(In the Greek Esther, and likewise for the Hebrew Esther, the following verse serves as a postscript after the 10 new verses added to Chapter 10.)
CHAPTER 11
1 In the fourth year, when Ptolemy and Cleopatra reigned, Dositheus, that said himself to be a priest and of the kin of Levi, and Ptolemy, his son, brought this epistle of lots [or Purim] into Jerusalem, which epistle they said, that Lysimachus, the son of Ptolemy, translated. This is a rubric; for this beginning was in the common translation, which beginning is not told in Hebrew, neither at any of the translators, [or This forsooth was the beginning in the common translation, that neither in Hebrew, nor with any of the interpreters is told].
(In the Greek Esther, verses 2-12 that follow, serve as a Prologue to Chapter 1; in the Hebrew Esther, they would be placed at verse 5 of Chapter 2.)
2 In the second year, when Artaxerxes* In the Hebrew Esther, this king is called Ahasuerus; his son is called Artaxerxes (though historically the son may have been “Artaxerxes II” and the father “Artaxerxes I”). In order to avoid confusion, and to aid comprehension, the Hebrew name of the king will be used in this translation henceforth. the most reigned/the mightiest king reigned, Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the lineage of Benjamin, saw a dream in the first day of the month Nisan, that is, June;
3 and Mordecai was a man a Jew, that dwelled in the city of Susa, a great man, and among the chief men or the first men of the king’s hall.
4 And he was of that number of prisoners [or captives], which Nebu-chadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had translated or brought over from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah. And this was his dream.
5 He saw that voices, and noises, and thunders, and earth-movings [or earthquakes], and great troubling [or disturbing] appeared upon the earth.
6 And lo! two great dragons, and they were made ready against them-selves into battle;
7 at whose cry all nations were stirred together, to fight against the folk of just [or rightwise] men.
8 And that was a day of darknesses, and of peril, of tribulation, and of anguish, and great dread [or great fear] was then upon the earth.
9 And the folk of just [or rightwise] men, dreading their evils, was disturbed, and made ready to death.
10 And they cried to God; and when they cried, a little well increased [or waxed] into a full great flood, and it turned again into full many waters.
11 And then the light and the sun rose up; and meek men were enhanced, and devoured noble men.
12 And when Mordecai in his sleep had seen this thing, and had risen from his bed, he thought, what God would do, and he had fast set [or fixed] in his soul this vision, and coveted to know, what the dream signified.
*CHAPTER 11:2 In the Hebrew Esther, this king is called Ahasuerus; his son is called Artaxerxes (though historically the son may have been “Artaxerxes II” and the father “Artaxerxes I”). In order to avoid confusion, and to aid comprehension, the Hebrew name of the king will be used in this translation henceforth.