Ester 2

1 Dopo queste cose, quando l’ira del re fu calmata, egli si ricordò di Vashti, di ciò ch’ella avea fatto, e di quanto era stato deciso a suo riguardo.

After these things, when the king's feelings were calmer, the thought of Vashti and what she had done and the order he had made against her, came back to his mind.

2 E quelli che stavano al servizio del re dissero: “Si cerchino per il re delle fanciulle vergini e belle d’aspetto;

Then the servants who were waiting on the king said to him, Let search be made for some fair young virgins for the king:

3 stabilisca il re in tutte le province del regno de’ commissari, i quali radunino tutte le fanciulle vergini e belle alla residenza reale di Susa, nella casa delle donne, sotto la sorveglianza di Hegai, eunuco del re, guardiano delle donne, che darà loro i cosmetici di cui abbisognano;

Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them;

4 e la fanciulla che piacerà al re diventi regina invece di Vashti”. La cosa piacque al re, e così si fece.

And let the girl who is pleasing to the king be queen in place of Vashti. And the king was pleased with this suggestion; and he did so.

5 Or nella residenza reale di Susa v’era un giudeo per nome Mardocheo, figliuolo di Jair, figliuolo di Scimei, figliuolo di Kis, un Beniaminita,

Now there was a certain Jew in Shushan named Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

6 ch’era stato menato via da Gerusalemme fra gli schiavi trasportati in cattività con Jeconia, re di Giuda, da Nebucadnetsar, re di Babilonia.

Who had been taken away from Jerusalem among those who had been made prisoner with Jeconiah, king of Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken him away.

7 Egli aveva allevata la figliuola di suo zio, Hadassa, che è Ester, perch’essa non avea né padre né madre; e la fanciulla era formosa e di bell’aspetto; e alla morte del padre e della madre, Mardocheo l’aveva adottata per figliuola.

And he had been a father to Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his father's brother: for she had no father or mother, and she was very beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his daughter.

8 E come l’ordine del re e il suo editto furon divulgati, e un gran numero di fanciulle furon radunate nella residenza reale di Susa sotto la sorveglianza di Hegai, Ester fu menata anch’essa nella casa del re, sotto la sorveglianza di Hegai, guardiano delle donne.

So when the order made by the king was publicly given out, and a number of girls had been placed in the care of Hegai in the king's house in Shushan, Esther was taken into the king's house and put in the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.

9 La fanciulla piacque a Hegai, ed entrò nelle buone grazie di lui; ei s’affrettò a fornirle i cosmetici di cui ell’avea bisogno e i suoi alimenti, le diede sette donzelle scelte nella casa del re, e assegnò a lei e alle sue donzelle l’appartamento migliore della casa delle donne.

And he was pleased with the girl and was kind to her; and he quickly gave her what was needed for making her clean, and the things which were hers by right, and seven servant-girls who were to be hers from the king's house: and he had her and her servant-girls moved to the best place in the women's part of the house.

10 Ester non avea detto nulla né del suo popolo né del suo parentado, perché Mardocheo le avea proibito di parlarne.

Esther had not said what family or people she came from, for Mordecai had given her orders not to do so.

11 E Mardocheo tutti i giorni passeggiava davanti al cortile della casa delle donne per sapere se Ester stava bene e che cosa si farebbe di lei.

And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her.

12 Or quando veniva la volta per una fanciulla d’andare dal re Assuero alla fine dei dodici mesi prescritti alle donne per i loro preparativi perché tanto durava il tempo dei loro preparativi: sei mesi per profumarsi con olio di mirra e sei mesi con aromi e altri cosmetici usati dalle donne, la fanciulla andava dal re,

Now every girl, when her turn came, had to go in to King Ahasuerus, after undergoing, for a space of twelve months, what was ordered by the law for the women (for this was the time necessary for making them clean, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet perfumes and such things as are needed for making women clean):

13 e le si permetteva di portar seco, dalla casa delle donne alla casa del re, tutto quello che chiedeva.

And in this way the girl went in to the king; whatever she had a desire for was given to her to take with her from the women's house into the house of the king.

14 V’andava la sera, e la mattina dipoi passava nella seconda casa delle donne, sotto la sorveglianza di Shaashgaz, eunuco del re, guardiano delle concubine. Ella non tornava più dal re, a meno che il re la desiderasse ed ella fosse chiamata nominatamente.

In the evening she went, and on the day after she came back to the second house of the women, into the keeping of Shaashgaz, one of the king's unsexed servants who had the care of the king's wives: only if the king had delight in her and sent for her by name did she go in to him again.

15 Quando venne la volta per Ester la figliuola d’Abihail, zio di Mardocheo che l’aveva adottata per figliuola d’andare dal re, ella non domandò altro fuori di quello che le fu indicato da Hegai, eunuco del re, guardiano delle donne. Ed Ester si guadagnava il favore di tutti quelli che la vedevano.

Now when the time came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, his father's brother, whom Mordecai had taken as his daughter, to go in to the king, she made request for nothing but what Hegai, the king's servant and keeper of the women, had given her. And Esther was looked on kindly by all who saw her.

16 Ester fu dunque condotta dal re Assuero, nella casa reale, il decimo mese, ch’è il mese di Tebeth, il settimo anno del regno di lui.

So Esther was taken in to King Ahasuerus in his house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his rule.

17 E il re amò Ester più di tutte le altre donne, ed ella trovò grazia e favore agli occhi di lui più di tutte le altre fanciulle. Ei le pose in testa la corona reale e la fece regina in luogo di Vashti.

And Esther was more pleasing to the king than all the women, and to his eyes she was fairer and more full of grace than all the other virgins: so he put his crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

18 E il re fece un gran convito a tutti i suoi principi ed ai suoi servi, che fu il convito d’Ester; concedette sgravi alle province, e fece doni con munificenza di re.

Then the king gave a great feast for all his captains and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he gave orders through all the divisions of his kingdom for a day of rest from work, and gave wealth from his store.

19 Or la seconda volta che si radunavano delle fanciulle, Mardocheo stava seduto alla porta del re.

And when the virgins came together in the second house of the women, Mordecai took his seat in the doorway of the king's house.

20 Ester, secondo l’ordine che Mardocheo le avea dato, non avea detto nulla né del suo parentado né del suo popolo; perché ella faceva quello che Mardocheo le diceva, come quand’era sotto la tutela di lui.

Esther had still said nothing of her family or her people, as Mordecai had given her orders; for Esther did what Mordecai said, as when she was living with him.

21 In que’ giorni, come Mardocheo stava seduto alla porta del re, Bightan e Teresh, due eunuchi del re di fra le guardie della soglia, irritatisi contro il re Assuero, cercarono d’attentargli alla vita.

In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's doorway, two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the door, being angry, were looking for a chance to make an attack on King Ahasuerus.

22 Mardocheo, avuto sentore della cosa, ne informò la regina Ester ed Ester ne parlò al re in nome di Mardocheo.

And Mordecai, having knowledge of their purpose, sent word of it to Esther the queen; and Esther gave the news to the king in Mordecai's name.

23 Investigato e verificato il fatto, i due eunuchi furono appiccati a un legno; e la cosa fu registrata nel libro delle Cronache, in presenza del re.

And when the thing had been looked into, it was seen to be true, and the two of them were put to death by hanging on a tree: and it was put down in the records before the king.