Ester 2

1 Pasadas estas cosas, reposada ya la ira del rey Asuero, se acordó de Vasti, y de lo que hizo, y de lo que fue sentenciado sobre ella.

After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:

2 Y dijeron los criados del rey, sus oficiales: Busquen al rey mozas vírgenes de buen parecer;

And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,

3 y ponga el rey personas en todas las provincias de su reino, que junte todas las jóvenes vírgenes de buen parecer en Susa la capital del reino, en la casa de las mujeres, al cuidado de Hegai, eunuco del rey, guarda de las mujeres, dándoles lo que necesitan para su purificación;

And let some persons be sent through all the provinces to look for beautiful maidens and virgins: and let them bring them to the city of Susan, and put them into the house of the women under the hand of Egeus the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women: and let them receive women’s ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.

4 y la doncella que agradare a los ojos del rey, reine en lugar de Vasti. Y la cosa agradó en ojos del rey, y lo hizo así.

And whosoever among them all shall please the king’s eyes, let her be queen instead of Vasthi. The word pleased the king: and he commanded it should be done as they had suggested.

5 Había un varón judío en Susa la capital del reino, cuyo nombre era Mardoqueo, hijo de Jair, hijo de Simei, hijo de Cis, del linaje de Benjamín;

There was a man in the city of Susan, a Jew, named Mardochai, the son of Jair, the son of Semei, the son of Cis, of the race of Jemini,

6 el cual había sido trasportado de Jerusalén con los cautivos que fueron llevados con Jeconías rey de Judá, a quien hizo trasportar Nabucodonosor rey de Babilonia.

Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,

7 Y había criado a Hadasa, que es Ester, hija de su tío, porque no tenía padre ni madre; y la joven era de hermosa forma y de buen parecer; y como su padre y su madre murieron, Mardoqueo la había tomado por hija suya.

And he had brought up his brother’s daughter Edissa, who by another name was called Esther: now she had lost both her parents: and was exceeding fair and beautiful. And her father and mother being dead, Mardochai adopted her for his daughter.

8 Sucedió, pues, que cuando se divulgó el mandamiento del rey y su ley, y siendo reunidas muchas jovenes en Susa la capital del reino, a cargo de Hegai, fue tomada también Ester para casa del rey, al cuidado de Hegai, guarda de las mujeres.

And when the king’s ordinance was noised abroad, and according to his commandment many beautiful virgins were brought to Susan, and were delivered to Egeus the eunuch: Esther also among the rest of the maidens was delivered to him to be kept in the number of the women.

9 Y aquella joven agradó en sus ojos, y halló gracia delante de él; por lo que hizo darle prestamente lo necesario para su purificación y sus raciones, dándole también siete convenientes doncellas de la casa del rey; y la pasó con sus doncellas a lo mejor de la casa de las mujeres.

And she pleased him, and found favour in his sight. And he commanded the eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver to her her part, and seven of the most beautiful maidens of the king’s house, and to adorn and deck out both her and her waiting maids.

10 Ester no declaró su pueblo ni su nacimiento; porque Mardoqueo le había mandado que no lo declarase.

And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:

11 Y cada día Mardoqueo se paseaba delante del patio de la casa de las mujeres, por saber la paz de Ester, y qué se hacía de ella.

And he walked every day before the court of the house, in which the chosen virgins were kept, having a care for Esther’s welfare, and desiring to know what would befall her.

12 Y cuando llegaba el tiempo de cada una de las jovenes para venir al rey Asuero, al cabo de haber estado ya doce meses conforme a la ley acerca de las mujeres (porque así se cumplía el tiempo de sus purificaciones, esto es, seis meses con óleo de mirra, y seis meses con cosas aromáticas y aceites de mujeres),

Now when every virgin’s turn came to go in to the king, after all had been done for setting them off to advantage, it was the twelfth month: so that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for other six months they used certain perfumes and sweet spices.

13 entonces la joven 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.

And when they were going in to the king, whatsoever they asked to adorn themselves they received: and being decked out, as it pleased them, they passed from the chamber of the women to the king’s chamber.

14 Ella venía a la tarde, y a la mañana se volvía a 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.

And she that went in at evening, came out in the morning, and from thence she was conducted to the second house, that was under the hand of Susagaz the eunuch, who had the charge over the king’s concubines: neither could she return any more to the king, unless the king desired it, and had ordered her by name to come.

15 Y cuando le llegó el tiempo de Ester, hija de Abihail tío de Mardoqueo, 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 Ester la gracia de todos los que la veían.

And as the time came orderly about, the day was at hand, when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardochai, whom he had adopted for his daughter, was to go in to the king. But she sought not women’s ornaments, but whatsoever Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins had a mind, he gave her to adorn her. For she was exceeding fair, and her incredible beauty made her appear agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all.

16 Fue, pues, Ester llevada al rey Asuero a su casa real en el mes décimo, que es el mes de Tebet, en el año séptimo de su reinado.

So she was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 Y el rey amó a Ester sobre todas las mujeres, y halló gracia y misericordia delante de él más que todas las vírgenes; y puso la corona del reino en su cabeza, y la hizo reina en lugar de Vasti.

And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.

18 Hizo luego el rey un gran banquete a todos sus príncipes y siervos, el banquete de Ester; y reposó a las provincias de sus impuestos, e hizo y dio mercedes conforme a la facultad real.

And he commanded a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the princes, and for his servants, for the marriage and wedding of Esther. And he gave rest to all the provinces, and bestowed gifts according to princely magnificence.

19 Y cuando eran juntadas las vírgenes la segunda vez, Mardoqueo estaba sentado a la puerta del rey.

And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king’s gate,

20 Y Ester, según le tenía mandado Mardoqueo, no había declarado su nación ni su pueblo; porque Ester hacía lo que decía Mardoqueo, como cuando estaba en crianza con él.

Neither had Esther as yet declared her country and people, according to his commandment. For whatsoever he commanded, Esther observed: and she did all things in the same manner as she was wont at that time when he brought her up a little one.

21 En aquellos días, estando Mardoqueo sentado a la puerta del rey, se enojaron Bigtán y Teres, dos eunucos del rey, de la guardia de la puerta, y procuraban poner mano en el rey Asuero.

At that time, therefore, when Mardochai abode at the king’s gate, Bagathan and Thares, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were porters, and presided in the first entry of the palace, were angry: and they designed to rise up against the king, and to kill him.

22 Y la cosa fue entendida por Mardoqueo, y él lo denunció a la reina Ester, y Ester lo dijo al rey en nombre de Mardoqueo.

And Mardochai had notice of it, and immediately he told it to queen Esther: and she to the king in Mardochai’s name, who had reported the thing unto her.

23 Y fue inquirida la cosa, y fue hallada cierta; y ambos ellos fueron colgados en la horca; y fue escrito en el libro de las cosas de los tiempos delante del rey.

It was inquired into, and found out: and they were both hanged on a gibbet. And it was put in the histories, and recorded in the chronicles before the king.