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 anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he thought about Vashti and what she had done. He also thought about the decree that he had made against her.
2 dixeruntque pueri regis, ac ministri eius: Quaerantur regi puellae virgines ac speciosae,
Then the king's young men who served him said, “Let a search be made on the king's behalf for beautiful young virgins.
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.
Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, to gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in the fortress in Susa. Let them be put under the care of Hegai, the king's official, who is in charge of the women, and let him give them their cosmetics.
4 Et quaecumque inter omnes oculis regis placuerit, ipsa regnet pro Vasthi. Placuit sermo regi: et ita, ut suggesserant, iussit fieri.
Let the young girl who pleases the king become queen in the place of Vashti.” This advice 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 the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, who was a Benjamite.
6 qui translatus fuerat de Ierusalem eo tempore, quo Iechoniam regem Iuda Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis transtulerat,
He had been taken away from Jerusalem with the exiles along with those taken with Jehoiachin, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia 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.
He was caring for Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, because she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely in appearance. Mordecai took her as 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.
When the king's order and decree were proclaimed, many young women were brought to the fortress of Susa. They were put under Hegai's care. Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put under the care of Hegai, the overseer 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.
The young girl pleased him, and she found favor with him. Immediately he provided her with cosmetics and her portion of food. He assigned to her seven servant girls from the king's palace, and he moved her and the servant girls 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 told anyone who her people or relatives were, for Mordecai had instructed her not to tell.
11 qui deambulabat quotidie ante vestibulum domus, in qua electae virgines servabantur, curam agens salutis Esther, et scire volens quid ei accideret.
Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard outside the house of the women, to learn about Esther's welfare, and about what would be done with 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.
When the turn came for each girl to go to King Ahasuerus—complying with the regulations for the women, each girl had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh, and six with perfumes and cosmetics—
13 Ingredientesque ad regem, quidquid postulassent ad ornatum pertinens, accipiebant: et ut eis placuerat, compositae de triclinio feminarum ad regis cubiculum transibant.
when a young woman went to the king, whatever she desired was given to her from the house of the women, for her to take to the palace.
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 would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's official, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again unless he had taken great pleasure in her and called for her again.
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 time came for Esther (daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter) to go in to the king, she did not ask for anything but what Hegai the king's official, who was in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther received the favor of all who saw her.
16 Ducta est itaque ad cubiculum regis Assueri mense decimo, qui vocatur Tebeth, septimo anno regni eius.
Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into the royal residence on the tenth month, which is the month of 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.
The king loved Esther more than all the other women and she received acceptance and favor before him, more than all the other virgins. So he set the royal crown on 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.
The king gave a great feast for all his officials and his servants, “Esther's feast,” and he granted relief from taxation to the provinces. He also gave gifts with royal generosity.
19 Cumque secundo quaererentur virgines et congregarentur, Mardochaeus manebat ad ianuam regis:
Now when the virgins had been gathered together a second time, Mordecai was sitting at 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 told anyone about her relatives or her people, as Mordecai had instructed her. She continued to follow Mordecai's advice, as she had done when she was raised by 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 was sitting at the king's gate, two of the king's officials, Bigthana and Teresh, who guarded the doorway, became angry and sought to do harm to King Ahasuerus.
22 Quod Mardochaeum non latuit, statimque nunciavit reginae Esther: et illa regi ex nomine Mardochaei, qui ad se rem detulerat.
When the matter was revealed to Mordecai, he told Queen Esther, and Esther spoke to the king in the name of Mordecai.
23 Quaesitum est, et inventum: et appensus est uterque eorum in patibulo. Mandatumque est historiis, et annalibus traditum coram rege.
The report was investigated and confirmed, and both the men were hanged from a gallows. This account was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
