Esther Addition C— Prayers of Mordecai and Esther

Then Mordecai prayed to the Lord, calling to mind all the works of the Lord.

Greek: Καὶ ἐδεήθη Μαρδοχαῖος τοῦ κυρίου μνημονεύων πάντα τὰ ἔργα κυρίου

And he said, 'O Lord, Lord, you who rule as King over all things, the universe is in your power,

Greek: καὶ εἶπεν Κύριε κύριε βασιλεῦ πάντα κρατῶν

and there is no one who can stand against you when you are determined to save Israel.'

Greek: καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιτάξεται σοι

'For you made heaven and earth and every wondrous thing under heaven.

Greek: σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν

You are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist you, O Lord.'

Greek: σὺ εἶ κύριος πάντων

'You know all things. You know, O Lord, that it was not out of insolence or pride or desire for glory that I refused to bow to this arrogant Haman.

Greek: σὺ πάντα γινώσκεις

For I would have willingly kissed the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel.'

Greek: ὅτι ηὐδόκουν φιλεῖν πέλματα ποδῶν αὐτοῦ πρὸς σωτηρίαν Ισραηλ

'But I did this so as not to place the glory of a mortal above the glory of God. And I will not bow to anyone except you, my Lord,

Greek: ἀλλ᾽ ἐποίησα τοῦτο ἵνα μὴ θῶ δόξαν ἀνθρώπου ὑπεράνω δόξης θεοῦ

and I do not do this out of arrogance.'

Greek: καὶ οὐ ποιήσω αὐτὰ ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ

'And now, O Lord God and King, God of Abraham — spare your people!

Greek: καὶ νῦν κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ βασιλεύς ὁ θεὸς Αβρααμ

For our enemies look upon us with envy and desire to destroy the inheritance that has been yours from the beginning.

Greek: ὅτι ἐπιβλέπουσιν ἡμῖν εἰς καταφθοράν

Do not disregard your portion, which you redeemed for yourself from the land of Egypt.'

Greek: μὴ ὑπερίδῃς τὴν μερίδα σου ἣν ἐλυτρώσω ἑαυτῷ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

'Hear my prayer and have mercy on your inheritance. Turn our mourning into feasting, so that we may live and sing praise to your name, O Lord.'

Greek: εἰσάκουσον τῆς δεήσεώς μου

'Do not silence the lips of those who praise you.'

Greek: καὶ μὴ κλείσῃς στόματα τῶν αἰνούντων σε

And all Israel cried out with all their strength, for death was before their eyes.

Greek: καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ ἐκέκραξεν ἐξ ἰσχύος αὐτῶν

Then Queen Esther, gripped by mortal anguish, fled to the Lord.

Greek: Καὶ Εσθηρ ἡ βασίλισσα κατέφυγεν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον

She removed her splendid garments and dressed in clothes of distress and mourning. In place of costly perfumes, she covered her head with ashes and dung.

Greek: καὶ ἀφείλατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς δόξης αὐτῆς

She humbled her body severely, and every part she had loved to adorn she covered with her tangled hair.

Greek: καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς σφόδρα

And she prayed to the Lord God of Israel and said: 'O my Lord, you alone are our King.

Greek: καὶ ἐδεήθη κυρίου θεοῦ Ισραηλ

Help me, for I am alone and have no helper except you.

Greek: βοήθησόν μοι τῇ μόνῃ

For my peril is close at hand.'

Greek: ὅτι κίνδυνός μου ἐν χειρί μου

'From my birth I have heard in the tribe of my family that you, O Lord, chose Israel from among all the nations,'

Greek: ἐγὼ ἤκουον ἐκ γενετῆς μου ἐν φυλῇ πατριᾶς μου

and our fathers from among all who came before them, as an everlasting inheritance, and you have fulfilled for them all that you promised.'

Greek: καὶ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν ἐκ πάντων τῶν προγόνων αὐτῶν

'And now we have sinned before you, and you have handed us over to our enemies,

Greek: καὶ νῦν ἡμάρτομεν ἐνώπιόν σου

because we glorified their gods. O Lord, you are righteous!'

Greek: ὅτι ἐδοξάσαμεν τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν

'And now they are not satisfied with our bitter slavery, but they have made a covenant with their idols

Greek: καὶ νῦν οὐχ ἱκανώθησαν

to abolish the decree of your mouth, to destroy your inheritance, to silence the lips of those who praise you,

Greek: τοῦ ἐξᾶραι τὸ ὁρισθὲν τοῦ στόματός σου

to extinguish the glory of your house and your altar, and to open the mouths of the nations for the praise of worthless idols.'

Greek: καὶ σβέσαι δόξαν οἴκου σου καὶ θυσιαστηρίου σου

'O Lord, do not surrender your scepter to beings that do not exist. Do not let them mock our ruin, but turn their plot against them,

Greek: μὴ παραδῷς κύριε τὸ σκῆπτρόν σου τοῖς μὴ οὖσιν

and make an example of the one who began this evil against us. Remember us, O Lord! Make yourself known in the time of our affliction. Give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of every dominion.'

Greek: ἐπίβλεψον ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς κύριε