Esther 2

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.

Pea hili ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, pea kuo ʻosi ʻae houhau ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo, naʻa ne manatuʻi ʻa Vasiti, mo ia naʻa ne fai, mo ia naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ke fai kiate ia.

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

Pea pehē ai ʻe he kau tamaioʻeiki ʻae tuʻi ʻaia naʻe tauhi ia, “Tuku ke kumi he kau tāupoʻou hoihoifua maʻae tuʻi:

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.

Pea ke fakanofo ʻe he tuʻi ʻae kau matāpule ʻi he ngaahi potu kotoa pē ʻo hono puleʻanga, koeʻuhi ke nau tānaki ke fakataha kotoa pē ʻae kau tāupoʻou hoihoifua ki Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ki he fale ʻoe kau fefine, ki he tauhi ʻo Hekai, ko e tauhi fale ʻoe tuʻi, ʻaia ʻoku tauhi ʻae kau fefine: pea ke ʻatu kiate kinautolu ʻenau ngaahi meʻa fakamaʻa:

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.

Pea ʻilonga ʻae tāupoʻou ʻaia ʻe fiemālie ki ai ʻae tuʻi, tuku ia ke tuʻi fefine ko e fetongi ʻo Vasiti.” Pea naʻe fiemālie ʻae tuʻi ʻi he meʻa ko ia; pea naʻa ne fai ia.

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,

Pea naʻe ʻi Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ʻae Siu ʻe taha, ko Motekiai hono hingoa, ko e foha ʻo Saili, ko e foha ʻo Simi, ko e foha ʻo Kisi, ko e tangata Penisimani:

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

‌ʻAia naʻe fetuku mei Selūsalema, ʻi he fakapōpula ʻaia naʻe fetuku ki he mamaʻo mo Sekonia ko e tuʻi ʻo Siuta, ʻaia naʻe fetuku ʻe Nepukanesa ko e tuʻi ʻo Papilone ʻo ʻave ki he mamaʻo.

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.

Pea naʻa ne ohi ʻa Hatasa, ʻaia ko Eseta, ko e ʻofefine ʻo hono tuʻasina: he naʻe ʻikai haʻane tamai pe faʻē, pea naʻe matamatalelei mo hoihoifua ʻae tāupoʻou, ʻaia naʻe ohi ʻe Motekiai ʻi he pekia ʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē, ʻo ne ʻofefine ʻaki ia.

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.

Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he ongoʻi ʻae fekau ʻae tuʻi mo ʻene tuʻutuʻuni, pea kuo fakakātoa ʻae kau taʻahine tokolahi ki Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ki he tauhi ʻo Hekai, naʻe ʻomi foki ʻa Eseta ki he fale ʻoe tuʻi, ki he tauhi ʻo Hekai, ko e tauhi ʻoe kau fefine.

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.

Pea naʻe fiemālie ia ki he taʻahine, pea naʻa ne ʻofeina ia: pea naʻa ne ʻatu leva kiate ia ʻae ngaahi meʻa maʻa ʻene fakamaʻa ia, fakataha mo e ngaahi meʻa naʻe kau tonu kiate ia, mo e kau taʻahine ʻe toko fitu, ʻaia naʻe taau ke foaki kiate ia, mei he fale ʻoe tuʻi: pea naʻa ne tomuʻa fili ia mo ʻene kau taʻahine ki he potu lelei lahi ʻoe fale ʻoe kau fefine.

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.

Naʻe teʻeki ai fakahā ʻe Eseta hono kakai pe ko hono kāinga: he naʻe fekau ia ʻe Motekiai ke ʻoua naʻa fakahā ia.

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.

Pea naʻe ʻeveʻeva ʻa Motekiai ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻi he mata fale ʻoe lotoʻā ʻoe fale ʻoe kau fefine, ke ʻilo pe ʻoku fēfē ʻa Eseta, pea ko e hā ʻe fai kiate ia.

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.

Pea ʻi he hoko ʻae lakanga ʻoe taʻahine kotoa pē ke hū ki loto ki he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo, hili ʻene nofo ʻi he māhina ʻe hongofulu ma ua, ʻo fakatatau ki he anga ʻae kau fefine, (he naʻe pehē pe hono fakaʻosi ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻo honau fakamaʻa, ʻio, ʻae māhina ʻe ono mo e lolo ko e mula, mo e māhina ʻe ono mo e ngaahi meʻa namu kakala, pea mo e ngaahi meʻa kehe ko e meʻa fakamaʻa ʻae kau fefine.)

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.

Pea naʻe haʻu pehē pe ʻae taʻahine kotoa pē ki he tuʻi: ʻilonga ʻaia kotoa pē naʻa ne fili ke taungaʻaki mei he fale ʻoe kau fefine, ke ʻalu ki he fale ʻoe tuʻi, naʻe foaki ia kiate ia.

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.

Naʻe hū ki ai ia ʻi he efiafi, pea pongipongi ai naʻe liu mai ia ki hono ua ʻoe fale ʻoe kau fefine, ki he tauhi ʻa Seasikasi, ko e tauhi fale ʻae tuʻi, ʻaia naʻe tauhi ʻae kau sinifu: naʻe ʻikai te ne toe haʻu ki he tuʻi, ʻo kapau naʻe ʻikai fiemālie ʻae tuʻi ʻiate ia, pea ne ui ia ʻi hono hingoa.

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.

Pea ʻi he hoko ʻae lakanga ʻo Eseta, ko e ʻofefine ʻo ʻApieli ko e tuʻasina ʻo Motekiai, ʻaia naʻa ne ohi ko hono ʻofefine, ke hū ia ki loto ki he tuʻi, naʻe ʻikai te ne fili ha meʻa ʻe taha ka ko e meʻa pe naʻe ʻatu kiate ia ʻe Hekai, ko e tauhi fale ʻae tuʻi, mo e haʻa tukauʻi ʻoe kau fefine. Pea naʻe ʻofeina ʻa Eseta ʻe he kakai kotoa pē naʻe mamata kiate ia.

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.

Ko ia, naʻe ʻave ʻa Eseta ki he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo ki hono fale fakatuʻi ʻi hono hongofulu ʻoe māhina, ʻaia ko e māhina ko Tipeti, ʻi hono fitu taʻu ʻo ʻene pule.

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.

Pea naʻe ʻofa lahi ʻae tuʻi kia Eseta ʻi he kau fefine kotoa pē, pea naʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae lelei mo e angaʻofa ʻi hono ʻao ʻo lahi hake ʻi he kau tāupoʻou kotoa pē; ko ia naʻa ne ʻai ai ʻae tatā fakatuʻi ki hono ʻulu, pea fakanofo ia ko e tuʻi fefine ko e fetongi ʻo Vasiti.

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.

Pea naʻe fai ai ʻe he tuʻi ʻae kātoanga lahi ki heʻene ngaahi houʻeiki kotoa pē mo ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻio, ko e kātoanga ʻo Eseta: pea naʻa ne fai ʻae vetepōpula ʻi hono ngaahi puleʻanga, ʻo ne fai ʻae ngaahi foaki, ʻo taau mo e monūʻia ʻoe tuʻi.

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

Pea ʻi he fakakātoa ʻae kau taʻahine ko hono liunga ua, naʻe toki nofo ai ʻa Motekiai ʻi he matapā ʻoe tuʻi.

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.

Pea naʻe teʻeki ai fakahā ʻe Eseta ʻa hono kāinga pe ko hono kakai: ʻo hangē ko e fekau pau ʻe Motekiai kiate ia: he naʻe fai ʻe Eseta ki he fekau ʻa Motekiai kiate ia, ʻo hangē ko ia naʻa ne fai ʻi heʻene kei tauhi ia.

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.

ʻI he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, lolotonga ʻene nofo ʻa Motekiai ʻi he matapā ʻoe tuʻi, naʻe ʻita ʻae tauhi ʻe toko ua ʻae tuʻi, ko Pikitani mo Telesi, ʻiate kinautolu naʻe tauhi ʻae matapā, ʻo na kumi ke ala ki he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo.

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.

Pea naʻe ʻilo ʻae meʻa ni ʻe Motekiai, ʻaia naʻe tala ia kia Eseta ko e tuʻi fefine, pea fakahā ia ʻe Eseta ki he tuʻi ʻi he hingoa ʻo Motekiai.

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.

Pea ʻi he fai ʻae ʻeke ki he meʻa ni, naʻe ʻilo hono moʻoni: ko ia naʻe tautau ai ʻakinaua fakatouʻosi ki ha ʻakau: pea naʻe tohi ia ʻi he tohi fakamatala meʻa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi.