1 Esdras 3
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1NOw when Darius reigned, he made a great feast to all his subiects & to all those of his owne house, and to all the princes of Media and Persia, 2And to all the gouernours & captaines, and lieutenants that were with him, from India vnto Ethiopia of an hundreth and seuen and twentie prouinces. 3And when they had eaten and drunke, & were satisfied, they departed, and King Darius went into his chamber, and slept, til he wakened againe. 4¶ In the meane time thre yong men of the garde, kepers of the Kings bodie, said one to another. 5Let euerie one of vs speake a sentence, & he that shal ouercome, and whose sentence shal appeare wiser then the others, Darius the King shal giue him great gifts, and great things in token of victorie, 6As to weare purple & to drinke in golde, and to slepe in golde, and a chariot with bridles of golde, an head tyre of fine linen, and a chaine about his necke. 7And he shal sit next to Darius for his wisdome, and shalbe called Darius cousin. 8Then euerie man wrote his sentence and sealed it, and put it vnder the pillowe of King Darius, 9And said, when the King rose, thei wolde giue him the writing, and whose sentence the King and the thre princes of Persia shulde iudge to be wisest, to him shulde the victorie be giuen, as it was appointed. 10One wrote, The wine is strongest. 11The other wrote, The King is strongest. 12The other wrote, women are strongest, but trueth ouercometh all things. 13¶ And when the King rose, they toke the writings and gaue them to him, and he red them, 14And sent and called all the noble men of Persia and of Media, and the gouernours & the captaines, and lieutenants, and the consuls, 15And sate him downe in the counsel, and the writing was red before them. 16Then he said, Call the yong men, that they may declare their owne sentences. So they called them, and they came in. 17Then he said vnto them, Declare vnto vs the writings. So the first began, which had spoken of the strength of wine, 18And said on this maner, O ye men, how strong is wine! it decciueth all men that drinke it. 19It maketh the minde of the King and of the fatherles bothe one, of the bonde man and of the fre man, of the poore man and of the riche man. 20It turneth also euerie thoght into ioye and gladnes, so that one remembreth no maner of sorow, nor det. 21It maketh euerie heart riche, so that one remembreth nether King nor gouernour, & causeth to speake all things by "talents. 22When men haue drunke, they haue no minde to loue ether friends or brethren, and a litle after they drawe out swordes. 23But when they are from the wine, they do not remember what they haue done. 24O ye men, is not wine strongest, which compelleth to do suche things! & he helde his peace when he had thus spoken.