< Ester 2 >

1 Kalpasan dagitoy a banbanag, idi bimmaawen ti pungtot ni Ari Ahasuero, nalagipna ni Vasti ken ti inaramidna. Nalagipna met ti maipapan iti bilin nga inaramidna a maibusor kenkuana.
After a while, King Xerxes quit being so angry. He thought about Vashti, and he thought about the law he had made because of what she [had done, and he wanted another wife].
2 Ket kinuna dagiti agtutubo a lallaki nga agserserbi kenkuana, “Iti biang iti ari, adda koma maaramid a panagbirok kadagiti napipintas a birhen a babbalasang.
So his personal servants said to him, “[Your majesty, ] you should send some men to search throughout the empire for some beautiful young women/virgins for you.
3 Mangdutok koma ti ari kadagiti opisial kadagiti amin a probinsia iti pagarianna, a mangummong kadagiti amin a napipintas a birhen a babbalasang idiay harem iti palasio iti Susa. Maipaaywanda koma kenni Hegai, nga opisial ti ari, nga isu iti agay-aywan kadagiti babbai, ket bay-am isuna a mangted kadakuada kadagiti pagpapintas.
[After they find some, ] you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep (your wives/the women you sleep with) here in Susa. Then Hegai, the man who is in charge of these women, can arrange for ointments to be put [on their bodies] to make them [more] beautiful.
4 Ti balasang a makaay-ayo iti ari ti agbalin a reyna a kasukat ni Vasti.” Daytoy a balakad ket nagustoan iti ari, ket inaramidna ngarud daytoy.
Then the woman who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
5 Adda maysa a Judio iti siudad ti Susa nga agnagan iti Mardokeo a putot a lalaki ni Jair a puto a lalaki ni Simei a puto a lalaki ni Kis, a Benjamita.
At that time there was a Jew [living] in Susa, the capital, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair. Jair was a descendant of Shimei. Shimei was a descendant of [King Saul’s father] Kish. [They were all] from the tribe descended from Benjamin.
6 Naiyadayo isuna iti Jerusalem ta nairaman isuna kadagiti naitalaw a kas balud a kaduada Jehoiakim nga ari ti Juda, nga intalaw ni Nebucadnesar nga ari ti Babylonia.
[Many years before that, ] King Nebuchadnezzar had taken (Mordecai/Mordecai’s family) [and brought them from Jerusalem] to Babylon, at the same time he brought King Jehoiachin of Judah and many other people to Babylon.
7 Inay-aywananna ni Hadassa, dayta ket ni Ester, a puto a babai ti ulitegna, gapu ta awan ti ama wenno inana. Napintas ti pammagi ti balasang ken makaay-ayo ti langana. Inbilang isuna ni Mardokeo a kas bukodna a putot a babai.
Mordecai had a cousin whose [Hebrew] name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and beautiful body/figure. Her [Persian] name was Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.
8 Idi a naipakaammo ti bilin ken linteg ti ari, adu a babbalasang ti naiyeg iti palasio ti Susa. Naipaaywanda kenni Hegai. Naipan met ni Ester iti palasio ti ari ken naipaaywan kenni Hegai, ti mangay-aywan kadagiti babbai.
After the king commanded [that they search for some beautiful women], they brought Esther and many other young women to the king’s palace [in Susa], and (the king put Hegai/Hegai was put) in charge of them.
9 Naay-ayo ti balasang ni Hegai, ket nagun-odna ti paborna. Dagus nga impaayanna kadagiti pagpapintas ken iti bingayna a taraon. Nangidutok isuna kenkuana kadagiti pito nga adipen a babbai a naggapo iti palasio ti ari, ket inkabilna isuna ken dagiti adipen a babbai iti kasasayaatan a paset iti balay dagiti babbai.
Hegai was very pleased with Esther, and he treated her well. He immediately arranged for her to be given ointments to make her [even more] beautiful, and [he ordered that] special food [would be given to her]. [He arranged that] seven maids from the king’s palace [would take care of her], and arranged that she/they would stay in the best rooms.
10 Awan ti siasinoman a nangibagaan ni Ester no siasino dagiti tattao wenno kakabagianna, ta imbilin kenkuana ni Mardokeo a saanna nga ibagbaga.
Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
11 Inaldaw nga agsubli subli ni Mardokeo iti paraangan ti balay dagiti babbai, tapno maamoanna no ania ti mapaspasamak kenni Ester, ken no ania iti mabalin a maaramid kenkuana.
Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He asked [people who entered the courtyard] to find out [and tell him] what was happening to Esther.
12 Idi dimteng ti batang ti tunggal babai a mapan kenni Ari Ahasuero—kas panagtulnog kadagiti annuruten para kadagiti babbai, lippasen ti tunggal babai ti sangapulo ket dua a bulan a panagpapintas, innem a bulan nga agusarda iti lana ti mira, ken innem a bulan nga agusarda ti pabanglo ken pagpapintas—
Before these women were taken to the king, they put ointments on [the bodies of] these women for one year to make them more beautiful. For six months they [rubbed olive] oil mixed with myrrh [on their bodies each day]. For [the next] six months they rubbed ointments and perfumes on their bodies.
13 inton mapan ti balasang iti ayan ti ari, maipaay kenkuana aniaman a tarigagayanna manipud iti balay dagiti babbai, nga itugotna iti palasio.
Then, when one of these women [was summoned to] go to the king, she was allowed to wear whatever clothes and jewelry she chose.
14 Sumrek isuna iti rabii, ket iti kabigatanna agsubli isuna iti maikadua a balay dagiti babbai, ken iti panangaywan ni Saasgas, ti opisial iti ari, a mangay- aywan kadagiti assawa iti ari. Saan isuna nga agsubli iti ari malaksid no naliwliwa kenkuana ti ari ket paayabanna manen isuna.
In the evening, they would take her [to the king’s own room]. The next morning, they would take her to another place where the women [who had slept with the king] stayed. There another official whose name was Shaashgaz was in charge [of those women]. [Those women would live there for the rest of their lives, and] one of those women would go back to the king again only if the king very much wanted her to come again, and only if he told Shaashgaz the name of the woman.
15 Ita dimteng ti tiempo ni Ester (putot a babai ni Abihail, ti uliteg ni Mardokeo, a nangala kenkuana a kas bukodna a putot a babai) a mapan iti ayan ti ari, awan iti aniaman a kiniddawna no di, ti insingasing ni Hegai nga opisial ti ari a mangay-aywan kadagiti babbai. Ita nagun-od ni Ester ti pabor dagiti amin a nakakita kenkuana.
Everyone who saw Esther liked her. After King Xerxes had been ruling for seven years, it was Esther’s turn to go to him. When they took her to the king, it was during the middle part of the winter. She wore only the things that Hegai suggested.
16 Naiyeg ni Ester iti pagtaengan ni Ari Ahasuero iti maikasangapulo a bulan, a bulan ti Tebeth, iti maikapito a tawen iti panagturayna.
17 Inayat ti ari ni Ester a nalablabes ngem kadagiti amin a babbai, ket nagun-od ni Ester ti pabor ken panagayat iti sangoanan ti ari, a nalablabes ngem kadagiti amin a birhen, isu nga inkabil ti ari ti korona ti reyna iti ulo ni Ester ket insaad ti ari ni Ester a reyna a kasukat ni Vasti.
The king liked Esther more than he liked any of the other women [that they brought to him]. He liked her so much that he put on her head the queen’s crown, and he declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.
18 Nangangay ti ari iti dakkel a padaya para kadagiti amin nga opisial ken kadagiti adipenna, “Padaya ni Ester,” ket impaayna ti tulong kadagiti probinsia manipud kadagiti naibayad a buis. Nangited pay isuna kadagiti sagut a nabuyugan iti kinaimbag.
To celebrate her [becoming the queen], he had a big banquet/feast prepared for all his administrators and [other] officials. He generously gave [expensive] gifts to everyone, and he declared that in all the provinces there would be a holiday, [a time when people did not have to pay taxes].
19 Ita, idi sangsangkamaysa a naummong manen dagiti birhen iti maikadua a tiempo, nakatugaw ni Mardokeo iti ruangan ti palasio ti ari.
Later all those women who had spent a night with the king were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai had become an official at the palace.
20 Saan pay nga imbaga ni Ester iti siasinoman iti maipanggep kadagiti kakabagianna wenno tattaona, a kas imbilin ni Mardokeo kenkuana. Intuloyna a tinungpal ti balakad ni Mardokeo, a kas inaramidna idi inaywananna isuna.
But Esther still did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do.
21 Kadagidiay nga al-aldaw, kabayatan nga agtugtugaw ni Mardokeo iti ruangan ti palasio ti ari, dua kadagiti opisyal ti ari ti nakaunget, da Bigtana ken Teres, a mangbanbantay iti ruangan iti ari, ket pinanggepda a dangran ni Ari Ahasuero.
One day when Mordecai was doing his work in the palace, two of the king’s officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who stood outside the king’s own rooms. They became angry [with the king], and they were planning how they could assassinate/kill him.
22 Idi naiparangarang dayta a banag kenni Mardokeo, imbagana kenni Reyna Ester, ket nakisarita ni Ester iti ari babaen iti nagan ni Mardokeo.
But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, and he told that to Queen Esther. Then she told the king what Mordecai had found out.
23 Nasukimat ken napaneknekan ti damag, ket nabitay nga agpada dagiti dua a lallaki. Naisurat ti pasamak Iti Libro Iti Pakasaritaan iti imatang iti ari.
The king investigated and found out that Mordecai’s report was true. So the king ordered that those two men be hanged. When that was done, (an official wrote a report/a report was written) about it in a book called ‘The book that records what happened while Xerxes was king’.

< Ester 2 >