1 Quando, pouco depois, a cólera do rei se acalmou, pensou em Vasti, no que ela tinha feito e na decisão que tomara a respeito dela.2 Então as pessoas do séquito do rei disseram:3 Que se procurem para o rei donzelas virgens, belas de aspecto; que o rei envie pessoas a todas as províncias de seu reino, para reunir todas as jovens virgens de belo aspecto e trazê-las a Susa, sua capital, ao harém, sob a vigilância de Hegai, eunuco do rei e encarregado das mulheres, que providenciará às necessidades de seu toucador.4 A jovem que souber agradar ao rei se tornará rainha em lugar de Vasti. Isso agradou ao rei que seguiu esse conselho.5 Ora, havia em Susa, a capital, um judeu chamado Mardoqueu, filho de Jair, filho de Semei, filho de Cis, da tribo de Benjamim,6 que tinha sido trazido de Jerusalém entre os cativos deportados com Jeconias, rei de Judá, por Nabucodonosor, rei de Babilônia.7 Era o tutor de Edissa - isto é, Ester, - filha de seu tio, órfã de pai e mãe. A moça era de belo porte e agradável de aspecto; na morte de seus pais, Mardoqueu a tinha adotado por filha.8 Logo que foi publicado o edito do rei, numerosas jovens foram reunidas em Susa, a capital, sob a guarda de Hegai. Ester também foi levada ao palácio e posta sob a guarda de Hegai, o encarregado das mulheres.9 A jovem lhe agradou e ganhou suas graças; tanto que ele se apressou a lhe proporcionar ungüentos e perfumes para seu toucador e adorno. Deu-lhe sete companheiras, escolhidas na casa do rei, reservando a elas o melhor apartamento do gineceu.10 Ester não tinha revelado sua raça nem sua família, porque Mardoqueu lhe tinha proibido falar disso.11 Cada dia ele passeava diante do pátio do gineceu para ter notícias de Ester e saber o que lhe acontecia.12 Toda jovem começava por sujeitar-se, durante doze meses, à lei das mulheres. Nesse período se purificavam seis meses com óleo de mirra, e seis meses com cosméticos e outros bálsamos em uso entre as mulheres.13 Depois disso, quando chegava a vez de cada uma entrar junto ao rei, podia, ao passar do gineceu ao palácio, tomar consigo tudo o que queria.14 Admitida à tarde, se retirava pela manhã a um outro palácio das mulheres, sob a guarda de Chaasgaz, o eunuco do rei posto à frente das concubinas. E não voltava mais junto ao rei, se ele não tivesse manifestado o desejo, chamando-a expressamente.15 Chegou a vez de Ester entrar junto ao rei. A filha de Abigail {tio desse Mardoqueu que a tinha adotado por filha}, não pediu nada além do que lhe foi dado por Hegai, eunuco do rei, encarregado das mulheres. Mas ela ganhava as boas graças de todos os que a viam.16 Foi levada junto ao rei Assuero, a seu palácio. Era o décimo mês {mês de Tebet}, do ano sétimo do seu reinado.17 O rei amou-a mais que todas as outras mulheres; e ganhou ela as graças e o favor real mais que todas as demais jovens. Tanto que o rei colocou sobre sua cabeça o diadema real e a fez rainha em lugar de Vasti.18 O rei deu um grande banquete a todos os seus príncipes e a seus servos em honra de Ester; concedeu um dia de descanso a seus Estados e fez benefícios verdadeiramente reais.19 Na segunda vez que reuniram as jovens, Mardoqueu se achava sentado à porta do rei.20 Obedecendo à proibição de seu tutor, Ester não tinha revelado nem sua família, nem sua raça. Obedecia ainda a Mardoqueu, como quando estava sob a sua tutela.21 Naquele tempo, pois, Mardoqueu se sentava à porta do palácio. Ora, dois eunucos do rei, Bigtã e Tares, guardas da entrada, cedendo ao ressentimento, pensaram levantar sua mão contra o rei.22 Mardoqueu o soube e deu parte à rainha Ester, e esta o referiu ao rei da parte de Mardoqueu.23 Examinado o assunto e reconhecido como certo, foram os dois eunucos suspensos numa forca. E se consignou o fato nas Crônicas, em presença do rei.

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 the king's servants that ministered unto him said, 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 unto Shushan, the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege, the king's eunuch, keeper of the women; and let them be given that which is necessary for [their] purification;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 had brought up Hadassah, that [is], Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid [was] fair and beautiful; and as her father and mother were dead, Mordecai had taken her for his own daughter.8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan, the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.9 And the maiden pleased him, and she found mercy before him; and he speedily gave her that which was necessary for purification and her rations, and seven maidens, [which were] meet to be given her out of the king's house; and he moved her and her maids into the best [place] of the house of the women.10 Esther had not declared her people nor her birth, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not declare [it].11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house to know the peace of Esther and what was done with her.12 Now when each maid's turn was come to go in to King Ahasuerus, after she had been twelve months according to the law [regarding] the women (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, [that is], six months with oil of myrrh and six months with aromatic odours and oils for women),13 then thus came [each] maiden unto the king; whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's 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's eunuch, who kept the concubines; she came in unto the king no more, unless the king delighted in her and called for her 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 unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai, the king's eunuch, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained grace in the sight of all those that looked upon her.16 So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus into his royal house 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 mercy in his sight more than did all the other virgins so that he set the crown of the kingdom upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.18 Then the king made a great banquet unto all his princes and his servants, the banquet of Esther; and he made a release to the provinces [of their taxes] and gave gifts according to the power of the king.19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.20 Esther had not [yet] declared her birth nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai as when she was being brought up with him.21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth and sought to lay hand on King Ahasuerus.22 And the thing was known by Mordecai, who told [it] unto Esther, the queen; and Esther notified the king [of this] in Mordecai's 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.: