Historical

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.