Ester 4

NOVA VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Cum comperisset Mardochaeus omnia, quae acciderant, scidit vestimenta suaet indutus est sacco spargens cinerem capiti. Et in platea mediae civitatis vocemagna et amara clamabat	1 And so, after this had been carried out, and the indignation of king Artaxerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what had happened to her.
2 usque ad fores palatii gradiens; non enim erat licitumindutum sacco aulam regis intrare.	2 And the servants of the king, and his ministers, said, “Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
3 In omnibus quoque provinciis, quocumqueedictum et dogma regis pervenerat, planctus ingens erat apud Iudaeos, ieiunium,ululatus et fletus, sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus.	3 and let investigators be sent throughout all the provinces for young women, beautiful and virgins. And let them bring them to the city of Susa, and deliver them to the house of the women under the hand of Hegai the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women. And let them receive feminine ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
4 Ingressae sunt autem puellae Esther et eunuchi nuntiaveruntque ei. Quodaudiens consternata est valde et misit vestem, ut, ablato sacco, induerent eum;quam accipere noluit.	4 And whoever among them all will please the king’s eyes, let her reign instead of Vashti.” The idea pleased the king, and so he ordered it to be done as they had suggested.
5 Accitoque Athach eunucho, quem rex ministrum ei dederat,praecepit ei, ut iret ad Mardochaeum et disceret ab eo cur hoc faceret.	5 There was a Jewish man in the city of Susa, by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the house of Benjamin,
6 Egressusque Athach ivit ad Mardochaeum stantem in platea civitatis ante ostiumpalatii.	6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried away Jeconiah king of Judah,
7 Qui indicavit ei omnia, quae ei acciderant, quantum Aman promisisset,ut in thesauros regis pro Iudaeorum nece inferret argentum.	7 who had raised his brother’s daughter Hadassah, who by another name was called Esther. And she had lost both her parents. She was very beautiful, with a graceful appearance. Since her father and mother had both died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.
8 Exemplar quoqueedicti, quod pendebat in Susan ad perdendum eos, dedit ei, ut reginae ostenderetet moneret eam, ut intraret ad regem et deprecaretur eum et rogaret pro populosuo. 8a “ Memor, inquit, dierum humilitatis tuae, quando nutrita sis in manumea, quia Aman secundus a rege locutus est contra nos in mortem. Et tu, invocaDominum et loquere regi pro nobis et libera nos de morte ”.	8 And when the king’s command became very well-known, in accordance with his command, many beautiful virgins were brought to Susa, and were delivered to Hegai the eunuch. Likewise, Esther, along with the other young women, was delivered to him, to be protected with the assembled women.
9 Regressus Athachnuntiavit Esther omnia, quae Mardochaeus dixerat.	9 She was pleasing to him, and she found favor in his sight. And he commanded a eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver her share to her, along with seven of the most beautiful young women of the king’s house, so as to both adorn and honor her and her handmaids.
10 Quae respondit ei etiussit, ut diceret Mardochaeo:	10 She was not willing to reveal to him her people or her native land. For Mordecai had instructed her that she should keep silent about all these things.
11 “ Omnes servi regis et cunctae, quae subdicione eius sunt, norunt provinciae, quod cuique sive viro sive mulieri, quinon vocatus interius atrium regis intraverit, una lex sit, ut statiminterficiatur, nisi forte rex auream virgam ad eum tetenderit, ut possit vivere;ego autem triginta iam diebus non sum vocata ad regem ”.	11 He went for a walk every day, in the front courtyard of the house in which the chosen virgins were kept, having concern for Esther’s welfare and wanting to know what would happen to her.
12 Quod cum audissetMardochaeus,	12 But, when the time came for each in the line of young women to go in to the king, after everything had been completed concerning feminine grooming, the twelfth month had been reached, to the extent that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for another six months they used certain types of makeup and perfumes.
13 rursum mandavit Esther dicens: “ Ne putes quod animam tuamtantum liberes, quia in domo regis es, prae cunctis Iudaeis.	13 And when they were going in to the king, whatever they requested to adorn themselves, they received, and when each was pleased with herself, having been prepared in the chamber of the women, she passed on to the king’s chamber.
14 Si enim nuncsilueris, aliunde Iudaeis liberatio et salvatio exsurget, et tu et domus patristui peribitis; et quis novit utrum idcirco ad regnum veneris, ut in tali temporeparareris? ”.	14 And whoever entered at evening, departed in the morning, and then from there she was led to the second house, which was under the hand of Shaashgaz the eunuch, who presided over the king’s concubines. Nor did she have the power to return again to the king, unless the king desired it and had summoned her by name.
15 Rursumque Esther haec Mardochaeo verba mandavit:	15 But, as the order continued to progress, the day arrived when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mordecai, whom he had adopted as his daughter, was required to go in to the king. She did not seek feminine ornaments, except that whatever Hegai the eunuch and keeper of the virgins chose, he gave her to adorn her. For she was very attractive, and her incredible beauty made her appear gracious and amiable in the eyes of all.
16 “ Vade et congregaomnes Iudaeos, qui in Susan reperiuntur; et ieiunate pro me. Non comedatis etnon bibatis tribus diebus et tribus noctibus, et ego cum ancillis meis similiterieiunabo; et tunc ingrediar ad regem contra legem faciens; si pereo, pereo ”.	16 And so she was led to the chamber of king Artaxerxes, in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Ivit itaque Mardochaeus et fecit omnia, quae ei Esther mandaverat.	17 It was inquired into and discovered, and they were both hanged on a gallows. And it was committed to the histories and the chronicles which are delivered in the sight of the king.