¹

И$ по словесе'хъ сиX ё^ста'вися цр~ь эT гнњва. и^ не въспомянђ ктомђ` а^сти'ны, въспомина'яи е^ли'ко гл~а ја^ко ѓ^сђди` ея`.

¹

And after this the king's anger was pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said, and how he had condemned her.

²

и^ рњша цр~ви слђги е^го, да взы'щђтъ цр~ю дв~цы нерастлњнны кра'сны зракомъ.

²

Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste and beautiful young virgins.

³

и^ да поста'витъ цр~ь в#зыска'теля, въ всњхъ страна'хъ црsтвїя свое^го. да съберђтъ дв~цы дњвъстве'нїи, доброзра'чны, къ сђса'нђ градђ в черто'гъ же'ньскїи. и^ да эTдадTђ е^внђхови цр~евђ е^же стреже'тъ, и^ да даs ѓде'жда и^ прочїи потре'бы,

³

And let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select fair and chaste young damsels and bring them to the city Susa, into the women's apartment, and let them be consigned to the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women; and let things for purification and other attendance be given to them.

⁴

и^же ю& възлю'битъ цр~ь. да поста'витъ въ а^сти'ны мњсто, и^ годњ бы'сть цр~ю, и^ сътвори` та'ко.

⁴

And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

⁵

и^ мђжъ б^њ і^ё^де'искїи в сђса'нњ гра'дњ и'мя е^мђ мардохе'и, сн~ъ а^и'ровъ, сн~а симаи^на, сн~а ки'сова, эT пле'мени вениа^ми'ня,

⁵

Now there was a Jew in the city Susa, and his name was Mardochæus, the son of Jairus, the son of Semeias, the son of Cisæus, of the tribe of Benjamin;

⁶

и^же бя'ше плене'нъ эT і^ерsлі'ма навходосо'ромъ цр~емъ вављ=лонъскимъ.

⁶

who had been brought a prisoner from Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried into captivity.

⁷

и^ бя'ше е^мђ дв~ца эT племеня а^минода'вля бра'та эTц~а е^го, и%мя е'и е^сџи'ръ д#щи` ё'я е^го” и^ бя'ше дв~ца кра'сна и^ доброзра'чна. по преставле'нїи же роди'телеи ея`, прїяT ю& мардохе'и въ дщере мњсто.

⁷

And he had a foster-child, daughter of Aminadab his father's brother, and her name was Esther; and when her parents were dead, he brought her up for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.

⁸

и^ вънегда ё^слы'шанъ бысть гл~ъ цр~евъ и^ зако'нъ е^го. собра'ша же дв~ца мно'ги в сђса'нњ гра'дњ по рђкою га'ня. и^ бы'сть поя'та е^сџи'ръ в доM цр~евъ рђко'ю га'ня, и^же бя'ше храни'тель женьскїи.

⁸

And because the king's ordinance was published, many damsels were gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai; and Esther was brought to Gai the keeper of the women.

⁹

и^ ё^люби` цр~ь дв~цђ ѓ^чи'ма свои^ма, и^ ѓ^брњте млsть преD нимъ. и^ ё^бор#зи пристро'ю е'и да'ры дая'ти. и^ седмь дв~ць и^же стоя'хђ да'ти е'и и^з до'мђ цр~ева. и^ пристроя дв~цњ ея` ё^добрњла в домђ` же'ньстњмъ.

⁹

And the damsel pleased him, and she found favour in his sight; and he hasted to give her the things for purification, and her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the palace: and he treated her and her maidens well in the women's apartment.

¹⁰

и^ не повњда е^сџи'р# людїи свои^хъ и^ ро'дђ свое^го. мардохе'и б^о заповњда е'и не възвњща'ти,

¹⁰

But Esther discovered not her family nor her kindred: for Mardochæus had charged her not to tell.

¹¹

и на вся'къ дн~ь мардохе'и въсхожа'ше противђ до'мђ же'ньскаго ё^вњдњти ми'ръ е^сџи'ри чт^о бы сътвори'ли е'и.

¹¹

But Mardochæus used to walk every day by the women's court, to see what would become of Esther.

¹²

си'це б^о бњ` время дв~цъ и^же вни'ти къ цр~ю, е^гда и^спо'лниTся зако'нъ, в~і мsць, ја%кота'ко напол#ня'хђся днїе ѓ^чище'нїю, ѕ~ мsць, въ а^рома'таX, и^ въ пристро'яX женьскиX ѕ~ мsць нама'зђющися ми'ромъ ѓ^ле'ѓ^вымъ,

¹²

Now this was the time for a virgin to go in to the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women's purifications.

¹³

и^ тогда прихожда'ше къ цр~еви. и^ все и^же а^ще рече дадя'ше е^и. прїити` с не'ю и^з домђ же'ньскаго да'же и^ до до'мђ цр~ева.

¹³

And then the damsel goes in to the king; and the officer to whomsoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him from the women's apartment to the king's chamber.

¹⁴

и^ на вечеръ т^а бњ` приходя'щи. и^ заё'тра б^њ възвраща'ющися к до'мђ же'ньскомђ къ дрђгомђ е^внђхђ цр~евђ по рђцњ храни'телю ло'жницњ, и^ не прихожда'ше па'ки къ цр~ю. н^о е^гда не бђдетъ позва'на и%менемъ.

¹⁴

She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women's apartment, where Gai the king's chamberlain is keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.

¹⁵

и^ внегда достђпи` жре'бїи е^сџи'ринъ дщери а^минода'вли, бра'та эTц~а мардохе'ѓва и^же поя'лъ ю& себњ въ дщери мњсто, прїити` къ цр~еви ничто'же приложи` е^же заповњда е^и е^внђхъ храни'тель же'ньскїи. б^њ б^о е^сџи'ръ ѓ^брњта'ющи млsть преD всњми зря'щими ея”

¹⁵

And when the time was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochæus' father to go in to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women's keeper, commanded; for Esther found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.

¹⁶

И$ бысть поя'та е^сџи'ръ къ цр~ю а^ртаће'рћђ въ в~і мsць и^же е^сть а^да'ръ, в лњто седмо'е црsтва е^го.

¹⁶

So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷

и^ ѓ^блюби` цр~ь е^сџи'ръ па'че всXњ дв~ць дв~ствениw, и^ ѓ^брњте блгDть паq всXњ и^ воZложи` вњнецъ црsкїи на главђ` е^я.

¹⁷

And the king loved Esther, and she found favour beyond all the other virgins: and he put on her the queen's crown.

¹⁸

и^ сътвори` цр~ь пи'ръ вели'къ, всњм# вельмо'жамъ свои^мъ, и^ рабо'мъ своиM з~ днїи, и^ воZнесе браk е^сџи'риn и^ сотвори` ё^тњ'хђ зеMля'мъ е^го,

¹⁸

And the king made a banquet for all his friends and great men for seven days, and he highly celebrated the marriage of Esther; and he made a release to those who were under his dominion.

¹⁹

мардохе'и же слђжаше въ дворњ цр~евњ.

¹⁹

But Mardochæus served in the palace.

²⁰

и^ е^сџи'р же не повњда'ющи рода свое^го, н^и лю'дїи свои^хъ. сице б^о заповњ'да е'и мардохе'и боя'тися б~а и^ твори'ти за'повњди е^го. ја%коже бя'ше ё^твръди'лася с ни'мъ во' дн~и т^ы, е^сџи'р же не и^змњни ѓ^бы'чаа свое^го.

²⁰

Now Esther had not discovered her kindred; for so Mardochæus commanded her, to fear God, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him: and Esther changed not her manner of life.

²¹

начаlнњишїи стра'жи ло'жа е^го, і^ ѓ^скорблени бы'ша дв^а е^внђха, ја%ко преDпочтенъ бы'сть мар#дохе'и, и^ска'хђ ё^би'ти а^ртаћерћа цр~я.

²¹

And two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mardochæus was promoted; and they sought to kill king Artaxerxes.

²²

и^ възвњсти'ша сло'во мардохею, и^ сказа е^сџи'ри, ѓ^на' же повњда цр~ю ја^же навњтђ'ютъ.

²²

And the matter was discovered to Mardochæus, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.

²³

цр~ь же и^спыта дв^ђ е^внђхов#, і^ и^сповњда'шася. и^ сего ради ѓ^бњси иX” И$ повелњ цр~ь положи'ти на па'мятъ въ цр~ьстеи кни'гохрани'телницы. ѓ^ бл~гоё^мїи мардохеѓ'вњ въ похва'лђ”

²³

And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of Mardochæus, as a commendation.