Ester, 2

1. Quando, pouco depois, a cólera do rei se acalmou, pensou em Vasti, no que ela tinha feito e na decisão que tinha tomado a respeito dela.

1. After these things, when the anger of King Ahasu-e'rus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.

2. Então, as pessoas do séquito do rei disseram:

2. Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.

3. “Que se procurem, para o rei, donzelas virgens e belas. Que o rei envie comissários a todas as províncias de seu reino para reunir todas as jovens virgens de belo aspecto, e trazê-las à fortaleza de Susa, no harém, sob a vigilância de Egeu, eunuco do rei e encarregado das mulheres, que providenciará às necessidades de seu toucador.

3. And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the capital, under custody of Hegai the king's eunuch who is in charge of the women; let their ointments be given them.

4. A jovem que souber agradar ao rei se tornará rainha no lugar de Vasti”. Esse parecer agradou ao rei que seguiu esse conselho.

4. And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.

5. Ora, havia na fortaleza de Susa, um judeu chamado Mardoqueu, filho de Jair, filho de Semei, filho de Cis, da tribo de Benjamim,

5. Now there was a Jew in Susa the capital whose name was Mor'decai, the son of Ja'ir, son of Shim'e-i, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

6. que tinha sido trazido de Jerusalém entre os cativos deportados com Jeconias, rei de Judá, por Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia.

6. who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconi'ah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon had carried away.

7. Era o tutor de Edissa – isto é, Ester –, filha de seu tio, órfã de pai e mãe. A moça era de belo porte e agradável de aspecto; na morte de seus pais, Mardoqueu a tinha adotado por filha.*

7. He had brought up Hadas'sah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother; the maiden was beautiful and lovely, and when her father and her mother died, Mor'decai adopted her as his own daughter.

8. Logo que foi publicado o edito do rei, numerosas jovens foram reunidas na fortaleza de Susa, sob a guarda de Egeu. Ester também foi levada ao palácio e posta sob a guarda de Egeu, o encarregado das mulheres.

8. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many maidens were gathered in Susa the capital in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai who had charge of the women.

9. A jovem lhe agradou e ganhou sua proteção; tanto que ele se apressou em lhe proporcionar unguentos e perfumes para seu toucador e adorno. Deu-lhe sete servas, escolhidas na casa do rei, reservando a elas o melhor aposento do harém.

9. And the maiden pleased him and won his favor; and he quickly provided her with her ointments and her portion of food, and with seven chosen maids from the king's palace, and advanced her and her maids to the best place in the harem.

10. Ester não tinha revelado sua raça nem sua família, porque Mardoqueu lhe tinha proibido falar disso.

10. Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mor'decai had charged her not to make it known.

11. Cada dia ele passeava diante do pátio do harém para ter notícias de Ester e saber como a tratavam.

11. And every day Mor'decai walked in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

12. Toda jovem começava por sujeitar-se, durante doze meses, à lei das mulheres. Nesse período se purificavam durante seis meses com óleo de mirra, e nos outros seis meses com cosméticos e bálsamos em uso entre as mulheres.

12. Now when the turn came for each maiden to go in to King Ahasu-e'rus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women --

13. Depois disso, quando chegava a vez de cada uma entrar junto ao rei, podia, ao passar do harém ao palácio, tomar consigo tudo o que queria.

13. when the maiden went in to the king in this way she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.

14. Admitida à tarde, se retirava pela manhã a outro palácio das mulheres, sob a guarda de Sasagaz, o eunuco do rei, posto à frente das concubinas. E não voltava mais junto ao rei, se ele não tivesse manifestado o desejo, chamando-a pelo nome.

14. In the evening she went, and in the morning she came back to the second harem in custody of Sha-ash'gaz the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines; she did not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15. Chegou a vez de Ester entrar junto ao rei. A filha de Abiail (tio desse Mardo­queu que a tinha adotado por filha) não pediu nada além do que lhe fora dado por Egeu, eunuco do rei, encarregado das mulheres. Mas ela ganhava as boas graças de todos os que a viam.

15. When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Ab'ihail the uncle of Mor'decai, who had adopted her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.

16. Foi levada junto ao rei Assuero, a seu palácio. Era o décimo mês (mês de Tebet), do ano sétimo do seu reinado.

16. And when Esther was taken to King Ahasu-e'rus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign,

17. O rei a preferiu a todas as outras mulheres, e ganhou ela as graças e o favor real mais que todas as demais jovens. Tanto que o rei colocou sobre sua cabeça o diadema real e a fez rainha no lugar de Vasti.

17. the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18. O rei deu um grande banquete a todos os seus príncipes e a seus servos em honra de Ester; concedeu um dia de descanso a seus Estados e fez benefícios dignos de um rei.*

18. Then the king gave a great banquet to all his princes and servants; it was Esther's banquet. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces, and gave gifts with royal liberality.

19. Na segunda vez que reuniram as jovens, Mardoqueu se achava sentado à porta do rei.

19. When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mor'decai was sitting at the king's gate.

20. Obedecendo à proibição de seu tutor, Ester não tinha revelado nem sua família, nem sua raça. Obedecia ainda a Mardoqueu, como quando estava sob a sua tutela.

20. Now Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mor'decai had charged her; for Esther obeyed Mor'decai just as when she was brought up by him.

21. Naquele tempo, pois, Mardoqueu se sentava à porta do palácio. Ora, dois eunucos do rei, Gabata e Tares, guardas da entrada, cedendo ao ressentimento, pensaram levantar sua mão contra o rei.

21. And in those days, as Mor'decai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasu-e'rus.

22. Mardoqueu o soube e deu parte à rainha Ester, e esta o referiu ao rei em nome de Mardoqueu.

22. And this came to the knowledge of Mor'decai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mor'decai.

23. Examinado o assunto e reconhecido como certo, foram os dois eunucos suspensos numa forca. E se consignou o fato no Livro das Crônicas, em presença do rei.

23. When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.