< Esther 2 >

1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
これらの事の後アハシユエロス王忿怒とけてワシテおよび彼が爲たる所またその彼にむかひて議定めしところの事を憶ひおこせり
2 Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
ここに王の前に事ふる僕等いひけるは請ふ美しき少き處女等を王のために尋もとめん
3 Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
願はくは王御國の各州において官吏を擇び之をして美はしき處女をことごとくシユシヤンの城に集めしめ婦人を管理る王の侍從ヘガイの手にわたして婦人の局に入らしめ而して潔淨の物をこれに與へたまへ
4 and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
斯して王の御意に適ふ女子を取りワシテに代りて后とならしめたまへと王この事を善として然なしぬ
5 There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
茲にシユシヤンの城に一人のユダヤ人ありその名をモルデカイと曰ひキシの曾孫シメイの孫ヤイルの子にしてベニヤミン人なり
6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
かれはバビロンの王ネブカデネザルが擄へゆきしユダのヱコニヤとともに擄はれ往る俘囚の中にありてヱサレムより移されたる者なり
7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
かれその叔父の女ハダツサすなはちエステルを養ひ育てたり 是は父も母もなかりければなり この女子顔貌勝れてうるはしかりしがその父母の死たる後モルデカイこれを取ておのれの女となせるなり
8 So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
王の命令と詔言の聞え傳はり衆多の女子シユシヤンの城にあつめられてヘガイの手にわたされし時エステルも亦王の家に携へられてゆき婦人を管理るヘガイの手に交されしが
9 The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
この女子ヘガイの意にかなひて之が惠を受たり即はちヘガイすみやかに之に潔淨の物およびその分を與へまた王の家の中より七人の侍女を擧てこれに附そはしめ彼とその侍女等を婦人の局の中なる最も佳き處に移しぬ
10 Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
エステルはおのれの民をもおのれの宗族をも顯はさざりき其はモルデカイこれを顯はすなかれと彼に言ふくめたればなり
11 Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.
またモルデカイはエステルの模樣およびその如何になれるかを知んため日々に婦人の局の庭の前をあゆめり
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
女子はおのおの婦人の則にしたがひて十二ヶ月を經しかる後順番にいりてアハシユエロス王にいたる是その潔淨の日を終るはかくのごとくなるが故なり 即ち沒薬の油を用ふること六ヶ月また各種の薫物および婦人の潔淨ごとにあつる物等を用ふること六ヶ月
13 The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.
女子の王にいたるは是のごとしその婦人の局より出て王の家にゆく時には凡てその望む物をことごとく與へらる
14 In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.
而して夕に往き朝におよびて婦人の第二の局に還り妃嬪をつかさどる王の侍從シヤシガスの手に屬す王これを喜こびて名をさして召すにあらざれば重ねて王にいたることなし
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.
ここにモルデカイの叔父アビハイルの女すなはちモルデカイが取ておのれの女となしたるエステル入て王にいたるべき順番にあたりけるが彼は婦人をつかさどる王の侍從ヘガイが言きかせたる事の外には何をももとめざりき エステルは凡て彼を見る者によろこばれたり
16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
かくエステルは王の家に召いれられてアハシユエロス王にいたれり是その治世の第七年十月即ちテベテの月なり
17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness 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.
王一切の婦人に超てエステルを愛しければエステルはすべての處女にまさりて王の前に恩寵と厚情を得たり 王つひに后の冕をかれの首に戴かせ彼をしてワシテにかはりて后とならしむ
18 Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
ここにおいて王おほいなる酒宴を設けてそのもろもろの牧伯と臣僕を饗す これをエステルの酒宴と稱ふまた諸州に租税をゆるし王の富有にかなひて物を賜ふ
19 When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
再度處女の集められし時モルデカイは王の門に坐しをりぬ
20 Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
エステルはモルデカイがかれに言ふくめたる如くして未だおのれの宗族をもおのれの民をも顯はさざりき エステルはモルデカイの言語にしたがふことその彼に養なひ育てられし時と異ならざりき
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
當時モルデカイ王の門に坐し居ける時王の侍從にて戸を守る者の中ビグタンおよびテレシの二人怨むる事ありてアハシユエロス王を弑せんともとめたりしが
22 This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
その事モルデカイに知れければモルデカイこれを后エステルに告げエステルまたモルデカイの名をもてこれを王に告げたり
23 When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
ここにおいて此事をしらべさせしにその然ること顯はれければ彼ら二人は木にかけられその事は王の前なる日誌の書にかきしるさる

< Esther 2 >