Chapter 2

[] Meta ta pragmata tauta, afou katepraunqh o qumoV tou basilewV Assouhrou, enequmhqh thn Astin, kai ti eice kamei auth kai ti eicen apofasisqh enantion authV.

Kai eipon oi douloi tou basilewV, oi uphretounteV auton, AV zhthqwsi dia ton basilea neai parqenoi, wraiai thn oyin×

kai aV diorish o basileuV eforouV en pasaiV taiV eparciaiV tou basileiou autou, kai na sunaxwsin eiV ta Sousa thn basileuousan pasaV taV neaV parqenouV taV wraiaV thn oyin eiV ton gunaikwna, upo thn thrhsin tou Hgai eunoucou tou basilewV, tou fulakoV twn gunaikwn× kai aV doqwsin eiV autaV ta proV kaqarismon autwn×

kai h nea, htiV aresh eiV ton basilea, aV hnai basilissa anti thV Astin. Kai to pragma hresen eiV ton basilea, kai ekamen outw.

Hto de en SousoiV th basileuoush anqrwpoV tiV IoudaioV, onomazomenoV MarodocaioV, uioV tou Iaeir, uiou tou Simei, uiou tou KeiV, BeniamithV×

ostiV eice metoikisqh apo Ierousalhm meta twn aicmalwtwn, oitineV metwkisqhsan meta tou Ieconia basilewV tou Iouda, touV opoiouV metwkise Naboucodonosor o basileuV thV BabulwnoV.

Kai outoV anetrefe thn Adassa, htiV einai h Esqhr, thn qugatera tou qeiou autou× dioti den eicen oute patera oute mhtera× kai to korasion hto eueideV kai wraion× to opoion o MarodocaioV, ote o pathr authV kai h mhthr apeqanon, anelabe dia qugatera autou.

Ote de hkousqh to prostagma tou basilewV kai h diatagh autou, kai ote polla korasia sunhcqhsan eiV ta Sousa thn basileuousan upo thn thrhsin tou Hgai, eferqh kai h Esqhr eiV ton oikon tou basilewV upo thn thrhsin tou Hgai, tou fulakoV twn gunaikwn.

Kai to korasion hresen eiV auton kai eurhke carin enwpion autou, wste espeuse na dwsh eiV authn ta proV kaqarismon authV kai thn merida authV× edwke de eiV authn kai ta epta korasia ta diwrismena ek tou oikou tou basilewV× kai meteferen authn kai ta korasia authV eiV to kalhteron meroV tou gunaikwnoV.

H Esqhr den efanerwse ton laon authV oude thn suggeneian authV× dioti o MarodocaioV eice prostaxei eiV authn na mh fanerwsh.

Kai kaq' ekasthn hmeran periepatei o MarodocaioV emprosqen thV aulhV tou gunaikwnoV, dia na manqanh pwV eicen h Esqhr kai ti egeinen eiV authn.

Ote de efqanen h seira ekastou korasiou dia na eiselqh proV ton basilea Assouhrhn, afou hqele staqh dwdeka mhnaV kata to hqoV twn gunaikwn, dioti outw suneplhrounto ai hmerai tou kaqarismou autwn, ex mhnaV perihleifonto me elaion smurninon, kai ex mhnaV me arwmata kai me alla kaqaristika twn gunaikwn×

kai outwV eishrceto to korasion proV ton basilea× pan o, ti elegen, edideto eiV authn, dia na labh meq' eauthV ek tou gunaikwnoV eiV ton oikon tou basilewV.

To esperaV eishrceto kai to prwi epestrefen eiV ton deuteron gunaikwna, upo thn thrhsin tou Saasgaz, eunoucou tou basilewV, ostiV efulatte taV pallakidaV× den eishrceto pleon eiV ton basilea, eimh ean hqelen authn o basileuV, kai ekaleito onomasti.

Ote loipon efqasen h seira dia na eiselqh proV ton basilea h Esqhr, h qugathr tou Abicail, qeiou tou Marodocaiou, thn opoian elabe dia qugatera autou, den ezhthsen allo par' o, ti diwrisen o Hgai o eunoucoV tou basilewV, o fulax twn gunaikwn. Kai h Esqhr euriske carin enwpion pantwn twn blepontwn authn.

H Esqhr loipon eferqh proV ton basilea Assouhrhn eiV ton basilikon autou oikon, ton dekaton mhna, outoV einai o mhn Tebeq, en tw ebdomw etei thV basileiaV autou.

Kai hgaphsen o basileuV thn Esqhr uper pasaV taV gunaikaV, kai eurhke carin kai eleoV enwpion autou uper pasaV taV parqenouV× kai epeqhke to basilikon diadhma epi thn kefalhn authV kai ekamen authn basilissan anti thV Astin.

Tote ekamen o basileuV sumposion mega eiV pantaV touV arcontaV autou kai touV doulouV autou, to sumposion thV Esqhr× kai ekamen afesin eiV taV eparciaV kai edwke dwra kata thn basilikhn megaloprepeian.

Kai ote ai parqenoi sunhcqhsan thn deuteran foran, tote ekaqhsen o MarodocaioV en th basilikh pulh.

H Esqhr den efanerwse thn suggeneian authV oute ton laon authV, kaqwV prosetaxen eiV authn o MarodocaioV× dioti h Esqhr ekamne thn prostaghn tou Marodocaiou, kaqwV ote anetrefeto plhsion autou.

[] En ekeinaiV taiV hmeraiV, enw o MarodocaioV ekaqhto en th basilikh pulh, duo ek twn eunoucwn tou basilewV, Bicqan kai QereV, ek twn fulattontwn thn eisodon, wrgisqhsan kai ezhtoun na epibalwsi ceira epi ton basilea Assouhrhn.

Kai to pragma egeine gnwston eiV ton Marodocaion, kai anhggeilen auto proV Esqhr thn basilissan× h de Esqhr eipen auto proV ton basilea ex onomatoV tou Marodocaiou.

Kai genomenhV exetasewV peri tou pragmatoV, eureqh outwV× oqen ekremasqhsan amfoteroi eiV xulon× kai egrafh en tw bibliw twn cronikwn enwpion tou basilewV.