Ester 2
1 PASADAS estas cosas, sosegada ya la ira del rey Assuero, acordóse de Vasthi, y de lo que hizo, y de lo que fué sentenciado contra ella.
Later on, after all this had happened, King Xerxes' anger subsided and he thought about Vashti and what she'd done, and the decree issued against her.
2 Y dijeron los criados del rey, sus oficiales: Busquen al rey mozas vírgenes de buen parecer;
His advisors suggested to him, “Why not order a search to find beautiful young virgins for Your Majesty?
3 Y ponga el rey personas en todas las provincias de su reino, que junten todas las mozas vírgenes de buen parecer en Susán residencia regia, en la casa de las mujeres, al cuidado de Hegai, eunuco del rey, guarda de las mujeres, dándoles sus atavíos;
Your Majesty should put officers in charge in each province of his empire to gather all the beautiful young women and bring them to the king's harem at the fortress of Susa. They should placed under the supervision of Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women, and they should be given beauty treatments.
4 Y la moza que agradare á los ojos del rey, reine en lugar de Vasthi. Y la cosa plugo en ojos del rey, é hízolo así.
The young woman the king finds most attractive can become queen in place of Vashti.” The king thought this was a good idea, so he acted upon it.
5 Había un varón Judío en Susán residencia regia, cuyo nombre era Mardochêo, hijo de Jair, hijo de Simi, hijo de Cis, del linaje de Benjamín;
There was a Jewish man living in the fortress of Susa named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite
6 El cual había sido trasportado de Jerusalem con los cautivos que fueron llevados con Jechônías rey de Judá, á quien hizo trasportar Nabucodonosor rey de Babilonia.
who was among those taken prisoner with King Jehoiachin of Judah and carried into exile from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
7 Y había criado á Hadassa, que es Esther, hija de su tío, porque no tenía padre ni madre; y era moza de hermosa forma y de buen parecer; y como su padre y su madre murieron, Mardochêo la había tomado por hija suya.
He had brought up Hadassah (or Esther), his uncle's daughter, because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. After her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.
8 Sucedió pues, que como se divulgó el mandamiento del rey y su acuerdo, y siendo reunidas muchas mozas en Susán residencia regia, á cargo de Hegai, fué tomada también Esther para casa del rey, al cuidado de Hegai, guarda de las mujeres.
When the king's order and decree had been announced, many young women were brought to the fortress of Susa under the supervision of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the king's palace and placed under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.
9 Y la moza agradó en sus ojos, y halló gracia delante de él; por lo que hizo darle prestamente sus atavíos y sus raciones, dándole también siete convenientes doncellas de la casa del rey; y pasóla con sus doncellas á lo mejor de la casa de las mujeres.
Esther caught his eye and he treated her favorably. He quickly arranged beauty treatments and special food for her. He also provided her with seven specially-chosen maids from the king's palace, and moved her and her maids to the best location in the harem.
10 Esther no declaró su pueblo ni su nacimiento; porque Mardochêo le había mandado que no lo declarase.
Esther had not let anyone know her nationality or who her family was, because Mordecai had ordered her not to.
11 Y cada día Mardochêo se paseaba delante del patio de la casa de las mujeres, por saber cómo iba á Esther, y qué se hacía de ella.
Each day Mordecai spent time walking around in front of the courtyard of the harem so he could find out how Esther was doing and what was happening to her.
12 Y como llegaba el tiempo de cada una de las mozas para venir al rey Assuero, al cabo de haber estado ya doce meses conforme á la ley acerca de las mujeres (porque así se cumplía el tiempo de sus atavíos, [esto es], seis meses con óleo de mirra, y seis meses con cosas aromáticas y afeites de mujeres),
Before it was the turn of a young woman to go to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments for women that were required: six months with oil of myrrh, and six with perfumed oils and ointments.
13 Entonces la moza venía así al rey: todo lo que ella decía se le daba, para venir con ello de la casa de las mujeres hasta la casa del rey.
When it was time for the young woman to go to the king, she was given whatever she asked for to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.
14 Ella venía á la tarde, y á la mañana se volvía á la casa segunda de las mujeres, al cargo de Saasgaz eunuco del rey, guarda de las concubinas: no venía más al rey, salvo si el rey la quería, y era llamada por nombre.
In the evening she would go, and in the morning she would return to a different harem under the supervision of Shaashgaz, who was the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not go back to be with the king again unless he was particularly attracted to her and called for her by name.
15 Y llegado que fué el tiempo de Esther, hija de Abihail tío de Mardochêo, que él se había tomado por hija, para venir al rey, ninguna cosa procuró sino lo que dijo Hegai eunuco del rey, guarda de las mujeres: y ganaba Esther la gracia de todos los que la veían.
(Esther was the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai's uncle. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.) When it was Esther's turn to go to the king, she didn't ask for anything to take with her except what Hegai advised. (He was the king's eunuch in charge of the women.) Esther was looked on with admiration by everybody.
16 Fué pues Esther llevada al rey Assuero á su casa real en el mes décimo, que es el mes de Tebeth, en el año séptimo de su reinado.
Esther was taken to King Xerxes into his royal palace, in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Y el rey amó á Esther sobre todas las mujeres, y halló gracia y benevolencia delante de él más que todas las vírgenes; y puso la corona real en su cabeza, é hízola reina en lugar de Vasthi.
The king loved Esther more than all the other women. He treated her more favorably and with greater kindness than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Hizo luego el rey gran banquete á todos sus príncipes y siervos, el banquete de Esther; y alivió á las provincias, é hizo y dió mercedes conforme á la facultad real.
The king gave a great feast for all his officials and administrators—Esther's feast. He also declared it a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed generous gifts.
19 Y cuando se juntaban las vírgenes la segunda vez, Mardochêo estaba puesto á la puerta del rey.
Even though there had been a second gathering of virgins, and Mordecai had been given a position by the king,
20 Y Esther, según le tenía mandado Mardochêo, no había declarado su nación ni su pueblo; porque Esther hacía lo que decía Mardochêo, como cuando con él se educaba.
Esther still did not let anyone know about her family or her nationality, as Mordecai had ordered her. She followed Mordecai's instructions just as she did when he brought her up.
21 En aquellos días, estando Mardochêo sentado á la puerta del rey, enojáronse Bigthán y Teres, dos eunucos del rey, de la guardia de la puerta, y procuraban poner mano en el rey Assuero.
At that time, as Mordecai was doing his work at the palace gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the entrance to the king's rooms, became furious with King Xerxes and looked for a way to assassinate him.
22 Mas entendido que fué esto por Mardochêo, él lo denunció á la reina Esther, y Esther lo dijo al rey en nombre de Mardochêo.
Mordecai found out about the plot and reported it to Queen Esther. Esther in turn told the king on Mordecai's behalf.
23 Hízose entonces indagación de la cosa, y fué hallada cierta; por tanto, entrambos fueron colgados en una horca. Y escribióse [el caso] en el libro de las cosas de los tiempos delante del rey.
When the plot was investigated and found to be true, both men were impaled on poles. This was recorded in the official Book of Records by order of the king.
