[Editor's Note:]

The Book of Esther was originally written in Hebrew. Later, those Jewish synagogues which used Greek as their written language not only translated the Jewish Scriptures into Greek, but added additional material to Esther (and to Daniel). The Catholic Church accepts both the Hebrew and Greek versions of Esther as truly inspired by God.

In some translations of Esther, the Hebrew text is presented first, then the Greek additions are grouped together at the end of the book. The text is then numbered in 16 chapters, with the Greek additions numbered from 10:4 to 16:24. However, separating out the Greek additions and grouping them at the end takes those additions out of their natural order in the narrative.

In other versions, the Greek text is integrated with the Hebrew text, so that events are placed in their proper order within the narrative. Some of these versions keep the same numbering, so that the Book begins with 11:2 to 11:12, then chapter 12 follows, then chapters 1 and 2, and so on. Other versions number the chapters with letters as well as numbers, so that Esther begins with chapter A, then chapter B, then chapters 1 and 2, et cetera. Still other versions number the material in ten chapters, from 1 to 10, but with the integrated material from the Greek given verses numbers using numbers and letters, such as verses 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and verses 17, 17a, 17b ... 17x, 17y, 17z, 17aa, 17bb, etc. These numbering systems are not very useful.

The catholic public domain version (CPDV) of the Book of Esther, as well as the corresponding edition of the Latin Vulgate, keeps the text in the usual narrative order (where the Greek text is integrated with the Hebrew text) and numbers the chapters and verses in that same order. This gives every chapter a different number than in the original numbering. Many verses retain the same verse number, even though their chapter number has changed. This new numbering system (with minor differences) is also used on the Greek version of the Book of Esther in the World English Bible.

List of old numbering and new numbering:

11:2 - 11:12 becomes 1:1 - 1:11
12:1 - 12:6 becomes 2:1 - 2:6
1:1 - 1:22 becomes 3:1 - 3:22
2:1 - 2:23 becomes 4:1 - 4:23
3:1 - 3:13 becomes 5:1 - 5:13

The last phrase of 5:13 incorporates verse 12:6b from the Latin Vulgate text by adding "even their necessities." The Latin text changes from: "et bona eorum diriperent." (end of 3:13) and "Et diripuerunt bona, vel substantias eorum." (12:6b) to: "et diriperent bona, vel substantias eorum."

13:1 - 13:7 becomes 6:1 - 6:7
3:14 - 3:15 becomes 6:8 - 6:9
4:1 - 4:9 becomes 7:1 - 7:9
15:2 - 15:3 becomes 7:10 - 7:11
4:10 - 4:11 becomes 7:12 - 7:13
4:12 - 4:13 are combined as 7:14

{4:12} Quod cum audisset Mardochæus,
{4:13} rursum mandavit Esther, dicens: Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es præ cunctis Iudæis:
becomes
{7:14} Quod cum audisset Mardochæus, rursum mandavit Esther, dicens: Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es præ cunctis Iudæis:

4:14 becomes 7:15
15:1 becomes 7:16

Verse 15:1 (i.e. 7:16) is often omitted from English versions of Esther, even though it is consistently found in the Clementine Latin Vulgate. It has been placed here, in its logical position within the narrative.

4:15 - 4:17 becomes 7:17 - 7:19

"Pergensque Mardochæus, fecit omnia, quæ ei mandaverat Esther." is found before 13:8 - 14:19 in the Clementine Latin Vulgate, but it is merely a rephrasing of verse 4:17 (i.e. 7:19): "Ivit itaque Mardochæus, et fecit omnia, quæ ei Esther præceperat."

13:8 - 13:18 becomes 7:20 - 7:30
14:1 - 14:19 becomes 8:1 - 8:19
15:4 - 15:19 becomes 9:1 - 9:16
5:1 - 5:2 becomes 9:17 - 9:18

These two verses, 9:17 - 9:18, are from the Hebrew. They are a shorter form of the Greek text found in verses 9:1 - 9:16. Both the shorter and longer forms are retained in this edition of the Latin and in the CPDV.

5:3 - 5:14 becomes 9:19 - 9:30
6:1 - 6:14 becomes 10:1 - 10:14
7:1 - 7:10 becomes 11:1 - 11:10
8:1 - 8:12 becomes 12:1 - 12:12
16:1 - 16:24 becomes 13:1 - 13:24
8:13 - 8:17 becomes 13:25 - 13:29
9:1 - 9:32 becomes 14:1 - 14:32
10:1 - 10:13 becomes 15:1 - 15:13
11:1 becomes 15:14

The revised numbering of the Book of Esther has 15 chapters and 274 verses; whereas the prior numbering (in the Latin Vulgate) had 16 chapters and 274 verses.