Esther 2

1 After the things these when subsided [the] anger of the king Ahasuerus he remembered Vashti and [that] which she had done and [that] which it had been decreed on her.

Therfor whanne these thingis weren doon, aftir that the indignacioun of kyng Assuerus was coold, he bithouyte of Vasthi, and what thingis sche hadde do, ethir what thingis sche suffride.

2 And they said [the] young men of the king [who were] serving him let people seek for the king young women virgins good of appearance.

And the children and the mynystris of the kyng seiden to `the kyng, Damyselis, virgyns `and faire, be souyt to the kyng; and `men ben sent,

3 And let him appoint the king appointees in all [the] provinces of kingdom his and let them gather every girl virgin good of appearance to Susa the citadel to [the] house of the women into [the] hand of Hegai [the] eunuch of the king [the] keeper of the women and let him give rubbings their.

that schulen biholde bi alle prouinces damesels faire and virgyns; and brynge thei hem to the citee Susa, and bitake thei in to the hows of wymmen, vndur the hond of Egei, the onest seruaunt and chast, which is the souereyn and kepere of the kyngis wymmen; and take the damesels ournement of wymmen, and other thingis nedeful to vsis.

4 And the young woman who she will be good in [the] eyes of the king she will reign in place of Vashti and it was good the word in [the] eyes of the king and he did thus.

And which euer damesele among alle plesith the iyen of the kyng, regne sche for Vasti. The word pleside the kyng; and he comaundide to be don so, as thei counceliden.

5 A man Jewish he was in Susa the citadel and name his [was] Mordecai [the] son of Jair [the] son of Shimei [the] son of Kish a man a Jaminite.

Forsothe a man, a Jew, was in the citee Susa, Mardoche bi name, the sone of Jair, sone of Semei, sone of Cys, of the generacioun of Gemyny;

6 Who he had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the exile[s] which it had been taken into exile with Jeconiah [the] king of Judah whom he had taken into exile Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon.

that was translatid fro Jerusalem in that tyme, wherynne Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, hadde translatid Jechonye, kyng of Juda;

7 And he was raising Hadassah that [is] Esther [the] daughter of uncle his for not [belonged] to her a father and a mother and the young woman [was] beautiful of shape and good of appearance and at [the] death of father her and mother her he took her Mordecai of him to a daughter.

which Mardoche was the nurschere of Edissa, the douyter of his brothir, which douytir was clepid Hester bi anothir name, and sche hadde lost bothe fadir and modir; sche was ful fair, and semeli of face; and whanne hir fadir and modir weren deed, Mardoche `purchaside hir in to a douytir to hymsilf.

8 And it was when were heard [the] edict of the king and orders his and when were gathered young women many to Susa the citadel into [the] hand of Hegai and she was taken Esther to [the] house of the king into [the] hand of Hegai [the] keeper of the women.

And whanne the comaundement of the kyng was ofte pupplischid, and bi his comaundement many faire virgyns weren brouyt to Susa, and weren bitakun to Egey, the onest seruaunt and chast, also Hester among othere damesels was bytakun to hym, that sche schulde be kept in the noumbre of wymmen.

9 And she was good the young woman in view his and she bore favor before him and he hastened rubbings her and portions her to give to her and [the] seven the servant girls chosen to give to her from [the] house of the king and he moved her and servant girls her to [the] good [place] of [the] house of the women.

And sche pleside hym, and foond grace in his siyt, that he hastide the ournement of wymmen, and bitook to hir her partis, and seuene the faireste damesels of the kyngis hows; and he ournede and araiede bothe hir and damesels suynge hir feet.

10 Not she had told Esther people her and kindred her for Mordecai he had commanded to her that not she will tell.

And `sche nolde schewe to hym hir puple and hir cuntrei; for Mardoche hadde comaundid to hir, that in al maner sche schulde be stille of this thing.

11 And on every day and day Mordecai [was] walking back and forth to front of [the] court of [the] house of the women to know [the] welfare of Esther and what? was it done with her.

And he walkide ech dai bifor the porche of the dore, in which the chosun virgyns weren kept, and he dide the cure of the helthe of Hester, and wolde wite, what bifelde to hyr.

12 And when arrived [the] turn of a young woman and a young woman to go - to the king Ahasuerus from [the] end to be for her according to [the] regulation of the women two [plus] ten month[s] for thus they were completed [the] days of rubbings their six months with [the] oil of myrrh and six months with balsam oil and with [the] rubbings of women.

And whanne the tyme of alle damesels bi ordre was comun, that thei schulden entre to the kyng, whanne alle thingis weren fillid that perteyneden to wymmens atire, the tweluethe monethe was turned; so oneli that thei weren anoyntid with oile of `myrte tre bi sixe monethis, and bi othere sixe monethis `thei vsiden summe pymentis and swete-smellynge oynementis.

13 And in this [way] the young woman [was] going into the king all that she said it was given to her to go with her from [the] house of the women to [the] house of the king.

And thei entriden to the kyng, and what euer thing perteynynge to ournement thei axiden, thei token; and thei weren araied as it pleside hem, and passiden fro the chaumbre of wymmen to the kyngis bed.

14 In the evening - she [was] going and in the morning she [was] returning to [the] house of the women second in [the] hand of Shaashgaz [the] eunuch of the king [the] keeper of the concubines not she went again into the king that except he delighted in her the king and she was summoned by name.

And sche that hadde entrid in the euentid, yede out in the morwetid; and fro thennus thei weren led forth in to the secounde housis, that weren vndur the hond of Sagazi, onest seruaunt and chast, that was gouernour of the kyngis concubyns; and sche hadde not power to go ayen more to the kyng, no but the kyng wolde, `and had comaundid hir to come bi name.

15 And when arrived [the] turn of Esther [the] daughter of Abihail [the] uncle of Mordecai whom he had taken of him to a daughter to go to the king not she requested anything that except [that] which he said Hegai [the] eunuch of the king [the] keeper of the women and she was Esther bearing favor in [the] eyes of all [those who] saw her.

Sotheli whanne the tyme was turned aboute bi ordre, the dai neiyede, wherynne Hester, the douyter of Abiahel, brother of Mardoche, `whom he hadde purchasid in to a douyter to hym silf, ouyte entre to the kyng; and sche axide not wymmenus ournement, but what euer thingis Egei, the onest seruaunt and chast, kepere of virgyns, wolde, he yaf these thingis to hir to ournement; for sche was ful schapli, and of fairnesse that may not liytli be bileuyd, and sche semyde graciouse and amyable to the iyen of alle men.

16 And she was taken Esther to the king Ahasuerus into [the] house of royalty his in the month tenth that [is] [the] month of Tebeth in year seven of reign his.

Therfor sche was lad to the bed of kyng Assuerus, in the tenthe monethe, which is clepid Cebeth, in the seuenthe yeer of his rewme.

17 And he loved the king Esther more than all the women and she bore favor and favor before him more than all the virgins and he put a crown of royalty on head her and he made queen her in place of Vashti.

And the kyng feruentli louyde hir more than alle wymmen, and sche hadde grace and mercy bifor hym ouer alle wymmen; and he settide the diademe of rewme `on hir heed, and he made hir to regne in the stide of Vasthi.

18 And he made the king a feast great for all officials his and servants his [the] feast of Esther and a holiday for the provinces he made and he gave tribute according to [the] hand of the king.

And he comaundide a ful worschipful feeste to be maad redi to alle hise princes and seruauntis, for the ioynyng togidere and the weddyngis of Hester; and he yaf rest to alle prouynces, and yaf yiftis aftir the worschipful doyng of a prynce.

19 And when were gathered virgins a second [time] and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king.

And whanne virgyns weren souyt also the secounde tyme, and weren gaderid togidere, Mardochee dwellide at the yate of the kyng.

20 Not Esther [was] telling kindred her and people her just as he had commanded to her Mordecai and [the] command of Mordecai Esther [was] doing just as she had done in guardianship with him.

Hester hadde not yit schewid hir cuntrei and puple, bi comaundement of hym; for whi what euer thing he comaundide, Hester kepte, and sche dide so alle thingis, as sche was wont in that tyme, in which he nurschide hir a litil child.

21 In the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus.

Therfor in that tyme, wherynne Mardochee dwellide at the `yate of the king, Bagathan and Thares, twei seruauntis of the kyng, weren wrothe, `that weren porteris, and saten in the first threisfold of the paleis; and thei wolden rise ayens the kyng, and sle hym.

22 And it was made known the matter to Mordecai and he told to Esther the queen and she spoke Esther to the king in [the] name of Mordecai.

Which thing was not hid fro Mardochee, and anoon he telde to the queen Hester, and sche to the kyng, bi the name of Mardochee, that hadde teld the thing to hir.

23 And it was sought the matter and it was found and they were hanged [the] two of them on a gallows and it was written in [the] book of [the] matters of the days before the king.

It was souyt, and it was foundun, and ech of hem was hangid in a iebat; and `it was sent to storyes, and was bitakun to bookis of yeeris, `bifor the kyng.