Estera 2
1 Poslije tih događaja, kako mu se utiša gnjev, kralj Ahasver sjeti se Vaštije, onoga što je ona učinila i što je bilo odlučeno protiv nje.
After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:
2 Rekoše tada momci što služahu kralja: "Neka se potraže za kralja mlade djevojke, djevice lijepa izgleda.
And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
3 Kralj neka odredi u svim pokrajinama svojega kraljevstva povjerenike da mu sakupe sve djevice pristala izgleda u tvrđavi grada Suze, u haremu, pod upravom Hegeja, kraljeva eunuha, čuvara žena. On će se pobrinuti za njihovu njegu.
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 Ona djevojka koja se najviše svidi očima kraljevim neka kraljuje umjesto Vaštije." Bijaše to po volji kralju, i on tako uradi.
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 U tvrđavi grada Suze bio je neki Židov koji se zvao Mordokaj, sin Jaira, sina Šimeja, sina Kišova, iz plemena Benjaminova.
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 On je bio protjeran iz Jeruzalema među prognanicima koje je babilonski kralj Nabukodonozor odveo zajedno s judejskim kraljem Jekonijom.
Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,
7 On je odgajao Hadasu, to jest Esteru, kćerku strica svoga, jer ona ne imađaše ni oca ni majke. Djevojka je bila pristala i lijepa izgleda. Poslije smrti njezina oca i njezine majke Mordokaj je uze k sebi kao kćerku.
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 Kako se začu za kraljevu riječ i njegovu naredbu, mnogo se djevojaka sabra u tvrđavi grada Suze pod Hegejevim nadzorom. Tako dovedoše i Esteru u kraljevu palaču, pod nadzor Hegeja, čuvara žena.
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 Djevojka se svidje njegovim očima, steče ona njegovu naklonost i on se pobrinu za njezino uljepšavanje i uzdržavanje. Uz to joj dade sedam najvrednijih ropkinja kraljevskog dvora i premjesti je, skupa s djevojkama, u najudobnije prostorije harema.
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 Estera ne spomenu ni naroda ni obitelji kojoj je pripadala, jer joj Mordokaj bijaše zabranio da to učini.
And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:
11 Svakoga je dana Mordokaj šetao pred dvorištem harema da bi doznao kako se Estera osjeća i kako se prema njoj odnose.
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 Svaka je djevojka morala ući kralju kad je na nju, prema uredbi za žene, došao red, to jest nakon dvanaest mjeseci. Jer tada se završavalo razdoblje njihova uljepšavanja: šest mjeseci uljem iz mirne, a šest mjeseci balzamom i ostalim pomastima za žensku njegu.
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 Pa kad bi djevojka ulazila kralju, bilo joj je dopušteno da sa sobom iz harema u kraljevsku palaču ponese sve što bi zatražila.
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 Ona bi ulazila uvečer, a ujutro bi se vraćala u drugi harem, pod nadzorom Šaašgaza, kraljeva eunuha, čuvara priležnica. Više se ne bi vraćala kralju, osim ako bi je posebno zaželio i dozvao je k sebi poimence.
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 Kada dođe red na Esteru, kćerku Abihajla, koji je bio stric Mordokaja koji ju je bio pokćerio, da uđe kralju, ona ne zatraži ništa osim onoga što joj bijaše rekao Hegej, kraljev eunuh, čuvar žena. Ipak je pobuđivala udivljenje svih koji su je gledali.
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 Esteru, dakle, uvedoše kralju Ahasveru, u njegovu kraljevsku palaču, u desetom mjesecu, mjesecu Tebetu, sedme godine njegova vladanja.
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 Kralj zavolje Esteru više od svih drugih žena; više nego sve ostale djevice ona mu omilje i predobi ona njegovu naklonost. I položi on na njezinu glavu kraljevsku krunu, pa mjesto Vaštije ona posta kraljicom.
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 Nakon toga priredi kralj u čast Estere veliku gozbu za svoje knezove i službenike; svim pokrajinama odredi odmor i razda darove kraljevski darežljivo.
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 Kad su drugi put djevojke bile sakupljene, Mordokaj sjeđaše na vratima kraljevim.
And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king’s gate,
20 Estera ne oda ni naroda ni obitelji iz koje je potjecala, kao što joj Mordokaj bijaše naredio. Estera se i dalje držala svih Mordokajevih uputa kao kad se nalazila pod njegovim skrbništvom.
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 U ono vrijeme kad je Mordokaj sjedio na vratima kraljevim, Bigtan i Tereš, dva kraljeva dvoranina, čuvari praga, planuše gnjevom i počeše snovati da podignu ruku na kralja Ahasvera.
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 Za tu njihovu namjeru sazna Mordokaj. On je dojavi kraljici Esteri, a Estera je u Mordokajevo ime saopći kralju.
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 Sve se izvidje i otkri se zavjera, pa obojica budu obješena o stup. To se pred kraljem zapisa u knjizi Ljetopisa.
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.
