Esther, 4

1. And so, after this had been carried out, and the indignation of king Artaxerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what had happened to her.

1. Mordokaj doznade za sve što se dogodilo: razdera na sebi haljine, navuèe kostrijet, posu se pepelom i proðe posred grada kukajuæi glasno i gorko.

2. And the servants of the king, and his ministers, said, “Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,

2. Doðe samo do kraljevih vrata, jer s onom kostrijeti na sebi ne mogaše kroz njih proæi.

3. and let investigators be sent throughout all the provinces for young women, beautiful and virgins. And let them bring them to the city of Susa, and deliver them to the house of the women under the hand of Hegai the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women. And let them receive feminine ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.

3. U svakoj je pokrajini, svuda gdje se doznala kraljeva rijeè i njegov proglas, meðu Židovima zavladala žalost: postili su, plakali i jadikovali. Mnogima od njih kostrijet i pepeo posta ležaj.

4. And whoever among them all will please the king’s eyes, let her reign instead of Vashti.” The idea pleased the king, and so he ordered it to be done as they had suggested.

4. Esterine djevojke i njezini eunusi doðoše da je o tome obavijeste. Kraljica se veoma uznemiri. Posla Mordokaju haljine da bi ih obukao a skinuo sa sebe kostrijet, ali on to odbi.

5. There was a Jewish man in the city of Susa, by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the house of Benjamin,

5. Nato Estera pozva Hataka, jednog od kraljevih eunuha koji joj je bio odreðen za službu, pa ga posla k Mordokaju da dozna od njega što se dogodilo i zbog èega je takav.

6. who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried away Jeconiah king of Judah,

6. Hatak ode do Mordokaja na gradski trg, pred vrata kraljeva.

7. who had raised his brother’s daughter Hadassah, who by another name was called Esther. And she had lost both her parents. She was very beautiful, with a graceful appearance. Since her father and mother had both died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.

7. Mordokaj mu pripovjedi što mu se dogodilo i podrobno ga obavijesti o novcu koji je Haman obeæao položiti u kraljevu riznicu da bi mogao uništiti Židove.

8. And when the king’s command became very well-known, in accordance with his command, many beautiful virgins were brought to Susa, and were delivered to Hegai the eunuch. Likewise, Esther, along with the other young women, was delivered to him, to be protected with the assembled women.

8. Dade mu i prijepis naredbe o njihovu zatoru, koja je objavljena u Suzi, da je pokaže Esteri te da joj javi i naloži neka ide kralju: neka ga moli za milost i posreduje kod njega za svoj narod. [8a] "Sjeti se dana siromaštva svoga kad sam te hranio rukom svojom, jer se Haman, drugi èovjek kraljevstva, dogovorio s kraljem da nas usmrti. [8b] Zazivaj Boga, govori kralju za nas i oslobodi nas od smrti."

9. She was pleasing to him, and she found favor in his sight. And he commanded a eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver her share to her, along with seven of the most beautiful young women of the king’s house, so as to both adorn and honor her and her handmaids.

9. Hatak se vrati i donese Esteri Mordokajevu poruku.

10. She was not willing to reveal to him her people or her native land. For Mordecai had instructed her that she should keep silent about all these things.

10. Estera odvrati Hataku i naredi mu da saopæi Mordokaju:

11. He went for a walk every day, in the front courtyard of the house in which the chosen virgins were kept, having concern for Esther’s welfare and wanting to know what would happen to her.

11. "Svi službenici kraljevi i narod kraljevih pokrajina znaju kako svakoga onoga, bio on muškarac ili žena, koji nepozvan uðe kralju u unutrašnje predvorje èeka jedan jedini zakon: smrtna kazna, osim ako kralj ne pruži takvome svoje zlatno žezlo i poštedi mu život. A ja veæ trideset dana nisam bila pozvana kralju."

12. But, when the time came for each in the line of young women to go in to the king, after everything had been completed concerning feminine grooming, the twelfth month had been reached, to the extent that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for another six months they used certain types of makeup and perfumes.

12. Mordokaju bjehu saopæene Esterine rijeèi,

13. And when they were going in to the king, whatever they requested to adorn themselves, they received, and when each was pleased with herself, having been prepared in the chamber of the women, she passed on to the king’s chamber.

13. pa on poruèi Esteri: "Nemoj misliti da æeš se zato što se nalaziš u kraljevoj palaèi spasiti jedina od svih Židova:

14. And whoever entered at evening, departed in the morning, and then from there she was led to the second house, which was under the hand of Shaashgaz the eunuch, who presided over the king’s concubines. Nor did she have the power to return again to the king, unless the king desired it and had summoned her by name.

14. jer budeš li u ovoj prilici šutjela, doæi æe Židovima pomoæ i spas s druge strane, a ti æeš s kuæom svoga oca propasti. Tko zna nisi li se baš i popela do kraljevske èasti zbog èasa kao što je ovaj?"

15. But, as the order continued to progress, the day arrived when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mordecai, whom he had adopted as his daughter, was required to go in to the king. She did not seek feminine ornaments, except that whatever Hegai the eunuch and keeper of the virgins chose, he gave her to adorn her. For she was very attractive, and her incredible beauty made her appear gracious and amiable in the eyes of all.

15. Estera i opet poruèi Mordokaju:

16. And so she was led to the chamber of king Artaxerxes, in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

16. "Hajde, sakupi sve Židove koji se nalaze u Suzi. Postite za me: tri dana i tri noæi ne jedite niti pijte. I ja æu tako postiti sa svojim djevojkama. Tako pripremljena uæi æu kralju i unatoè zakonu, pa treba li da poginem, poginut æu."

17. And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favor and mercy in his eyes above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and he made her queen instead of Vashti.

17. Mordokaj se onda povuèe i uèini što mu je naredila Estera. se Gospodu i kaza: [17b] "Gospode, Gospode, kralju koji vladaš nad svime, sve je u tvojoj vlasti i nema toga koji bi se mogao suprotstaviti tvojoj volji da spasiš Izraela! [17c] Ti si stvorio nebo i zemlju i sve što je divljenja vrijedno pod nebom. Gospodar si svega i nema toga koji se može tebi oprijeti, Gospodine! [17d] Tebi je sve poznato; ti znaš, Gospodine: nisam pao nièice pred bahatog Hamana, ali ne iz drskosti, ni iz oholosti, ni iz èastoljublja. Ti znaš da bih za spas Izraela bio voljan i tabane njegove cjelivati. [17e] To sam uèinio zato da ne metnem èast koja se iskazuje èovjeku iznad one koja se iskazuje Bogu. Neæu pasti nièice ni pred kim, nego samo pred tobom, moj Gospodine, i to ne èinim iz oholosti. [17f] Sada, Gospodine, Bože, kralju, Bože Abrahamov, poštedi narod svoj, jer gledaju samo kako bi nas istrijebili: žele uništiti ono što je od poèetka bila tvoja baština. [17g] Nemoj zanemariti posjed svoj koji si oslobodio iz egipatske zemlje! [17h] Poslušaj molitvu moju, budi milostiv nasljedstvu svome i u veselje prometni plaè naš, da bismo, ostavši živi, mogli hvalospjevima slaviti ime tvoje i nemoj dopustiti da išèeznu usta onih koji te hvale, o Gospode!" [17i] I sav je Izrael vapio svom snagom svojom, jer je smrt bila pred oèima njihovim. [17k] I kraljica se Estera, obuzeta smrtnom tjeskobom, uteèe Gospodinu; pošto svuèe sa sebe sjajne haljine, navuèe odjeæu tjeskobe i žalosti, te umjesto skupocjenim mirisima posu glavu pepelom i prahom. I ponizi veoma tijelo svoje postom, a svako mjesto na kojem se u znak veselja znala ukrašavati posu uvojcima svoje kose, pomoli se Bogu Izraelovu i kaza: [17l] "Gospodine moj, kralju naš, ti si jedini! Doði u pomoæ meni koja sam sama, kojoj nema druge pomoæi do tebe, jer opasnost je moja u ruci mojoj. [17m] Ja sam od svoga djetinjstva slušala u obiteljskom rodu da si ti, Gospode, izabrao Izraela meðu svim drugim narodima: naše oèeve meðu svim njihovim precima u svoju trajnu baštinu i da si za njih uèinio sve što si im obeæao. [17n] Ali smo sad sagriješili pred tobom i ti si nas predao u ruke neprijatelja naših jer smo iskazivali poèast bogovima njihovim. Pravedan si, Gospodine! [17] I sad oni, nezadovoljni veæ gorèinom sužanjstva našega, staviše ruke svoje u ruke kumira svojih da æe poništiti odredbu usta tvojih, uništiti baštinu tvoju, zaèepiti usta onima koji te hvale i utrnuti slavu doma tvoga i žrtvenika tvoga, [17p] a otvoriti usta naroda da hvale njihove isprazne kumire i dive se jednom kralju od mesa. [17q] Nemoj predati, Gospode, žezlo svoje onima koji ne postoje. Neka se ne smiju propasti našoj, nego okreni naum njihov na njihove glave i primjerno kazni onoga koji je poèeo bjesniti protiv nas. [17r] Sjeti se, Gospode! Objavi se u vrijeme naših jada i ohrabri me, o kralju bogova i vladaru svakoga gospodstva! [17s]Metni u moja usta primjerenu rijeè pred lavom, a njegovo srce zadahni mržnjom na neprijatelja našega; da zatre njega i njegove sumišljenike. [17t] A nas oslobodi rukom svojom i doði u pomoæ meni koja sam sama i nemam nego tebe, o Gospode! [17u] Sve ti je poznato pa znaš da mrzim slavu opakih i da mi je odvratna postelja neobrezanih i svakoga tuðinca. [17v] Znaš tjeskobu moju, jer ja se gnušam nad znamenjem moga visoèanstva koje se nalazi na glavi mojoj. U dane kad se s njime pojavim grstim se nad njim kao nad dronjkom mjeseènog pranja i ne nosim ga onih dana koji pripadaju samo meni. [17w]Sluškinja tvoja nije nikada jela sa stola Hamanova, nisam nikada poèastila kraljevsku gozbu, niti sam pila vino ljevanica. [17x]I od dana uzdignuæa svoga do danas sluškinja tvoja nije se poveselila osim u tebi, Gospode, Bože Abrahamov. [17y]Bože, nadasve moæni, uslišaj glas beznadnih i izbavi nas iz ruku opakih, a oslobodi i mene od moga straha!"

18. And he ordered a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the rulers, and for his servants, because of the union and wedding of Esther. And he gave a holiday to all the provinces, and he bestowed gifts befitting of princely generosity.

18.

19. And when the virgins were sought for the second time and gathered together, Mordecai remained at the king’s gate.

19.

20. Esther had not yet declared her native land and her people, according to his command. For whatever he instructed, Esther observed. And so she did all things as she had become accustomed in the time when he raised her from early childhood.

20.

21. Therefore, at that time, when Mordecai was staying at the king’s gate, Bagatha and Thara, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were gatekeepers and who presided over the first entryway of the palace, were angry, and they decided to rise up against the king and kill him.

21.

22. But Mordecai did not keep this secret, and immediately he reported it to queen Esther, and she reported it to the king in Mordecai’s name, who had brought the matter to her.

22.

23. It was inquired into and discovered, and they were both hanged on a gallows. And it was committed to the histories and the chronicles which are delivered in the sight of the king.

23.