Esther 2

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 His ita gestis, postquam regis Assueri indignatio deferbuerat, recordatus est Vasthi, et quæ fecisset, vel quæ 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 ac ministri ejus : Quærantur regi puellæ virgines ac speciosæ,	2 The king's gentlemen-in-waiting said, 'A search should be made on the king's behalf for beautiful youngvirgins,
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 præpositus et custos mulierum regiarum : et accipiant mundum muliebrem, et cetera ad usus necessaria.	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 quæcumque inter omnes oculis regis placuerit, ipsa regnet pro Vasthi. Placuit sermo regi : et ita, ut suggesserant, jussit fieri.	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 Judæus in Susan civitate, vocabulo Mardochæus filius Jair, filii Semei, filii Cis, de stirpe Jemini,	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 Jerusalem eo tempore quo Jechoniam regem Juda Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis 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 nutritius filiæ fratris sui Edissæ, quæ altero nomine vocabatur Esther, et utrumque parentem amiserat : pulchra nimis, et decora facie. Mortuisque patre ejus ac matre, Mardochæus sibi eam adoptavit in filiam.	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 Cumque percrebruisset regis imperium, et juxta mandatum illius multæ pulchræ virgines adducerentur Susan, et Egeo traderentur eunucho, Esther quoque inter ceteras puellas ei tradita est, ut servaretur in numero feminarum.	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 Quæ placuit ei, et invenit gratiam in conspectu illius. Et præcepit eunucho, ut acceleraret mundum muliebrem, et traderet ei partes suas, et septem puellas speciosissimas de domo regis, et tam ipsam quam pedissequas ejus ornaret atque excoleret.	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 Quæ noluit indicare ei populum et patriam suam : Mardochæus enim præceperat ei, ut de hac re omnino reticeret :	10 Esther had not divulged her race or parentage, since Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
11 qui deambulabat quotidie ante vestibulum domus, in qua electæ virgines servabantur, curam agens salutis Esther, et scire volens quid 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 ad regem, expletis omnibus quæ ad cultum muliebrem pertinebant, mensis duodecimus vertebatur : ita dumtaxat, ut sex mensibus oleo ungerentur myrrhino, et aliis sex quibusdam 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 ad ornatum pertinens, accipiebant : et ut eis placuerat, compositæ de triclinio feminarum ad regis cubiculum transibant.	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 quæ intraverat vespere, egrediebatur mane, atque inde in secundas ædes deducebatur, quæ sub manu Susagazi eunuchi erant, qui concubinis regis præsidebat : nec habebat potestatem ad regem ultra redeundi, nisi voluisset rex, et eam venire jussisset ex 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 Abihail fratris Mardochæi, quam sibi adoptaverat in filiam, deberet intrare ad regem. Quæ non quæsivit muliebrem cultum, sed quæcumque voluit Egeus eunuchus custos virginum, hæc ei ad ornatum dedit. Erat enim formosa valde, et incredibili pulchritudine : 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 ad cubiculum regis Assueri mense decimo, qui vocatur Tebeth, septimo anno regni ejus.	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 adamavit eam rex plus quam omnes mulieres, habuitque gratiam et misericordiam coram eo super omnes mulieres : et posuit diadema regni in capite ejus, fecitque 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 jussit convivium præparari permagnificum cunctis principibus et servis suis pro conjunctione et nuptiis Esther. Et dedit requiem universis provinciis, ac dona largitus est juxta magnificentiam 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 Cumque secundo quærerentur virgines et congregarentur, Mardochæus manebat ad januam regis :	19 When Esther, like the other girls, had been transferred to the second harem,
20 necdum prodiderat Esther patriam et populum suum, juxta mandatum ejus. Quidquid enim ille præcipiebat, observabat Esther : et ita cuncta faciebat ut eo tempore solita erat, quo eam parvulam nutriebat.	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 Mardochæus ad regis januam morabatur, irati sunt Bagathan et Thares duo eunuchi regis, qui janitores erant, et in primo palatii limine præsidebant : volueruntque insurgere in regem, et occidere eum.	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 Mardochæum non latuit, statimque nuntiavit reginæ Esther : et illa regi ex nomine Mardochæi, qui ad se rem detulerat.	22 Mordecai came to hear of this and informed Queen Esther, who in turn, on Mordecai's authority, toldthe king.
23 Quæsitum est, et inventum : et appensus est uterque eorum in patibulo. Mandatumque est historiis, et annalibus traditum 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.