 2 As for his strength and valour, and the wealth and glory of his kingdom, behold, they are written in the book of the Persians and Medes for a memorial.
3 Mordecai† was viceroy to King Ahasuerus, and was a great man in the kingdom, honoured by the Jews, and lived his life loved by all his nation.‡ 4 [Mordecai said, “These things have come from God. 5 For I remember the dream which I had concerning these matters; for not one detail of them has failed. 6 There was the little spring which became a river, and there was light, and the sun and much water. The river is Esther, whom the king married and made queen. 7 The two serpents are Haman and me. 8 The nations are those which combined to destroy the name of the Jews. 9 But as for my nation, this is Israel, even those who cried to God and were delivered; for the Lord delivered his people. The Lord rescued us out of all these calamities; and God worked such signs and great wonders as have not been done amongst the nations. 10 Therefore he ordained two lots. One for the people of God, and one for all the other nations. 11 And these two lots came for an appointed season, and for a day of judgement, before God, and for all the nations. 12 God remembered his people and vindicated his inheritance. 13 They shall observe these days in the month Adar, on the fourteenth and on the fifteenth day of the month, with an assembly, joy, and gladness before God, throughout the generations forever amongst his people Israel. 14 In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemeus and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and Levite, and Ptolemeus his son brought this letter of Purim, which they said was authentic, and that Lysimachus the son of Ptolemeus, who was in Jerusalem, had interpreted.]
† 1:1: Note: In the Hebrew and some copies of LXX, Esther begins here.
‡ 1:1: Greek words.
§ 1:11: Greek to make her queen.
† 1:17: Greek contradicted.
† 3:13: Note: The part in brackets is not in Hebrew
† 4:17: Note: The part between brackets, i.e. to the end of chapter 5 is not in the Hebrew
‡ 4:32: Greek in my hand.
§ 4:38: Greek virtues.
† 4:43: Or, opinion.
‡ 4:44: Greek vision.
† 5:1: From the first verse to the third, the Greek widely differs from the Hebrew
‡ 5:14: Greek a tree cut.
† 6:1: Greek letters.
‡ 6:2: Greek letters.
§ 6:9: Or, wide space.
† 7:4: see Hebrew: slanderer
‡ 7:9: Or, impaled.
† 8:6: Greek country.
‡ 8:9: Greek stewards.
§ 8:13: the passages in brackets are not in the Hebrew.
† 8:13: perhaps rulers, see Luke 22. 25.
‡ 8:13: Greek contrived.
§ 8:13: Greek not having borne.
† 8:13: Greek spirit.
‡ 8:13: Greek thrice guilty.
§ 8:13: Greek greatest.
† 9:19: Greek good day.
‡ 9:22: Greek weddings.
§ 9:24: Greek lot.
† 10:3: Greek succeded to Or, came into the place of.
‡ 10:3: the passages in brackets are not in the Hebrew.
Daniel (Greek)
The Book of Daniel
with Greek Portions
1
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord† gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God;‡ and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. He brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
3 The king spoke to Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, even of the royal offspring§ and of the nobles— 4 youths in whom was no defect, but well-favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and endowed with knowledge, and understanding science, and who had the ability to serve in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s delicacies, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at its end they should serve the king.
6 Now amongst these were of the children of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God made Daniel find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. 10 The prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? Then you would endanger my head with the king.”
11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 12 “Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our faces be examined before you, and the face of the youths who eat of the king’s delicacies; and as you see, deal with your servants.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of ten days, their faces appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths who ate of the king’s delicacies. 16 So the steward took away their delicacies, and the wine that they would drink, and gave them vegetables.
17 Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 At the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them; and amongst them all was found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they served the king. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in all his realm.
21 Daniel continued serving even to the first year of King Cyrus.
2
1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamt dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be called to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I have dreamt a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”
4
