1 بعد هذه الأمور لما خمد غضب الملك احشويروش ذكر وشتي وما عملته وما حتم به عليها.2 فقال غلمان الملك الذين يخدمونه ليطلب للملك فتيات عذارى حسنات المنظر3 وليوكل الملك وكلاء في كل بلاد مملكته ليجمعوا كل الفتيات العذارى الحسنات المنظر الى شوشن القصر الى بيت النساء الى يد هيجاي خصي الملك حارس النساء وليعطين ادهان عطرهنّ‎.4 والفتاة التي تحسن في عيني الملك فلتملك مكان وشتي. فحسن الكلام في عيني الملك فعمل هكذا5 كان في شوشن القصر رجل يهودي اسمه مردخاي ابن يائير بن شمعي بن قيس رجل يميني6 قد سبي من اورشليم مع السبي الذي سبي مع يكنيا ملك يهوذا الذي سباه نبوخذنصّر ملك بابل.7 وكان مربّيا لهدسّة اي استير بنت عمه لانه لم يكن لها اب ولا ام. وكانت الفتاة جميلة الصورة وحسنة المنظر وعند موت ابيها وامها اتخذها مردخاي لنفسه ابنة.8 فلما سمع كلام الملك وامره وجمعت فتايات كثيرات الى شوشن القصر الى يد هيجاي أخذت استير الى بيت الملك الى يد هيجاي حارس النساء.9 وحسنت الفتاة في عينيه ونالت نعمة بين يديه فبادر بادهان عطرها وانصبتها ليعطيها اياها مع السبع الفتيات المختارات لتعطى لها من بيت الملك ونقلها مع فتاياتها الى احسن مكان في بيت النساء.10 ولم تخبر استير عن شعبها وجنسها لان مردخاي اوصاها ان لا تخبر.11 وكان مردخاي يتمشى يوما فيوما امام دار بيت النساء ليستعلم عن سلامة استير وعما يصنع بها12 ولما بلغت نوبة فتاة ففتاة للدخول الى الملك احشويروش بعد ان يكون لها حسب سنة النساء اثنا عشر شهرا لانه هكذا كانت تكمل ايام تعطرهنّ ستة اشهر بزيت المرّ وستة اشهر بالاطياب وادهان تعطر النساء13 وهكذا كانت كل فتاة تدخل الى الملك. وكل ما قالت عنه أعطي لها للدخول معها من بيت النساء الى بيت الملك.14 في المساء دخلت وفي الصباح رجعت الى بيت النساء الثاني الى يد شعشغاز خصي الملك حارس السراري. لم تعد تدخل الى الملك الا اذا سرّ بها الملك ودعيت باسمها15 ولما بلغت نوبة استير ابنة ابيحائل عم مردخاي الذي اتخذها لنفسه ابنة للدخول الى الملك لم تطلب شيئا الا ما قال عنه هيجاي خصي الملك حارس النساء. وكانت استير تنال نعمة في عيني كل من رآها.16 وأخذت استير الى الملك احشويروش الى بيت ملكه في الشهر العاشر هو شهر طيبيت في السنة السابعة لملكه.17 فاحب الملك استير اكثر من جميع النساء ووجدت نعمة واحسانا قدامه اكثر من جميع العذارى فوضع تاج الملك على راسها وملّكها مكان وشتي.18 وعمل الملك وليمة عظيمة لجميع رؤسائه وعبيده وليمة استير. وعمل راحة للبلاد واعطى عطايا حسب كرم الملك.19 ولما جمعت العذارى ثانية كان مردخاي جالسا بباب الملك.20 ولم تكن استير اخبرت عن جنسها وشعبها كما اوصاها مردخاي. وكانت استير تعمل حسب قول مردخاي كما كانت في تربيتها عنده21 في تلك الايام بينما كان مردخاي جالسا في باب الملك غضب بغثان وترش خصيا الملك حارسا الباب وطلبا ان يمدا ايديهما الى الملك احشويروش.22 فعلم الأمر عند مردخاي فاخبر استير الملكة فاخبرت استير الملك باسم مردخاي.23 ففحص عن الامر ووجد فصلبا كلاهما على خشبة وكتب ذلك في سفر اخبار الايام امام الملك

1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.2 Then said the king' servants that ministered to him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the custody of Hege the king' chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:4 And let the maiden which pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle' daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.8 So it came to pass, when the king' commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also to the king' house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king' house: and he preferred her and her maids to the best place of the house of the women.10 Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it.11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women' house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.12 Now when every maid' turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)13 Then thus came every maiden to the king; whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king' house.14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king' chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in to the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king' chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked on her.16 So Esther was taken to king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor 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 Then the king made a great feast to all his princes and his servants, even Esther' feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king' gate.20 Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king' gate, two of the king' chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it to Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai' name.23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.