Esther 2
1 his itaque gestis postquam regis Asueri deferbuerat indignatio recordatus est Vasthi et quae fecisset vel quae passa esset
After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, 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 the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
3 et mittantur qui considerent per universas provincias puellas speciosas et virgines et adducant eas ad civitatem Susan et tradant in domum feminarum sub manu Aegaei 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, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics 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 who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
5 erat vir iudaeus in Susis civitate vocabulo Mardocheus filius Iair filii Semei filii Cis de stirpe Iemini
There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
6 qui translatus fuerat de Hierusalem eo tempore quo Iechoniam regem Iuda Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis transtulerat
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 qui fuit nutricius filiae fratris sui Edessae quae altero nomine Hester vocabatur et utrumque parentem amiserat pulchra nimis et decora facie mortuisque patre eius ac matre Mardocheus sibi eam adoptavit in filiam
He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
8 cumque percrebuisset regis imperium et iuxta mandata illius multae virgines pulchrae adducerentur Susan et Aegaeo traderentur eunucho Hester quoque inter ceteras puellas ei tradita est ut servaretur in numero feminarum
So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, 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 ut adceleraret mundum muliebrem et traderet ei partes suas et septem puellas speciosissimas de domo regis et tam ipsam quam pedisequas eius ornaret atque excoleret
The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
10 quae noluit indicare ei populum et patriam suam Mardocheus enim praeceperat ut de hac re omnino reticeret
Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
11 qui deambulabat cotidie ante vestibulum domus in qua electae virgines servabantur curam agens salutis Hester et scire volens quid ei accideret
Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, 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 menses oleo unguerentur myrtino et aliis sex quibusdam pigmentis et aromatibus uterentur
Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
13 ingredientesque ad regem quicquid postulassent ad ornatum pertinens accipiebant et ut eis placuerat conpositae de triclinio feminarum ad regis cubiculum transiebant
The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.
14 et quae intraverat vespere egrediebatur mane atque inde in secundas aedes deducebatur quae sub manu Sasagazi 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 next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.
15 evoluto autem tempore per ordinem instabat dies quo Hester filia Abiahil fratris Mardochei quam sibi adoptaverat in filiam intrare deberet ad regem quae non quaesivit muliebrem cultum sed quaecumque voluit Aegaeus eunuchus custos virginum haec ei ad ornatum dedit erat enim formonsa 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, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favour in the sight of all those who looked at her.
16 ducta est itaque ad cubiculum regis Asueri mense decimo qui vocatur tebeth septimo anno regni eius
So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 et amavit 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 women, and she obtained favour and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that 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 Hester et dedit requiem in universis provinciis ac dona largitus est iuxta magnificentiam principalem
Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
19 cumque et secundo quaererentur virgines et congregarentur Mardocheus manebat ad regis ianuam
When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
20 necdumque prodiderat Hester patriam et populum suum iuxta mandatum eius quicquid enim ille praecipiebat observabat Hester et ita cuncta faciebat ut eo tempore solita erat quo eam parvulam nutriebat
Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
21 eo igitur tempore quo Mardocheus 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 in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
22 quod Mardocheum non latuit statimque nuntiavit reginae Hester et illa regi ex nomine Mardochei qui ad se rem detulerat
This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
23 quaesitum est et inventum et adpensus uterque eorum in patibulo mandatumque historiis et annalibus traditum coram rege
When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
