Semeur Esther 001

001 This story happened at the time of Xerxes, whose empire strechted from India to Ethiopia and comprised one hundred twenty-seven provinces.

002 At that time, when Emperor Xerxes came and took his place on his imperial throne in the citadel of Susa,

003 in the third year of his reign, he organised a great feast for all his ministers, his high-ranking officials, the officers of the army of Persians and Medians, as well as for the nobles and the governors of the provinces.

004 He wanted to show the wealth and the glory of his reign and the splendor of his great magnificence in front of them. The festivities lasted a very long time ; one hundred and eighty days.

005 At the end of this period, the emperor offered the whole population of Susa, both of the rich and the poor, a banquet that took place in the gardens of the imperial palaces for seven days.

006 White and sky-blue linen hangings were fixed to marble columns by white and purple cords passed into silver rings. Golden and silver divans were disposed on mosaic pavings made with porphyry, marble, nacre and agate.

007 They served drinks in golden goblets, which were all different in form ; the emperor's wine flowed with a completely imperial generosity.

008 It had been ordered that each one be allowed to drink at will without any constraint, for the emperor had given instructions to all the stewards of the palace so that they might satisfy the desires of each one of their guests.

009 Empress Vashti, for her part, organised a banquet for the women in the palace of Emperor Xerxes.

010 On the seventy day of the banquet, as the emperor was amused by wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs specially taken into his service : Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas,

011 to call in Empress Vashti into his presence, crowned with the imperial diadem. He wanted to show the men of all the assembled peoples and the ministres how beautiful she was, for she was indeed of remarkable beauty.

012 The eunuchs passed on the emperor's order to Empress Vashti, but she refused to go and present herself before him. The emperor got deeply irritated and violently angry about that.

013 Then he consulted the councillors who knew the customs, for the imperial affairs were always discussed with all the legal and juristic experts.

014 His closest councillors were Carshena, Shetar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven ministers of Persians and Medians ; they were part of the imperial council and occupied the most elevated posts in the empire.

015 The emperor asked them how the law required that they treat Empress Vashti for not obeying the order of Emperor Xerxes that the eunuchs had passed on to her.

016 Memucan declared to the emperor in the presence of his high-ranking officials : Empress Vashti hasn't only made herself guilty towards the emperor, but also towards all his ministers and all the common people of all the provinces of the empire of Xerxes.

017 For what she has done will be known to all the wives and incite them to scorn their husbands' authority. They'll be able to say : "Emperor Xerxes had ordered to call in Empress Vashti into his presence, and she didn't come."

018 Just today, the wives of the Persian and Median ministers will learn how the empress behaved and they'll allow themselves to answer back to their husbands - the emperor's ministers - in the same tone and their scorn will bring about their husbands' anger.

019 So if it pleases the emperor, let him have them promulgate an irrevocable imperial command, recorded in the laws of Persia and Media, forbidding Vashti to present herself before Emperor Xerxes forever, and stipulating that the emperor will confer the title of empress on one of her fellow women who is worthier than her.

020 When this decree, published by the emperor in his entire vast empire, is known everywhere, all the wives will show respect to their husbands, whatever their social status is.

021 This declaration pleased the emperor and the ministers, and the emperor followed Memucan's advice.

022 He dispatched letters into all the provinces of the empire, which were written up for each province according to its writing system and in the language of its population, ordering that any man be the ruler in his house and impose the use of his mother tongue on it.

Semeur Esther 002

001 After a while, the anger of Emperor Xerxes calmed down. He thought back to what Vashti had done, and he reflected on the decision that had been taken regarding her.

002 Then the courtiers taken into his service said to him : Let them search for virgin and beautiful girls for the emperor!

003 So let the emperor designate officials in charge of selecting all the virgin and beautiful girls in all the provinces of his empire and bringing them into the harem of the citadel of Susa to entrust them to Hegai, the empereur's eunuch who guards the women. They'll furnish them with all the necessary beauty products.

004 The girl who has the emperor's preference will succeed Vashti as queen. This proposal pleased the emperor who had it put into execution.

005 Now, in the citadel of Susa, there lived a Jew named Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, and the descendant of Shimei and Kish of the tribe of Benjamin

006 His family had been deported from Jerusalem with the other exiles taken by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at the same time as Jeconiah king of Juda.

007 Mordecai had raised his cousin-sister Hadassa i.e. Esther who was parentless. This girl was well-made and of great beauty. When their parents died, Mordecai had adopted her as his daughter.

008 After the proclamation of the emperor's command and his decree, numerous girls were assembled in the citadel of Susa, under Hegai's supervision. Esther was also taken to the imperial palace and handed over to the care of Hegai, the person in charge of the harem.

009 The girl pleased him and gained his favour. He went into any trouble to furnish her with all that was needed of the beauty products and for her diet. He provided her with seven young handmaids, selected among the personnel of the imperial palace, and he transferred her, her and her handmaids, into the best apartment of the Harem.

010 Esther had revealed neither her nation nor her family of origin, for Mordecai had forbidden her to.

011 Each day, he wended in front of the courtyard of the harem to get news of Esther and know how they treated her.

012 The girls wended to the place of Emperor Xerxes each in turn, at the end of the beauty treatment prescribed for twelve months by the women's protocol. For the treatment, they utilised myrrh oil for six months, and aromatic balms and diverse beauty products used by the women for another six months.

013 Then, when there came a girl's turn to wend to the emperor's place, they gave her all that she asked for to take with her from the harem at the imperial palace.

014 She wended there in the evening, and the next morning, she was lead into a second harem and handed over to the responsibility of Shashgaz, the emperor's eunuch in charge of keeping the second-rank spouses. She didn't return to the emperor's place any more, unless the emperor indicated the desire for her and had her called by her name.

015 When the turn came for Esther, daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter, to go to the emperor's place, she didn't demand anything other than what Hegai, the emperor's eunuch, keeper of the women, had pointed out. She gained the favour of all those who saw her.

016 It was the tenth month, i.e. the month of Tebeth of the seventh year of the reign, that they came and picked up Esther to take her with themselves to the emperor's place at the imperial palace in.

017 The emperor loved Esther more than all the other women and she gained his favour and goodwill better than all the other girls. Then he put the imperial crown on her head and had her proclaimed empress in place of Vashti.

018 In her honour, he organised a great banquet for all his ministers and high-ranking officials. It was 'Esther's banquet'. He granted the provinces tax relief and distributed presents with imperial generosity.

019 There was a second collection of girls. Now then Mordecai had a post at the imperial palace.

020 Esther had kept her family origin and nationality secret, as Mordecai had ordered her to. She continued to conform to his instructions as at the time when she was under his tutelage yet.

021 In those days, while Mordecai was performing duties at the imperial palace, the emperor's two eunuchs, Bigthan et Teresh, who were part of the guard posted at the entrance of the palace, got exasperated with Emperor Xerxes and meant to assasinate him.

022 Mordecai was aware of that and he warned Empress Esther about it, who let the emperor know on behalf of Mordecai.

023 After investigation, the information turned out to be exact. The two eunuchs were hanged on a gallows and the case was recorded in the book of the Annals in the presence of the emperor.

Semeur Esther 003

001 Some time after these events, Emperor Xerxes elevated Haman, son of Hammedatha from the region of Agag, in dignity : he promoted him to the rank of prime minister and gave him the preeminence over all the ministers of his government thus.

002 By order of the emperor, all the imperial officials in office at the palace should kneel and prostrate themlseves on his passage. But Mordecai didn't kneel and prostrate himself before him.

003 His colleagues asked him : Why do you disobey the emperor's order?

004 Every day they said that to him, but Mordecai didn't listen to them. Finally, they pointed out the thing to Haman to see if Mordecai would hold to his words, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

005 When Haman had noted that Mordecai didn't kneel and prostrate himself before him, he became furious.

006 People had told him what people Mordecai belonged to, and he considered it too insufficient to lay a hand only on Mordecai. So he resolved to exterminate all the Jews, compatriots of Mordecai, who were in Xerxes's entire empire.

007 The first month, i.e. the month of Nisan of the twelfth year of Xerxes's reign, Haman had them draw the lots, which they say "Pour" reviewing one day after the other and one month after the other. The lot fell on the twelfth month that is the month of Adar.

008 Then Haman went and said to Emperor Xerxes : There is, widespread among the peoples in all the provinces of your empire, a people that is inassimilable. Their laws are different from all the other peoples', and they don't obey the imperial laws. The emperer doesn't have any interest in leaving them in peace.

009 If the emperor wants to, let them write out an edict ordering their extermination and I'll weigh ten thousand silver pieces that I'll hand over to the imperial officials in order for them to pour them into the emperor's boxes.

010 Then the emperor took off his ring from the finger and handed it over to Haman, son of Hammedatha of Agag, the enemy of the Jews.

011 Then the emperor said to Haman : I leave you the money and I deliver you the people. Do what you want to do about them.

012 On the thirtheenth day of the first month, they convened the imperial secretaries and, on the order of Haman, they wrote to the emperor's satraps, the governors of each province and the ministers of each people. The documents were written out according to the writing system of the different provinces and in the language of each people. The messages were written in the name of Emperor Xerxes and sealed with the imperial seal.

013 The letters were carried by the runners in all the provinces of the empire, to order to massacre, kill and exterminate the Jews, young and old, children and women, on one single day, namely the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to pillage their goods.

014 The text of the edict was to be promulgated as law in each province and brought to the notice of all the peoples in order for each one to stand ready for the fixed date.

015 The runners departed hurriedly, by order of the emperor. The decree was also published in the citadel of Susa. The emperor and Haman sat down to drink whereas consternation reigned in the city of Susa.

Semeur Esther 004

001 When Mordecai heard of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, covered himself with a sackcloth dress and spilt ash on himself. That was how he went all over the city screaming loudly with pain.

002 Then he went as far as in front of the gate of the imperial palace, through which no-one had the right to go in dressed in a sackcloth dress.

003 In each province, as the emperor's order and decree reached there, it was like a bereavement that struck the Jews ; they began to fast, cry and shout : many lay down on sackcloth and ash.

004 Esther's handmaids and eunuchs came and let her know, and the empress got completely shattered by that. She sent clothes to Mordecai, in order for him to get properly dressed and remove the sackcloth dress he was wearing, but he refused them.

005 Then Esther called Hathac, one of the eunuchs who the emperor had put at her service, and charged him with enquiring of Mordecai about what was happening and driving him to act like that.

006 Hathac went and saw Mordecai who always stood at the public square, in front of the gate of the imperial palace.

007 Mordecai informed him of all that had happened to him and he told him in particular what quantity of silver Haman had promised to pour into the emperor's chests in order for them to slay all the Jews.

008 He also handed him over a copy of the text of the extermination edict that had been published in the inner city of Susa in order for him to show it to Esther, inform her of the situation and order her to wend to the emperor's place so as to implore for his pity and beg him in favour of her people.

009 Hathac came back and reported Mordecai's words to Esther.

010 Esther ordered Hatach to report her answer to Mordecai :

011 All the emperor's servants along with the inhabitants of all the provinces of the empire know well that there's a law, which is the same for all, in virtue of which any man or woman who would enter the inner courtyard of the palace to wend near the emperor without having been convened by him, will be put to death, unless the emperor extends his golden sceptre to him. Only then his life will be spared to him. As for me, It was thirty days ago that I was no more invited to wend to the emperor's place.

012 When they had reported Esther's words to Mordecai,

013 he had them answer her : Don't imagine that being in the imperial palace, you'll be spared unlike all the other Jews!

014 Quite the contrary! For if you persist in keeping silence in the present circumstances, salvation and deliverance will come from elsewhere for the Jews, while both you and your family will perish. Besides, who knows if it isn't such circumstances that you became empress with a view to?

015 Then Esther had them carry this answer to Mordecai :

016 Go and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa. Fast for me, without eating or drinkig for three days and three nights. I'll observe the same fast with my handmaids for my part. Afterwards, I'll wend to the emperer's place, despite the law. If I shall die, I'll die!

017 Mordecai left and did what Esther had commanded him.

Semeur Esther 005

001 After the third fast day, Esther dressed in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace, opposite the emperor's apartments. The emperor was seated on his throne in the palace, opposite the entrance of the edifice.

002 When he had a sight of Empress Esther, who was standing in the courtryard, he granted her his favour. He extended the golden scepter that he was holding in hand to her. Esther approached and touched its tip.

003 Then he asked her : What is it, Empress Esther? What's your petition? It will be granted to you, even if it's half the empire.

004 Esther answred him : If the emperor wants to, let him come to the feast that I have prepared in his honour with Haman this evening.

005 The emperor said : Hurry and send word to Haman in order for us to go at Esther's invitation. The emperor and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared.

006 While they were drinking wine, the emperor said to Esther : So what is your petition, it will be granted to you. What is your request? Even if it's half the empire, you'll obtain it.

007 Esther answered :  my petition, my request,

008 if the emperor wants to grant me his favour, and if he wil be happy to accede to my petition and answer my request, let the emperor, with Haman, come to the feast that I'm preparing for them tomorrow. It will be then that I answer the emperor's question.

009 Haman went back out that day, joyful and with the heart in a festive mood. Passing in front of the gate of the imperial palace, he had a sight of Mordecai. Mordecai didn't get up and didn't tremble before him. Then Haman was filled with fury against him.

010 Nevertheless, he controled himself and went back home. There, he called in his friends and his wife Zeresh.

011 He described his prestigious wealth to them for a long time, spoke to them of his numerous sons and all the honours that the emperor had showered him with elevating him to a superior rank to the minsters and all the high-ranking imperial officials.

012 And even, he added, Empress Esther invited no-one other than me with the emperor to the feast that she prepared. And tomorrow, it will be me again that is invited with the emperor.

013 But all this counts for nothing in my eyes, as long as I see this Jew Mordecai sitting at the gate of the imperial palace.

014 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him : you'll only have to have a twent-five meter high gallows erected, and tomorrow morning, you'll speak to the emperor in order for them to hang Mordecai on it. Then you'll be able to go to the feast cheerfully in the company of the emperor. This proposal pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.