Esther 5

Thomson · Brenton · Greek · public domain

Thomson 1808

Brenton 1851

Greek · Brenton

ThomsonAND on the third day, when she had ceased her prayer, she laid aside her lowly garb, and put on her most glorious apparel. And being splendidly clad, having called upon God, the Beholder and Protector of all things, she took along her two maids, and upon one she leaned daintily, and the other followed, lifting up her train. And she bloomed in the perfection of her beauty, with a cheerful and friendly expression, but with a heart strained by fear. And having passed through all the doors, she stood before the king, who was seated upon his royal throne robed in all his majesty, with gold and precious stones. And having raised his countenance, glowing in majesty he looked fiercely upon her; and the queen swooned and paled with faintness, and bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before her.

BrentonAnd it came to pass on the third day, when she had ceased praying, that she put off her mean dress, and put on her glorious apparel.

Greek“Καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ὡς ἐπαύσατο προσευχομένη, ἐξεδύσατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς θεραπείας, καὶ περιεβάλλετο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd being splendidly arrayed, and having called upon God the Overseer and Preserver of all things, she took her two maids, and she leaned upon one, as a delicate female, and the other followed bearing her train.

GreekΚαὶ γενηθεῖσα ἐπιφανὴς, ἐπικαλεσαμένη τὸν πάντων ἐπόπτην Θεὸν καὶ σωτῆρα, παρέλαβε τὰς δύο ἅβρας, καὶ τῇ μὲν μιᾷ ἐπηρείδετο ὡς τρυφερευομένη, ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα ἐπηκολούθει κουφίζουσα τὴν ἔνδυσιν αὐτῆς.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd she was blooming in the perfection of her beauty; and her face was cheerful, as it were benevolent, but her heart was straitened for fear.

GreekΚαὶ αὐτὴ ἐρυθριῶσα ἀκμῇ κάλλους αὐτῆς· καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ἱλαρὸν, ὡς προσφιλές· ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῆς ἀπεστενωμένη ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd having passed through all the doors, she stood before the king: and he was sitting upon his royal throne, and he had put on all his glorious apparel, covered all over with gold and precious stones, and was very terrible.

GreekΚαὶ εἰσελθοῦσα πάσας τὰς θύρας, κατέστη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσαν στολὴν τῆς ἐπιφανείας αὐτοῦ ἐνδεδύκει, ὅλος διὰ χρυσοῦ καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν, καὶ ἦν φοβερὸς σφόδρα.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd having raised his face resplendent with glory, he looked with intense anger: and the queen fell, and changed her colour as she fainted; and she bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before her.

GreekΚαὶ ἄρας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πεπυρωμένον δόξῃ, ἐν ἀκμῇ θυμοῦ ἔβλεψεν· καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ βασίλισσα, καὶ μετέβαλε τὸ χρῶμα αὐτῆς ἐν ἐκλύσει· καὶ κατεπέκυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῆς ἅβρας τῆς προπορευομένης.

Thomson—

BrentonBut God changed the spirit of the king to gentleness, and in intense feeling he sprang from off his throne, and took her into his arms, until she recovered: and he comforted her with peaceable words, and said to her,

GreekΚαὶ μετέβαλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς πραύτητα, καὶ ἀγωνιάσας ἀνεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀγκάλας αὐτοῦ, μέχρις οὗ κατέστη· καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὴν λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ,

Thomson—

BrentonWhat is the matter, Esther? I am thy brother; be of good cheer, thou shalt not die, for our command is openly declared to thee, Draw nigh.

Greekτί ἐστιν, Ἐσθήρ; ἐγὼ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, θάρσει, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς· ὅτι κοινὸν τὸ πρόσταγμα ἡμῶν ἐστίν, πρόσελθε.

ThomsonAnd having raised his golden sceptre, he laid it upon her neck and embraced her and said, Speak to me. And she replied to him, I saw thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy splendour. For thou art to be wondered at, lord, and thy countenance is full of grace. And while she was speaking she fell fainting. Then the king was perturbed, and all his servants comforted her.

BrentonAnd having raised the golden sceptre he laid it upon her neck, and embraced her, and said, Speak to me.

Greek“Καὶ ἄρας τὴν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον, ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς, καὶ ἠσπάσατο αὐτὴν, καὶ εἶπε, λάλησόν μοι.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd she said to him, I saw thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy glory; for thou, my lord, art to be wondered at, and thy face is full of grace.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, εἶδόν σε κύριε ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐταράχθη ἡ καρδία μου ἀπὸ φόβου τῆς δόξης σου, ὅτι θαυμαστὸς εἶ κύριε, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου χαρίτων μεστόν.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd while she was speaking, she fainted and fell. Then the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her.]

GreekἘν δὲ τῷ διαλέγεσθαι αὐτὴν, ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ ἐκλύσεως. Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐταράσσετο, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ θεραπεία αὐτοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτήν.”

ThomsonAnd the king said, What would queen Esther? And what is thy petition? To the half of my kingdom it shall be granted thee.

BrentonAnd the king said, What wilt thou, Esther? and what is thy request? ask even to the half of my kingdom, and it shall be thine.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς, τί θέλεις, Ἐσθήρ; καὶ τί σου ἐστὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα; ἕως τοῦ ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου, καὶ ἔσται σοι.

ThomsonThereupon Esther said, To-day is my set day, if therefore it seemeth good to the king, let him come with Haman to the banquet which I will this day prepare.

BrentonAnd Esther said, To-day is my great day: if then it seem good to the king, let both him and Aman come to the feast which I will prepare this day.

GreekΕἶπε δὲ Ἐσθὴρ, ἡμέρα μου ἐπίσημος σήμερόν ἐστιν· εἰ οὖν δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐλθάτω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ Ἀμὰν εἰς τὴν δοχὴν, ἣν ποιήσω σήμερον.

ThomsonAnd the king said, Call Haman quickly that we may do as Esther hath said. So they both went to the banquet which Esther had ordered.

BrentonAnd the king said, Hasten Aman hither, that we may perform the word of Esther. So they both come to the feast of which Esther had spoken.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς, κατασπεύσατε Ἀμὰν, ὅπως ποιήσωμεν τὸν λόγον Ἐσθήρ· καὶ παραγίνονται ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὴν δοχὴν, ἣν εἶπεν Ἐσθήρ.

ThomsonAnd at the banquet the king said to Esther, What would queen Esther? Whatever thou askest shall be granted.

BrentonAnd at the banquet the king said to Esther, What is thy request, queen Esther? speak, and thou shalt have all that thou requirest.

GreekἘν δὲ τῷ πότῳ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ἐσθήρ, τί ἐστι βασίλισσα Ἐσθήρ; καὶ ἔσται ὅσα ἀξιοῖς.

ThomsonTo which she replied,

BrentonAnd she said, My request and my petition are:

GreekΚαὶ εἶπε, τὸ αἴτημά μου, καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα·

ThomsonIf I have found favour in the sight of the king, Let the king come again with Haman to-morrow to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and to-morrow I will make my request and my petition.

Brentonif I have found favour in the sight of the king, let the king and Aman come again to-morrow to the feast which I shall prepare for them, and to-morrow I will do the same.

GreekΕἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐλθάτω ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Ἀμὰν ἔτι τὴν αὔριον εἰς τὴν δοχὴν, ἣν ποιήσω αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὔριον ποιήσω τὰ αὐτά.

ThomsonThen Haman went out from the king overjoyed and gladdened, but upon seeing Mordecai the Jew in the court, he was inflamed with great indignation.

BrentonSo Aman went out from the king very glad and merry: but when Aman saw Mardochæus the Jew in the court, he was greatly enraged.

GreekΚαὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Ἀμὰν ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπερχαρὴς εὐφραινόμενος· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἰδεῖν Ἀμὰν Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν Ἰουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ, ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα.

ThomsonSo going home, he called his friends and his wife Zosara,

BrentonAnd having gone into his own house, he called his friends, and his wife Zosara.

GreekΚαὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὰ ἴδια, ἐκάλεσε τοὺς φίλους, καὶ Ζωσάραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ,

Thomsonand having displayed to them his riches and the honour which the king had conferred on him; how he had promoted him to the highest rank and made him ruler of the kingdom,

BrentonAnd he shewed them his wealth, and the glory with which the king had invested him, and how he had caused him to take precedence and bear chief rule in the kingdom.

Greekκαὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἣν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῷ περιέθηκε, καὶ ὡς ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν πρωτεύειν καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι τῆς βασιλείας.

ThomsonThe queen, said he, invited none to the banquet with the king, but only me: and to-morrow I am invited:

BrentonAnd Aman said, The queen has called no one to the feast with the king but me, and I am invited to-morrow.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν Ἀμὰν, οὐ κέκληκεν ἡ βασίλισσα μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οὐδένα εἰς τὴν δοχὴν, ἀλλʼ ἢ ἐμὲ, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὔριον κέκλημαι.

Thomsonbut these things give me no pleasure, when I see Mordecai the Jew in the court.

BrentonBut these things please me not, while I see Mardochæus the Jew in the court.

GreekΚαὶ ταῦτά μοι οὐκ ἀρέσκει, ὅταν ἴδω Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν Ἰουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ.

ThomsonThereupon Zosara his wife and his friends said to him, Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made for thee, and early in the morning speak to the king and let Mordecai be hanged thereon, then go to the banquet with the king and take thy fill of joy. And the thing pleased Haman. So the gallows was got ready.

BrentonAnd Zosara his wife and his friends said to him, Let there be a gallows made for thee of fifty cubits, and in the morning do thou speak to the king, and let Mardochæus be hanged on the gallows: but do thou go in to the feast with the king, and be merry. And the saying pleased Aman, and the gallows was prepared.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Ζωσάρα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ φίλοι, κοπήτω σοι ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα, ὄρθρου δὲ εἶπον τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ κρεμασθήτω Μαρδοχαῖος ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου· σὺ δὲ εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν δοχὴν σὺν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ εὐφραίνου· καὶ ἤρεσε τὸ ῥῆμα τῷ Ἀμὰν, καὶ ἡτοιμάσθη τὸ ξύλον.