Ester 2

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 His ita gestis, postquam regis Asueri deferbuerat indignatio, recordatusest Vasthi, et quae fecisset vel quae passa esset.	1 Some time after this, when the king's wrath had subsided, Ahasuerus remembered Vashti, how she hadbehaved, and the measures taken against her.
2 Dixeruntque pueri regis acministri eius: “ Quaerantur regi puellae virgines ac speciosae,	2 The king's gentlemen-in-waiting said, 'A search should be made on the king's behalf for beautiful youngvirgins,
3 etconstituantur, qui considerent per universas provincias puellas speciosas etvirgines et adducant eas ad civitatem Susan et tradant in domum feminarum submanu Egei eunuchi, qui est praepositus et custos mulierum regiarum; et accipiantmundum muliebrem.	3 and the king appoint commissioners throughout the provinces of his realm to bring al these beautifulyoung virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the harem under the authority of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian ofthe women. Here he wil give them whatever they need for enhancing their beauty,
4 Et, quaecumque inter omnes oculis regis placuerit, ipsaregnet pro Vasthi ”. Placuit sermo regi; et ita, ut suggesserant, iussitfieri.	4 and the girl who pleases the king can take Vashti's place as queen.' This advice pleased the king and heacted on it.
5 Erat vir Iudaeus in Susan civitate vocabulo Mardochaeus filius Iair filiiSemei filii Cis de tribu Beniamin,	5 Now in the citadel of Susa there lived a Jew cal ed Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, ofthe tribe of Benjamin,
6 qui translatus fuerat de Ierusalem cumcaptivis, qui ducti fuerant cum Iechonia rege Iudae, quem Nabuchodonosor rexBabylonis transtulerat.	6 who had been deported from Jerusalem among the captives taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah byNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,
7 Qui fuit nutricius filiae patrui sui Edissae, quaealtero nomine Esther vocabatur et utrumque parentem amiserat: pulchra aspectu etdecora facie. Mortuisque patre eius ac matre, Mardochaeus sibi eam adoptavit infiliam.	7 and was now bringing up a certain Hadassah, otherwise cal ed Esther, his uncle's daughter, who hadlost both father and mother; the girl had a good figure and a beautiful face, and on the death of her parentsMordecai had adopted her as his daughter.
8 Et factum est, cum percrebruisset regis imperium, et iuxta mandatum illiusmultae virgines pulchrae adducerentur Susan et Egeo traderentur, Esther quoquein domum regis in manus Egei custodis feminarum tradita est.	8 On the promulgation of the royal command and edict a great number of girls were brought to the citadelof Susa where they were entrusted to Hegai. Esther, too, was taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai,the custodian of the women.
9 Quae placuit eiet invenit gratiam in conspectu illius; et acceleravit mundum muliebrem ettradidit ei partes suas et septem puellas speciosissimas de domo regis, et tamipsam quam pedisequas eius transtulit in optimam partem domus feminarum.	9 The girl pleased him and won his favour. Not only did he quickly provide her with al she needed for herdressing room and her meals, but he gave her seven special maids from the king's household and transferredher and her maids to the best part of the harem.
10 Quaenon indicaverat ei populum et cognationem suam; Mardochaeus enim praeceperat, utde hac re omnino reticeret.	10 Esther had not divulged her race or parentage, since Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
11 Qui deambulabat cotidie ante vestibulum domus, inqua electae virgines servabantur, curam agens salutis Esther et scire volensquid ei accideret.	11 Mordecai walked up and down in front of the courtyard of the harem al day and every day, to learnhow Esther was and how she was being treated.
12 Cum autem venisset tempus singularum per ordinem puellarum, ut intrarent adregem, expletis omnibus, quae ad cultum muliebrem pertinebant, per mensesduodecim; ita dumtaxat, ut sex mensibus oleo ungerentur myrrhino et aliis sexfeminarum pigmentis et aromatibus uterentur,	12 Each girl had to appear in turn before King Ahasuerus after a delay of twelve months fixed by theregulations for the women; this preparatory period was occupied as fol ows: six months with oil of myrrh, and sixmonths with spices and lotions commonly used for feminine beauty treatment.
13 ingredientesque ad regem,quidquid postulassent, accipiebant, ut portarent secum de triclinio feminarum adregis cubiculum.	13 When each girl went to the king, she was given whatever she wanted to take with her, since she thenmoved from the harem into the royal household.
14 Et, quae intraverat vespere, mane iterum in domum feminarumdeducebatur, sub manu Sasagazi eunuchi, qui concubinis praesidebat. Nec habebatpotestatem ad regem ultra redeundi, nisi voluisset rex et eam venire iussissetex nomine.	14 She went there in the evening, and the fol owing morning returned to another harem entrusted to thecare of Shaashgaz, the king's officer, custodian of the concubines. She did not go to the king any more, unlesshe was particularly pleased with her and had her summoned by name.
15 Evoluto autem tempore per ordinem, instabat dies, quo Esther filia Abihailpatrui Mardochaei, quam sibi adoptaverat in filiam, intrare deberet ad regem.Quae non quaesivit quidquam, nisi quae voluit Egeus eunuchus custos feminarum,et omnium oculis gratiosa et amabilis videbatur.	15 But when it was the turn of Esther the daughter of Abihail, whose nephew Mordecai had adopted heras his own daughter, to go into the king's presence, she did not ask for anything beyond what had beenassigned her by Hegai, the king's officer, custodian of the women. Esther won the approval of al who saw her.
16 Ducta est itaque adcubiculum regis Asueri mense decimo, qui vocatur Tebeth, septimo anno regnieius.	16 She was brought to King Ahasuerus in his royal apartments in the tenth month, which is cal ed Tebeth,in the seventh year of his reign;
17 Et amavit eam rex plus quam omnes mulieres; habuitque gratiam etfavorem coram eo super omnes virgines, et posuit diadema regni in capite eiusfecitque eam regnare in loco Vasthi.	17 and the king liked Esther better than any of the other women; none of the other girls found so muchfavour and approval with him. So he set the royal diadem on her head and proclaimed her queen instead ofVashti.
18 Et iussit convivium praepararimagnificum cunctis principibus et servis suis, convivium Esther; et deditremissionem tributi universis provinciis ac dona largitus est iuxtamagnificentiam principalem.	18 The king then gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for al his officers-of-state and ministers,decreed a holiday for al the provinces and distributed largesse with royal prodigality.
19 Mardochaeus autem manebat ad regis ianuam,	19 When Esther, like the other girls, had been transferred to the second harem,
20 necdum prodiderat Esthercognationem et populum suum iuxta mandatum eius; quidquid enim illepraecipiebat, observabat Esther, ut eo tempore solita erat, quo eam parvulamnutriebat.	20 she did not divulge her parentage or race, in obedience to the orders of Mordecai, whose instructionsshe continued to fol ow as when she had been under his care.
21 Eo igitur tempore, quo Mardochaeus ad regis ianuam morabatur, irati suntBagathan et Thares, duo eunuchi regis, qui ianitores erant volueruntque in regemmittere manus.	21 At this time Mordecai was attached to the Chancel ery and two malcontents, Bigthan and Teresh,officers in the king's service as Guards of the Threshold, plotted to assassinate King Ahasuerus.
22 Quod Mardochaeum non latuit; statimque nuntiavit reginaeEsther, et illa regi ex nomine Mardochaei.	22 Mordecai came to hear of this and informed Queen Esther, who in turn, on Mordecai's authority, toldthe king.
23 Quaesitum est et inventum, etappensus uterque eorum in patibulo; mandatumque est libro annalium coram rege.	23 The matter was investigated and proved to be true. The two conspirators were sent to the gal ows, andthe incident was recorded in the Annals, in the royal presence.