Revised Literal Translation

Esther 2:8-14

8So it came to pass, when the king’sהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428commandmentדְּבַר־de.var-H1697and his decreeוְדָת֔וֹve.da.ToH1881was heardבְּהִשָּׁמַ֤עbe.hi.sha.Ma'H8085,and when manyרַבּ֛וֹתra.BotH7227maidensנְעָר֥וֹתne.'a.RotH5291were gathered togetherוּֽבְהִקָּבֵ֞ץu.ve.hi.ka.VetzH6908unto Shushanשׁוּשַׁ֥ןshu.ShanH7800the palaceהַבִּירָ֖הha.bi.RahH1002,to the custodyיַ֣דyadH3027of Hegaiהֵגָ֑יhe.GaiH1896,that Estherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635was broughtוַתִּלָּקַ֤חva.ti.la.KachH3947also unto the king’sהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428houseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004,to the custodyיַ֥דyadH3027of Hegaiהֵגַ֖יhe.GaiH1896,keeperשֹׁמֵ֥רsho.MerH8104of the womenהַנָּשִֽׁים׃ha.na.ShimH802.

9And the maidenהַנַּעֲרָ֣הha.na.'a.RahH5291pleasedוַתִּיטַ֨ב בְעֵינָיו֮va.ti.Tav ve.'ei.NavH5869 H3190him, and she obtainedוַתִּשָּׂ֣אva.ti.Sa'H5375kindnessחֶ֣סֶדChe.sedH2617of himלְפָנָיו֒le.fa.NavH6440;and he speedilyוַ֠יְבַהֵלVay.va.helH926gaveלָתֵ֣תla.TetH5414her her things for purificationתַּמְרוּקֶ֤יהָtam.ru.Kei.haH8562,with such things as belongedמָנוֹתֶ֙הָ֙ma.no.Te.haH4490to her, and sevenשֶׁ֣בַעShe.va'H7651maidensהַנְּעָר֔וֹתha.ne.'a.RotH5291, which weremeetהָרְאֻי֥וֹתha.re.'u.YotH7200to be givenלָֽתֶת־la.tet-H5414her, out of the king’sהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428houseמִבֵּ֣יתmi.BeitH1004:and he preferredוַיְשַׁנֶּ֧הָvay.sha.Ne.haH8138her and her maidsנַעֲרוֹתֶ֛יהָna.'a.ro.Tei.haH5291unto the bestלְט֖וֹבle.TovH2896placeof the houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004of the womenהַנָּשִֽׁים׃ha.na.ShimH802.

10Estherאֶסְתֵּ֔ר'es.TerH635had not shewedהִגִּ֣ידָהhi.Gi.dahH5046her peopleעַמָּ֖הּ'a.MahH5971nor her kindredמֽוֹלַדְתָּ֑הּmo.lad.TahH4138:for Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֛יma.re.do.KhaiH4782had chargedצִוָּ֥הtzi.VahH6680her that she should not shewתַגִּֽיד׃ta.GidH5046it.

11And Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַי֙ma.re.do.KhaiH4782walkedמִתְהַלֵּ֔ךְmit.ha.LekhH1980every dayH3117beforeלִפְנֵ֖יlif.NeiH6440the courtחֲצַ֣רcha.TzarH2691of the women’sהַנָּשִׁ֑יםha.na.ShimH802houseבֵּית־beit-H1004,to knowלָדַ֙עַת֙la.Da.'atH3045how Estherאֶסְתֵּ֔ר'es.TerH635didשְׁל֣וֹםshe.LomH7965,and what should becomeיֵּעָשֶׂ֖הye.'a.SehH6213of her.

12Now when every maid’sH5291turnתֹּר֩torH8447was comeוּבְהַגִּ֡יעַu.ve.ha.Gi.a'H5060to go inלָב֣וֹא׀la.Vo'H935to kingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵר֗וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325,afterמִקֵּץ֩mi.KetzH7093that she had been twelveשְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֣רshe.Neim 'a.SarH6240 H8147monthsחֹ֔דֶשׁCho.deshH2320,according to the mannerכְּדָ֤תke.DatH1881of the womenהַנָּשִׁים֙ha.na.ShimH802, (for so were the daysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of their purificationsמְרוּקֵיהֶ֑ןme.ru.kei.HenH4795accomplishedיִמְלְא֖וּyim.le.'UH4390, to wit,sixשִׁשָּׁ֤הshi.ShahH8337monthsחֳדָשִׁים֙cho.da.ShimH2320with oilבְּשֶׁ֣מֶןbe.She.menH8081of myrrhהַמֹּ֔רha.MorH4753,and sixוְשִׁשָּׁ֤הve.shi.ShahH8337monthsחֳדָשִׁים֙cho.da.ShimH2320with sweet odoursבַּבְּשָׂמִ֔יםba.be.sa.MimH1314, and with otherthings for the purifyingוּבְתַמְרוּקֵ֖יu.ve.tam.ru.KeiH8562of the womenהַנָּשִֽׁים׃ha.na.ShimH802;)

13Then thus cameבָּאָ֣הba.'AhH935everymaidenהַֽנַּעֲרָ֖הha.na.'a.RahH5291unto the kingהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428;whatsoever she desiredתֹּאמַ֜רto.MarH559was givenיִנָּ֤תֵֽןyi.Na.tenH5414her to goלָב֣וֹאla.Vo'H935with her out of the houseמִבֵּ֥יתmi.BeitH1004of the womenהַנָּשִׁ֖יםha.na.ShimH802unto the king’sהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004.

14In the eveningבָּעֶ֣רֶב׀ba.'E.revH6153she wentבָאָ֗הva.'AhH935,and on the morrowוּ֠בַבֹּקֶרU.va.bo.kerH1242she returnedשָׁבָ֞הsha.VahH7725into the secondשֵׁנִ֔יshe.NiH8145houseבֵּ֤יתbeitH1004of the womenהַנָּשִׁים֙ha.na.ShimH802,to the custodyיַ֧דyadH3027of Shaashgazשַֽׁעֲשְׁגַ֛זsha.'ash.GazH8190,the king’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlainסְרִ֥יסse.RisH5631,which keptשֹׁמֵ֣רsho.MerH8104the concubinesהַפִּֽילַגְשִׁ֑יםha.pi.lag.ShimH6370:she came inתָב֥וֹאta.Vo'H935unto the kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428no more, except the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428delightedחָפֵ֥ץcha.FetzH2654in her, and that she were calledוְנִקְרְאָ֥הve.nik.re.'AhH7121by nameבְשֵֽׁם׃ve.ShemH8034.

Read all of Esther 2

Commentaries on Esther 2