< Esther 2 >

1 Some time later, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered what Vashti had done and what had been decreed against her.
Baada ya mambo haya na baada ya hasira ya mfalme Ahusiero kutulia, alifikiri kuhusu Malkia Vashiti na alichokuwa amekifanya na tangazo alilokuwa ameamuru litolewe ya Vashiti kupoteza sifa za kuwa malkia.
2 Then the king’s servants who waited upon him said, ‘Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king,
Kisha vijana waliomtumikia mfalme wakasema, mfalme atafutiwemabikira warembo.
3 and let the king appoint commissioners to all the provinces of his kingdom to gather them all to Susa the royal residence. Let them be brought into the women’s quarters under the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who has charge of the women. Then give them what is needed to make them beautiful,
Mfalme na achague wasimamizi katika majimbo yote ya ufalme wake, ili wawakusanye mabikira warembo wote harem katika ikulu ya Susa. Mabikira hawa wawe chini ya usimamizi wa Hegai, msimamizi, ambaye ni mkuu wa wanawake, na wapewe vipodozi vyao vyote.
4 and let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ The proposal pleased the king so he put it into action.
Na binti yule atakaye mfurahisha mfalme ndiye atakaye kuwa Malkia badala ya Vashiti.” Mfalme alupenda ushauri na akafanya kama alivoshauriwa,
5 In Susa the royal residence lived a Jew named Mordecai. He was son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite.
Katika mji wa Shushani alikuwepo Myahudi aliyeitwa Modekai mwana wa Jaira mwana wa Shimei mwana wa Kishi, aliye kuwa wa kabila la Benjamini.
6 (Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the exiles who were deported with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon took captive.)
Yeye ni miongoni mwa Wayahudi waliochukuliwa pamoja na Yekonia, mfalme wa Yuda kutoka Yerusalemu na kupelekwa uhamishoni na mfalme Nebukadreza.
7 Mordecai had adopted Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, since she had neither father nor mother. The girl was shapely and beautiful; and after her father and mother died, Mordecai raised her as if she was his own daughter.
Modekai alikuwa akimlea, Hadasa, yaani Esta, binti wa mjomba wake kwa sababu hakuwa na wazaai wake wote wawili. Modekai alimchukuwa kama binti yake. Esta alikuwa na umbo zuri na uso wa kupendeza.
8 When the king’s command and decree were known, many girls were gathered together to Susa the capital under the custody of Hegai. Esther was also taken into the king’s palace and placed under the custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.
Wasichana wengi waliletwa ikulu Shushani, baada ya tangazo na amri ya mfalme kutolewa. Waliwekwa chini ya usimamizi wa Hegai. Esta naye alikuwa ni miongoni mwa wasichana walioletwa na kuwekwa chini ya usimamizi wa Hegai, mwangalizi wa wanawake.
9 The girl pleased him and gained his favour, so that he quickly gave her the cosmetics she needed to enhance her beauty and her allowance of food and the seven maids selected from the king’s household. He also transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.
Esta alimfurahisha, na akapata kibali mbele ya Hegai. Akampa vipodozi na sehemu ya chakula. Akampa wahudumu wa kike saba kutoka katika ikulu ya mfalme, na akampeleka na wahudumu wa kike katika sehemu bora katika nyumba ya wanawake.
10 Esther had not revealed her people nor her family background because Mordecai had ordered her not to.
Esta hakuwa amemweleza mtu yeyote kuhusu jamaa zake kwa sababu Modekai alikuwa amemzuia.
11 Every day Mordecai would to walk in front of the courtyard of the harem and ask after Esther’s health and what was happening to her.
kila siku Modekai alienda na kurudi mbele nje ya ua wa nyumba ya wanawake, ili kwamba asikie kuhusu mambo ya Esta na atakachofanyiwa.
12 The girls were prepared for meeting King Ahasuerus for twelve months: six months being treated with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. After the twelve months,
Zamu ilipofika ya kila msichana kwenda kwa mfalme Ahusero kwa kufuata maelekezo kwa wanawake, kila msichana alitakiwa kumaliza miezi kumi na miwili ya urembo, miezi sita ya mafuta ya manemane na miezi sita ya vipodozi.
13 each girl went in to the king. She was allowed to take with her whatever she wished from the women’s quarters,
wakati msichana alipoenda kwa mfalme, alipewa chochote alichotamani kutoka katika nyumba ya wanawake ili aende nacho katika nyuma ya mfalme.
14 and would enter the palace in the evening and return the next morning to another part of the harem under the care of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz who was in charge of concubines. She would not go to the king again unless he desired her and summoned her by name.
Msichana alipaswa kwenda wakati wa usiku na kurudi katika nyumba ya wanawake, na kwa msimamizi Shaashigazi, msimamizi wa mfalme, ambaye alikuwa mwenye kuwalinda masulia. Msichana hakuruhusiwa kwenda tena kwa mfalme isipokuwa amemfurahiha mfalme na mfalme akaamuru arudi tena.
15 When it was the turn of Esther (the girl adopted by Mordecai, daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go in to the king, she only took with her those things that Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, had advised her to take. Esther was liked by all who saw her.
Zamu ya Esta ilipotimia( mwana wa Abihaili, mjomba wa Modekai alikuw amemchukua kama kama binti yake) kwenda mbele ya mfalme, hakutaka kitu chochote isipokuwa vile ambavyo Hegai, msimamizi wa wanawake alimtaka avichukue.
16 Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esta akapata kibali mbele ya kila aliyemwona. Esta akapelekwa kwa Mfalme Ahusiero katika makazi ya kifalme mwezi wa kumi, ambao ni mwezi wa Tabeti, katika mwaka wa saba wa utawala wake.
17 And the king loved her more than all the other women, and she became his favourite and won his affection. He placed the royal diadem on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Mfalme alimpenda Esta zaidi kuliko wanawake wengine, na alipata kibali kuliko na wema mbele zake zaidi kuliko mabikira wengine na hivyo mfalme akamvika taji ya kimalkia badala ya Vashiti.
18 Then the king gave a great feast to all his officials and courtiers in honour of Esther, and he remitted the taxes of the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
mfalme akawafanyia karamu kubwa wasimamizi na wahudumu wake wote, karamu ya Esta na akawapa unafuu wa kodi katika majimbo. Pia akawapa zawadi kwa ukarimu.
19 All the time the virgins were assembled again, Mordecai was sitting as an offical at the king’s gate.
Modekai alikuwa ameketi katika lango la mfalme wakati mabikira walipokuwa wamekusanyika kwa mara ya pili.
20 Esther had not revealed her people or family background because she still obeyed him as she had when he was bringing her up.
Esta alifuata ushauri Modekai ya kutomwambia mtu yeyote kuhusu jamaa zake. aliendelea kufuata ushauri wa Modekai kama alivyofanya alipokuwa mdogo.
21 In those days while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the royal court attendants, Bigthan and Teresh, who guarded the entrance of the palace, became enraged and attempted to kill King Ahasuerus.
katika siku hizo ambazo Modekai alikuwa ameketi getini kwa mfalme, Bighani na Tereshi, wasimamizi wa mfalme walio linda lando, walikasirika na wakatafuta kumuua mfalme Ahusiero.
22 But Mordecai learned of the conspiracy and disclosed it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
Jambo lilipowekwa wazi kwa Modekai, alimtaarifu Malkia Esta na Esta akamweleza kile achoelezwa na Modekai.
23 When the affair was investigated and the facts discovered, the conspirators were both hanged on the gallows. The incident was recorded in the presence of the king in the daily record of events.
Habari hii ilipepelelezwa na kuonekana kuwa kweli na wanaume wawili walinyongwa juu ya mti. Na habari hii ikaandikwa katika kitabu cha taarifa mbele ya mfalme.

< Esther 2 >