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Esther 15

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(The three verses which follow represent a section found by St Jerome as a detached fragment in the Latin version current before his time. But they correspond to the Septuagint Greek text of 4.8, where the Hebrew and Vulgate texts stop short after the words ‘Go she must into the king’s presence, and plead there the cause of her people’. This phrase, however, is verbally different in the Vulgate of 4.8 and 15.1. In our present context St Jerome has added the note, The speaker is evidently Mardochaeus.)

1 2 3

1 … So he bade her claim audience with the king, and intercede for her people and for her country. 2 Remember, said he, the days of thy humbler fortunes, and how it was my care nurtured thee. Now thou art matched against Aman, that is next to the king’s person; he pleads for our overthrow, and it is thine to plead for our preservation. 3 Ask aid of the Lord, and seek the king’s audience ….

(The remaining verses of this chapter represent an alternative version, in the Septuagint Greek, of the opening of chapter 5,and resume the narrative from 14.19 above, which is the end of chapter 4 in the Greek. The main phrases of 5.1-2 can be distinguished here in 15.4, 9, 15.)

1 Et mandavit ei (haud dubium quin esset Mardochæus) ut ingrederetur ad regem, et rogaret pro populo suo et pro patria sua. 2 Memorare, inquit, dierum humilitatis tuæ, quomodo nutrita sis in manu mea, quia Aman secundus a rege locutus est contra nos in mortem: 3 et tu invoca Dominum, et loquere regi pro nobis, et libera nos de morte.

4 5 καὶ γενηθεῖσα ἐπιφανὴς ἐπικαλεσαμένη τὸν πάντων ἐπόπτην θεὸν καὶ σωτῆρα παρέλαβεν τὰς δύο ἅβρας 6 καὶ τῇ μὲν μιᾷ ἐπηρείδετο ὡς τρυφερευομένη ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα ἐπηκολούθει κουφίζουσα τὴν ἔνδυσιν αὐτῆς 7 καὶ αὐτὴ ἐρυθριῶσα ἀκμῇ κάλλους αὐτῆς 8 καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ἱλαρὸν ὡς προσφιλές ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῆς ἀπεστενωμένη ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου 9 καὶ εἰσελθοῦσα πάσας τὰς θύρας κατέστη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν στολὴν τῆς ἐπιφανείας αὐτοῦ ἐνεδεδύκει ὅλος διὰ χρυσοῦ καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν καὶ ἦν φοβερὸς σφόδρα 10 καὶ ἄρας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πεπυρωμένον δόξῃ ἐν ἀκμῇ θυμοῦ ἔβλεψεν καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ βασίλισσα καὶ μετέβαλεν τὸ χρῶμα αὐτῆς ἐν ἐκλύσει καὶ κατεπέκυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῆς ἅβρας τῆς προπορευομένης

4 When the third day came, she laid aside the garb of prayer,[1] and put on all her fine array, 5 queenly robes that dazzled the eye. One prayer she offered to the God who alone rules, alone can save; then bade two of her waiting-maids bear her company. 6 On one she leant, as though her dainty form must needs be supported; 7 the other followed her mistress as train-bearer. 8 Alluring beauty of flushed cheek and shining eye hid a heart grief-stricken, a heart chilled with an overwhelming fear. 9 Door after door she passed, till she reached the king’s presence, where he sat on his royal throne, royally clad, amid a glitter of gold and jewels; terrible of mien. 10 No sooner had he looked up, his fiery glance betraying his angry humour, than the queen swooned away; white went her cheeks, as she leaned her head, fainting, on the maid that stood by.

4 Die autem tertio deposuit vestimenta ornatus sui, et circumdata est gloria sua. 5 Cumque regio fulgeret habitu, et invocasset omnium rectorem et salvatorem Deum, assumpsit duas famulas, 6 et super unam quidem innitebatur, quasi præ deliciis et nimia teneritudine corpus suum ferre non sustinens: 7 altera autem famularum sequebatur dominam, defluentia in humum indumenta sustentans. 8 Ipsa autem roseo colore vultum perfusa, et gratis ac nitentibus oculis, tristem celabat animum, et nimio timore contractum. 9 Ingressa igitur cuncta per ordinem ostia, stetit contra regem, ubi ille residebat super solium regni sui, indutus vestibus regiis, auroque fulgens, et pretiosis lapidibus: eratque terribilis aspectu. 10 Cumque elevasset faciem, et ardentibus oculis furorem pectoris indicasset, regina corruit, et in pallorem colore mutato, lassum super ancillulam reclinavit caput.

11 καὶ μετέβαλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς πραΰτητα καὶ ἀγωνιάσας ἀνεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀγκάλας αὐτοῦ μέχρις οὗ κατέστη καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὴν λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς 12 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ τί ἐστιν Εσθηρ ἐγὼ ὁ ἀδελφός σου θάρσει 13 οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ὅτι κοινὸν τὸ πρόσταγμα ἡμῶν ἐστιν 14 πρόσελθε 15 καὶ ἄρας τὴν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς καὶ ἠσπάσατο αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν λάλησόν μοι 16 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ εἶδόν σε κύριε ὡς ἄγγελον θεοῦ καὶ ἐταράχθη ἡ καρδία μου ἀπὸ φόβου τῆς δόξης σου 17 ὅτι θαυμαστὸς εἶ κύριε καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου χαρίτων μεστόν 18 ἐν δὲ τῷ διαλέγεσθαι αὐτὴν ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ ἐκλύσεως αὐτῆς 19 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐταράσσετο καὶ πᾶσα ἡ θεραπεία αὐτοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτήν

11 And now God changed the king’s mood all at once to mildness; he started from his throne in trembling haste, and was fain to hold her in his arms till she came to herself; and still with soothing words he reassured her: 12 Esther, what is amiss with thee? Were I thy own brother, thou hadst not less cause to fear. 13 Thy life is safe; to others the law forbids entry, never to thee; 14 thou hast but to come near, and touch my sceptre. 15 And with that, for she was voiceless still, he raised his golden sceptre and touched her neck with it; then kissed her, and asked, What, hast thou no word for me? 16 My lord, she said, the sight of thee overawed me, as if I had seen one of God’s angels; such reverence does thy majesty inspire. 17 For indeed, my lord, there is nothing about thee but must be admired, nothing in thy looks but is gracious. 18 Even as she spoke, once again her strength failed her; and she was near to fainting; 19 the king was all anxiety, and his courtiers must needs come about him, seeking to allay her fears.

11 Convertitque Deus spiritum regis in mansuetudinem, et festinus ac metuens exilivit de solio, et sustentans eam ulnis suis donec rediret ad se, his verbis blandiebatur: 12 Quid habes, Esther? ego sum frater tuus: noli metuere. 13 Non morieris: non enim pro te, sed pro omnibus hæc lex constituta est. 14 Accede igitur, et tange sceptrum. 15 Cumque illa reticeret, tulit auream virgam, et posuit super collum ejus, et osculatus est eam, et ait: Cur mihi non loqueris? 16 Quæ respondit: Vidi te, domine, quasi angelum Dei, et conturbatum est cor meum præ timore gloriæ tuæ. 17 Valde enim mirabilis es, domine, et facies tua plena est gratiarum. 18 Cumque loqueretur, rursus corruit, et pene exanimata est. 19 Rex autem turbabatur, et omnes ministri ejus consolabantur eam.

[1] This is perhaps the sense of the Greek; the Latin, probably through a confusion between oration and ornation, has ‘the garb of her adornment’, which gives no good sense.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd