< Esther 2 >

1 Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
Passadas estas coisas, e apaziguado já o furor do rei Assuero, lembrou-se de Vasthi, e do que fizera, e do que se tinha decretado a seu respeito.
2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
Então disseram os mancebos do rei, que lhe serviam: Busquem-se para o rei moças virgens, formosas á vista.
3 and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
E ponha o rei commissarios em todas as provincias do seu reino, que ajuntem a todas as moças virgens, formosas á vista, na fortaleza de Susan, na casa das mulheres, debaixo da mão d'Hegai, eunucho do rei, guarda das mulheres, e dêem-se-lhes os seus enfeites.
4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
E a moça que parecer bem aos olhos do rei, reine em logar de Vasthi. E isto pareceu bem aos olhos do rei, e assim fez.
5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
Havia então um homem judeo na fortaleza de Susan, cujo nome era Mardoqueo, filho de Jair, filho de Simei, filho de Kis, homem benjamita,
6 He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.
Que fôra transportado de Jerusalem, com os transportados que foram transportados com Jechonias, rei de Judah, o qual transportara Nabucodonosor, rei de Babylonia.
7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.
Este criara a Hadassa (que é Esther, filha de seu tio), porque não tinha pae nem mãe: e era moça bella de parecer, e formosa á vista; e, morrendo seu pae e sua mãe, Mardoqueo a tomara por sua filha
8 When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
Succedeu pois que, divulgando-se o mandado do rei e a sua lei, e ajuntando-se muitas moças na fortaleza de Susan, debaixo da mão d'Hegai, tambem levaram Esther á casa do rei, debaixo da mão d'Hegai, guarda das mulheres.
9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
E a moça pareceu formosa aos seus olhos, e alcançou graça perante elle; pelo que se apressurou com os seus enfeites, e em lhe dar os seus quinhões, como tambem em lhe dar sete moças de respeito da casa do rei: e a fez passar com as suas moças ao melhor logar da casa das mulheres.
10 Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.
Esther porém não declarou o seu povo e a sua parentela; porque Mardoqueo lhe tinha ordenado que o não declarasse.
11 And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
E passeava Mardoqueo cada dia diante do pateo da casa das mulheres, para se informar de como Esther passava, e do que lhe succederia.
12 In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
E, chegando já a vez de cada moça, para vir ao rei Assuero, depois que fôra feito a ella segundo a lei das mulheres, por doze mezes (porque assim se cumpriam os dias das suas purificações), seis mezes com oleo de myrrha, e seis mezes com especiarias, e com as coisas para a purificação das mulheres:
13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.
D'esta maneira pois entrava a moça ao rei: tudo quanto ella dizia se lhe dava, para se ir com aquillo da casa das mulheres á casa do rei:
14 She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.
Á tarde entrava, e pela manhã tornava á segunda casa das mulheres, debaixo da mão de Saasgaz, eunucho do rei, guarda das concubinas: não tornava mais ao rei, salvo se o rei a desejasse, e fosse chamada por nome
15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
Chegando pois a vez d'Esther, filha d'Abihail, tio de Mardoqueo (que a tomara por sua filha), para ir ao rei, coisa nenhuma pediu, senão o que disse Hegai, eunucho do rei, guarda das mulheres: e alcançava Esther graça aos olhos de todos quantos a viam.
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Assim foi levada Esther ao rei Assuero, á sua casa real, no decimo mez, que é o mez de tebeth, no setimo anno do seu reinado.
17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
E o rei amou a Esther mais do que a todas as mulheres, e alcançou perante elle graça e benevolencia mais do que todas as virgens: e poz a corôa real na sua cabeça, e a fez rainha em logar de Vasthi.
18 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
Então o rei fez um grande convite a todos os seus principes e aos seus servos, que era o convite d'Esther: e deu repouso ás provincias, e fez presentes segundo o estado do rei.
19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
E ajuntando-se segunda vez as virgens, Mardoqueo estava assentado á porta do rei.
20 Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
Esther porém não declarava a sua parentela e o seu povo, como Mardoqueo lhe ordenara: porque Esther fazia o mandado de Mardoqueo, como quando a criara.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
N'aquelles dias, assentando-se Mardoqueo á porta do rei, dois eunuchos do rei, dos guardas da porta, Bigthan e Theres, grandemente se indignaram, e procuraram pôr as mãos no rei Assuero.
22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
E veiu isto ao conhecimento de Mardoqueo, e elle fez saber á rainha Esther, e Esther o disse ao rei, em nome de Mardoqueo.
23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
E inquiriu-se o negocio, e se descobriu, e ambos foram enforcados n'uma forca: e foi escripto nas chronicas perante o rei.

< Esther 2 >