Esther 2

1 His ita gestis, postquam regis Assueri indignatio deferbuerat, recordatus est Vasthi, et quae fecisset, vel quae passa esset:

After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was assuaged, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

2 dixeruntque pueri regis, ac ministri eius: Quaerantur regi puellae virgines ac speciosae,

Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him: 'Let there be sought for the king young virgins fair to look on;

3 et mittantur qui considerent per universas provincias puellas speciosas et virgines: et adducant eas ad civitatem Susan, et tradant eas in domum feminarum sub manu Egei eunuchi, qui est praepositus et custos mulierum regiarum: et accipiant mundum muliebrem, et cetera ad usus necessaria.

and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the castle, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their ointments be given them;

4 Et quaecumque inter omnes oculis regis placuerit, ipsa regnet pro Vasthi. Placuit sermo regi: et ita, ut suggesserant, iussit fieri.

and let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti.' And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

5 Erat vir Iudaeus in Susan civitate, vocabulo Mardochaeus filius Iair, filii Semei, filii Cis, de stirpe Iemini,

There was a certain Jew in Shushan the castle, whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair the son of Shimei the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

6 qui translatus fuerat de Ierusalem eo tempore, quo Iechoniam regem Iuda Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis transtulerat,

who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives that had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

7 qui fuit nutritius filiae fratris sui Edissae, quae altero nomine vocabatur Esther: et utrumque parentem amiserat: pulchra nimis, et decora facie. Mortuisque patre eius ac matre, Mardochaeus sibi eam adoptavit in filiam.

And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was of beautiful form and fair to look on; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

8 Cumque percrebruisset regis imperium, et iuxta mandatum illius multae pulchrae virgines adducerentur Susan, et Egeo traderentur Eunucho; Esther quoque inter ceteras puellas ei tradita est, ut servaretur in numero feminarum.

So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was published, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the castle, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

9 Quae placuit ei, et invenit gratiam in conspectu illius. Et praecepit eunucho, ut acceleraret mundum muliebrem, et traderet ei partes suas, et septem puellas speciosissimas de domo regis, et tam ipsam, quam pedissequas eius ornaret atque excoleret.

And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her ointments, with her portions, and the seven maidens, who were meet to be given her out of the king's house; and he advanced her and her maidens to the best place in the house of the women.

10 Quae noluit indicare ei populum et patriam suam: Mardochaeus enim praeceperat ei, ut de hac re omnino reticeret:

Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not tell it.

11 qui deambulabat quotidie ante vestibulum domus, in qua electae virgines servabantur, curam agens salutis Esther, et scire volens quid ei accideret.

And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.

12 Cum autem venisset tempus singularum per ordinem puellarum, ut intrarent ad regem, expletis omnibus, quae ad cultum muliebrem pertinebant, mensis duodecimus vertebatur: ita dumtaxat, ut sex mensibus oleo ungerentur myrrhino, et aliis sex quibusdam pigmentis et aromatibus uterentur.

Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women, twelve months — for so were the days of their anointing accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six month with sweet odours, and with other ointments of the women —

13 Ingredientesque ad regem, quidquid postulassent ad ornatum pertinens, accipiebant: et ut eis placuerat, compositae de triclinio feminarum ad regis cubiculum transibant.

when then the maiden came unto the king, whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.

14 Et quae intraverat vespere, egrediebatur mane, atque inde in secundas aedes deducebantur, quae sub manu Susagazi eunuchi erant, qui concubinis regis praesidebat: nec habebat potestatem ad regem ultra redeundi, nisi voluisset rex, et eam venire iussisset ex nomine.

In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, who kept the concubines; she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and she were called by name.

15 Evoluto autem tempore per ordinem, instabat dies, quo Esther filia Abihail fratris Mardochaei, quam sibi adoptaverat in filiam, deberet intrare ad regem. Quae non quaesivit muliebrem cultum, sed quaecumque voluit Egeus eunuchus custos virginum, haec ei ad ornatum dedit. Erat enim formosa valde, et incredibili pulchritudine, omnium oculis gratiosa et amabilis videbatur.

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

16 Ducta est itaque ad cubiculum regis Assueri mense decimo, qui vocatur Tebeth, septimo anno regni eius.

So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 Et adamavit eam rex plus quam omnes mulieres, habuitque gratiam et misericordiam coram eo super omnes mulieres, et posuit diadema regni in capite eius, fecitque eam regnare in loco Vasthi.

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18 Et iussit convivium praeparari permagnificum cunctis principibus, et servis suis pro coniunctione, et nuptiis Esther. Et dedit requiem universis provinciis, ac dona largitus est iuxta magnificentiam principalem.

Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the bounty of the king.

19 Cumque secundo quaererentur virgines et congregarentur, Mardochaeus manebat ad ianuam regis:

And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, and Mordecai sat in the king's gate —

20 necdum prodiderat Esther patriam, et populum suum, iuxta mandatum eius. Quidquid enim ille praecipiebat, observabat Esther: et ita cuncta faciebat ut eo tempore solita erat, quo eam parvulam nutriebat.

Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him —

21 Eo igitur tempore, quo Mardochaeus ad regis ianuam morabatur, irati sunt Bagathan, et Thares duo eunuchi regis, qui ianitores erant, et in primo palatii limine praesidebant: volueruntque insurgere in regem, et occidere eum.

in those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.

22 Quod Mardochaeum non latuit, statimque nunciavit reginae Esther: et illa regi ex nomine Mardochaei, qui ad se rem detulerat.

And the thing became known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai's name.

23 Quaesitum est, et inventum: et appensus est uterque eorum in patibulo. Mandatumque est historiis, et annalibus traditum coram rege.

And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree; and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.