Beginning

1 Now it came to pass in the yamim of Achashverosh, (this is Achashverosh which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces;)

² That in those yamim, when HaMelech Achashverosh sat on his kisse malkhut (royal throne), which was in the [Persian] capital, Shushan,

³ In the shnat shalosh (third year) of his reign, he gave a mishteh (feast, banquet) unto all his sarim (princes) and his avadim (officials); the might of Persia and Media, the nobles and sarim (princes) of the provinces, being before him;

⁴ When he displayed the osher kavod malkhut (riches of the glorious kingdom) of his and the yekar (honor [see 1:20]) of his tiferet gedulah (glorious majesty) yamim rabbim, even a hundred and eighty days.

⁵ And when these yamim were expired, HaMelech gave a mishteh (feast) unto all the people that were present in the capital of Shushan, both gadol (great) and katan (small), shivat yamim (seven days), in the khatzer (courtyard) of the garden of the palace of HaMelech,

⁶ Where were white and blue linen curtains, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to rings of silver and pillars of marble; the mittot (couches) were of zahav and kesef, upon an inlaid floor of purplish-red exquisite stone and mother-of-pearl and marble.

⁷ And they gave them drink in vessels of zahav, the vessels being different one from another, and yayin malkhut (royal wine) in abundance, according to the [bountiful] yad HaMelech.

⁸ And the drinking was according to the dat ein ones (rule [which was] not compulsory, restricting); for so HaMelech had ordered all the wine stewards in his bais, that they should serve kirtzon ish va’ish (according to the good pleasure of each man).

⁹ Also Vashti HaMalkah gave a mishteh (feast, banquet) for the nashim (women, wives) in the Beit HaMalkhut (the royal palace) which belonged to HaMelech Achashverosh.

¹⁰ On the yom hashevi’i, when the lev of HaMelech was tov with yayin, he commanded Mehuman, Bizta, Charvona, Bigta, and Avagta, Zetar, and Carkas, the shivat hasarisim (the seven eunuchs) that served in the presence of HaMelech Achashverosh,

¹¹ To bring Vashti HaMalkah before HaMelech with the keter malkhut (royal crown), to show the people and the sarim (princes) her beauty, for she was lovely to behold.

¹² But HaMalkah Vashti refused to come at the devar HaMelech at the agency of his sarisim (eunuchs); therefore HaMelech became furious, and his wrath burned in him.

¹³ Then HaMelech said to the chachamim, which had da’as of the times; for so was the custom of HaMelech toward all the meyvinim (experts) in dat (law) and din (judgment),

¹⁴ And the next unto him was Carshena, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsna, and Memuchan, the shivat sarim (princes) of Persia and Media, which had access to HaMelech and which ranked rishonah (highest) in the Malkhut (kingdom);

¹⁵ What shall we do unto the Malkah Vashti according to dat (law), because she hath not performed the commandment of HaMelech Achashverosh at the agency of the sarisim (eunuchs)?

¹⁶ And Memuchan answered before HaMelech and the sarim (princes), Vashti HaMalkah hath not done wrong to HaMelech only, but also to all the sarim (nobles), and to kol haAmim that are in all the provinces of HaMelech Achashverosh.

¹⁷ For this deed of HaMalkah shall spread abroad unto all the nashim (women, wives), so that they shall despise their be’alim (husbands) in their eyes, when it shall be reported that HaMelech Achashverosh commanded Vashti HaMalkah to be brought in before him, but she came not.

¹⁸ Likewise, when they will have heard of the conduct of HaMalkah, the sarot (ladies of the nobility) of Persia and Media shall similarly respond this day unto all the sarim (nobles) of HaMelech. Thus shall there arise too much bizzayon (contempt) and ketzef (wrath).

¹⁹ If it please HaMelech, let there go forth a royal decree from him, and let it be written in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, laws that shall not pass away, that Vashti come no more before HaMelech Achashverosh; and let HaMelech give her royalty unto another that is better than she.

²⁰ And when the edict of HaMelech which he shall make shall be published throughout all his Malkhut (realm)—for it is great—-all the nashim (women, wives) shall give to their be’alim (husbands) yekar (honor, respect), both to gadol and katan.

²¹ And the proposal was good in the eyes of HaMelech and the sarim (nobles); and HaMelech did according to the devar Memuchan;

²² For he sent sefarim into all the provinces of HaMelech, into every province according to the script thereof, and to every people after their leshon, that every ish should bear rule in his own bais, and speak in the leshon of his own people.

2 After these things, when the wrath of HaMelech Achashverosh was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

² Then said the attendants of HaMelech that ministered unto him, Let there be beautiful ne’arot betulot (young virgins) sought for HaMelech;

³ And let HaMelech appoint pekidim (overseers) in all the provinces of his malkhut (kingdom, realm), that they may gather together all the beautiful na’arah betulah (young virgins) unto Shushan the capital, to the Bais HaNashim (House of the Women, Harem), unto the custody of Hegai the Saris HaMelech (the Eunuch of the King), the Shomer HaNashim (Custodian of the Women); and let their (bodily) rubbings be given them.

⁴ And let the na’arah which pleaseth HaMelech be Malkah (Queen) instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased HaMelech; and he did so.

⁵ Now in Shushan the capital there was an ish Yehudi, shmo Mordechai ben Yair ben Shim’i ben Kish, a Binyamini.

⁶ He had been carried away from Yerushalayim in the Golus among those taken captive with Yechanyah Melech Yehudah, whom Nevuchadnetzar Melech Bavel had carried away.

⁷ And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Ester, the bat of his dod (uncle); for she had neither av nor em, and the na’arah was lovely in form and beautiful in appearance, whom Mordechai, when her av and em were dead, took for the bat of his own.

⁸ So it came to pass, when the commandment of HaMelech and his dat (decree, law) was heard, and when ne’arot rabbot (many maidens) were gathered together unto Shushan the capital, to the custody of Hegai, that Ester was brought also unto the Beis HaMelech, to the custody of Hegai, Shomer HaNashim.

⁹ And the na’arah pleased HaMelech, and she took up chesed before HaMelech; and he speedily had her be given her (bodily) rubbings, with her portion of special food; and also he selected sheva hane’arot (seven maids) for her from the Beis HaMelech; and he transferred her and her ne’arot to the preferred quarters in the Bais HaNashim.

¹⁰ Ester had not revealed her Am (People, i.e., the Jewish people) nor her moledet (kindred, i.e., her Jewishness), for Mordechai had charged her she should not show it.

¹¹ And Mordechai walked kol yom vayom before the khatzer Bais HaNashim (courtyard of the House of the Women, Harem) to have da’as of the shalom Ester (welfare of Ester), and what would become of her.

¹² Now before the turn of every na’arah came to go in to HaMelech Achashverosh, she had to complete the yemei merukeihen (the days of her [bodily] rubbings) which were prescribed for the nashim and which involved shneym asar chodesh (twelve months), shisha chodashim (six months) of shemen (oil) of myrrh and shisha chodashim (six months) of perfumes and beauty treatments for nashim.

¹³ Then thus came every na’arah unto HaMelech; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the Bais HaNashim unto the Beis HaMelech.

¹⁴ Ba’erev (in the evening) she went, and ba’boker (in the morning) she returned to a Bais HaNashim Sheni (a second House of the Women, Harem) to the custody of Shaashgaz, Saris HaMelech, Shomer HaPilagshim (Eunuch of the King, Custodian of the Concubines). She came in unto HaMelech no more, except HaMelech delighted in her, and she were summoned b’shem (by name).

¹⁵ Now when the turn of Ester bat Avichayil, dod Mordechai, who had adopted her as his bat, was come to go in unto HaMelech, she required nothing but what Hegai, Saris HaMelech, the Shomer HaNashim, suggested. And Ester took up chen (favor, grace) in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

¹⁶ So Ester was taken unto HaMelech Achashverosh into his Bais Malkhut (royal residence) in the chodesh ha’asiri (tenth month), which is the month Tevet, in the shnat sheva (seventh year) of his reign.

¹⁷ And HaMelech loved Ester mikol hanashim (more than all the women), and she took up chen vachesed (favor and grace) in his sight more than kol habetulot (all the virgins), so that he set the keter malkhut (royal crown) upon her head, and made her Malkah instead of Vashti.

¹⁸ Then HaMelech gave a mishteh gadol (great feast) unto all his sarim (nobles) and his avadim (servants, officials), even Mishteh Ester; and he decreed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts according to the [bountiful] yad HaMelech.

¹⁹ And when the betulot (virgins) were gathered together again, then Mordechai yoshev b’Sha’ar HaMelech (sat in the King’s Gate).

²⁰ Ester had not yet revealed her moledet (kindred) nor her Am (people, i.e., the Jewish people) as Mordechai had charged her; for Ester did the commandment of Mordechai, like as when she was brought up with him.

²¹ In those yamim, while Mordechai yoshev b’Sha’ar HaMelech, two of the Sarisim of HaMelech, Bigtan and Teresh, of the Mishomrei HaSaf (Keepers of the Door, Doorkeepers), were angry, and conspired to assassinate HaMelech Achashverosh.

²² And Mordechai came to da’as of the plot, and told it unto Ester HaMalkah; and Ester informed HaMelech thereof b’shem Mordechai.

²³ And when inquiry was made of the matter, it was found true; therefore the two of them were made talui al etz (hanged on a tree), and it was written in the sefer of the divrei hayamim before HaMelech.

3 After these things did HaMelech Achashverosh promote Haman ben Hamdata the Agagi [Num 24:7], and advanced him, and set his rank above all the other sarim (nobles).

² And all the avadim of HaMelech, that were in the Sha’ar HaMelech, bowed, and paid homage to Haman, for HaMelech had so commanded concerning him. But Mordechai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

³ Then avadim of HaMelech, which were in the Sha’ar HaMelech, said unto Mordechai, Why transgressest thou the mitzvat HaMelech?

⁴ Now it came to pass, when they spoke yom vayom unto him, and his was a lo shema (not listen) unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordechai’s behavior would be tolerated; for he had told them that hu Yehudi (he was a Jew).

⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordechai ein korei’a (bowed not), nor to him mishtachaveh (would prostrate, worship [Devarim 5:9]), then was Haman full of chemah (wrath).

⁶ And he scorned to lay hands on Mordechai alone; since they had told him the Am Mordechai; therefore Haman sought to make shmad of kol haYehudim that were throughout the kol Malkhut Achashverosh, even the Am Mordechai.

⁷ In the chodesh harishon (first month), that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of HaMelech Achashverosh, they cast Pur, that is, the goral (lot), before Haman miyom l’yom (from day to day, every day), and me’chodesh l’chodesh (from month to month, every month) until the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

⁸ And Haman said unto HaMelech Achashverosh, There is Am Echad scattered abroad and dispersed among the amim in all the provinces of thy malkhut (kingdom, realm); and their dat (law) is different from kol am; neither obey they the datei HaMelech; therefore it is not suitable for HaMelech to tolerate them.

⁹ If it please HaMelech, let it be written that they may be killed, and I will weigh ten thousand talents of kesef into the hands of those that are the osei hamelachah (doers of the work, T.N. i.e., the S.S.), to bring it into genazim (treasuries [T.N. see the word genizah here]) of HaMelech.

¹⁰ And HaMelech took his taba’at (signet ring) from his hand, and gave it unto Haman ben Hamdata the Agagi, the tzorer (vexer, harasser) of the Yehudim.

¹¹ And HaMelech said unto Haman, The kesef is given to thee, HaAm also, to do with them as it seemeth good in thine eyes.

¹² Then were the soferim of HaMelech summoned on the shloshah asar yom of chodesh harishon, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded, unto the satraps of HaMelech, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the sarim of every people of every province according to the script thereof, and to every people after their leshon; b’shem HaMelech Achashverosh was it written, and sealed with the taba’at HaMelech (the signet ring of HaMelech).

¹³ And the sefarim were sent by couriers into all the provinces of HaMelech, to make shmad, to kill, and to annihilate kol HaYehudim, both na’ar and zaken (young and old), little children and nashim, on yom echad (one day), even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.

¹⁴ The copy of the edict to be issued as dat (law) in every province was published unto kol ha’amim, that they should be atidim (ready, prepared) for yom hazeh (that day).

¹⁵ The couriers went out, being hastened by the devar HaMelech, and the dat was issued in Shushan the capital. And HaMelech and Haman sat down to drink, but the city Shushan was in confusion.

4 When Mordechai perceived all that was done, Mordechai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a zeakah gedolah umarah (loud and a bitter wailing);

² And came even before the Sha’ar HaMelech; for none might enter into the Sha’ar HaMelech clothed with sackcloth.

³ And in every province, whithersoever the Devar HaMelech and his dat (decree) came, there was evel gadol (great mourning) among the Yehudim, and a tzom, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ So Ester’s na’arot and her sarisim came and told it her. Then was HaMalkah exceedingly distressed; and she sent begadim (raiment) to clothe Mordechai, and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he received it not [see Am 6:6].

⁵ Then called Ester for Hatach, one of the sarisim of HaMelech, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment about Mordechai, to have da’as of mah zeh (what is this?), and al mah zeh (why is this?)

⁶ So Hatach went forth to Mordechai unto the rechov haIr (open square of the city), which was before the Sha’ar HaMelech.

⁷ And Mordechai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the parashat hakesef (exact amount of the money) that Haman had promised to pay to the genazim of HaMelech for the Yehudim, to destroy them.

⁸ Also he gave him the copy of the edict of the dat (decree, Final Solution) that was published at Shushan to make them shmad, to show it unto Ester, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto HaMelech, to make supplication unto him, and to make bakash (request, pleading) before him for her Am (People, the Jewish People).

⁹ And Hatach came and told Ester the divrei Mordechai.

¹⁰ Again Ester spoke unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordechai:

¹¹ All the avadim of HaMelech, and the people of the provinces of HaMelech have da’as that whosoever, whether ish or isha, shall come unto HaMelech into the pnimiyus khatzer (innermost courtyard), who is not called, there is echat dat (one law) of his to put him to death, except such to whom HaMelech shall hold out the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre), that he may live. But I have not been called to come in unto HaMelech these shloshim yom.

¹² And they told to Mordechai Ester’s words.

¹³ Then Mordechai commanded to answer Ester, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the Beis HaMelech, more than kol HaYehudim.

¹⁴ For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there revach (relief) and hatzalah (deliverance) arise to the Yehudim from another place; but thou and thy bais Avicha (house of thy father) shall be destroyed; and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Malkhut for such a time as this [1C 9:16; Ro 1:16] ?

¹⁵ Then Ester bade them return Mordechai this answer,

¹⁶ Go, gather together kol HaYehudim that are found in Shushan, and declare ye a tzom for me, and neither eat nor drink shloshet yamim, lailah vayom. I also and my na’arot will undergo a tzom likewise; and so will I go in unto HaMelech, though it is not according to the dat; and if I perish, I perish.

¹⁷ So Mordechai went his way, and did according to all that Ester had commanded him.

5 Now it came to pass on the yom hashelishi, that Ester put on her royal apparel, and stood in the pnimiyus [khatzer] of the Beis HaMelech in front of the Beis HaMelech; and HaMelech sat upon his kisse malkhut (royal throne) in the Beis Hamalkhut, facing the Petach HaBeis (Entrance of HaBeis).

² And it was so, when HaMelech saw Ester HaMalkah standing in the Khatzer (Court), that she took up chen (favor, grace) in his sight, and HaMelech held out to Ester the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre) that was in his hand. So Ester drew near, and touched the top of the sharvit (sceptre).

³ Then said HaMelech unto her, What wilt thou, Ester HaMalkah? And what is thy bakash (request)? It shall be given thee even to the chatzi HaMalchut (half of the kingdom).

⁴ And Ester answered, If it seem tov unto HaMelech, let HaMelech and Haman come today unto the mishteh that I have prepared for him.

⁵ Then HaMelech said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Ester hath said. So HaMelech and Haman came to the mishteh that Ester had prepared.

⁶ And HaMelech said unto Ester at the mishteh hayayin (feast), What is thy she’elah (petition)? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy bakash (request)? Even to chatzi HaMalchut it shall be granted.

⁷ Then answered Ester, and said, My she’elah and my bakash is:

⁸ If I have found chen (favor, grace) in the sight of HaMelech, and if it is tov to HaMelech to grant my she’elah, and to perform my bakash, let HaMelech and Haman come to the mishteh that I shall prepare for them, and I will do makhar (tomorrow) as HaMelech hath said.

⁹ Then went Haman forth that day sameiach (joyful, happy) and with a tov lev; but when Haman saw Mordechai in the Sha’ar HaMelech, that he stood not up, nor trembled because of him, he was full of chemah (indignation, rage) against Mordechai.

¹⁰ Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and when he came home, he sent and called for his ohavim (friends), and Zeresh his isha.

¹¹ And Haman told them of the kavod of his osher, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein HaMelech had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the sarim (princes) and avadim of HaMelech.

¹² Haman said moreover, Yea, Ester HaMalkah did let no man come in with HaMelech unto the mishteh that she had prepared but myself; and makhar (tomorrow) am I invited unto her also with HaMelech.

¹³ Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordechai HaYehudi sitting at the Sha’ar HaMelech.

¹⁴ Then said Zeresh his isha and all his ohavim (friends) unto him, Let an etz (hanging tree) be made of fifty cubits high, and baboker (in the morning) speak thou unto HaMelech that Mordechai may be hanged thereon [see Lk 23:21 OJBC]; then go thou samei’ach (joyfully) with HaMelech unto the mishteh. And the thing was tov to Haman; and he caused HaEtz to be built.