< Ester 2 >

1 Ty věci když se zběhly, a když se upokojila prchlivost krále Asvera, zpomenul na Vasti a na to, což byla učinila, též i na to, jaká se výpověd stala proti ní.
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 I řekli mládenci královští, služebníci jeho: Nechť hledají králi mladic, panen krásných.
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 A nechť zřídí král úředníky ve všech krajinách království svého, kteříž by shromáždili všecky mladice, panny krásné, do Susan města královského, do domu ženského, pod stráž Hegai komorníka královského, strážce žen, a ať jim vydává okrasy jejich.
[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 A mladice, kteráž by se zalíbila králi, aby kralovala místo Vasti. I líbila se ta věc králi, a učinil tak.
Then the woman who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
5 Byl pak jeden Žid v Susan, městě královském, jménem Mardocheus syn Jairův, syna Simei, syna Cis, z pokolení Beniamin.
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 A ten byl přestěhován z Jeruzaléma s přestěhovanými, kteříž přestěhováni byli s Jekoniášem králem Judským, kteréhož přestěhoval Nabuchodonozor král Babylonský.
[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 Ten choval Hadassu, jinak Esteru, dceru strýce svého, proto že neměla otce ani matky. A děvečka ta byla pěkné postavy a krásné tváři, kterouž po smrti otce a matky její vzal sobě Mardocheus za dceru.
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 Stalo se tedy, když vyšlo slovo královské a rozkaz jeho, a když shromážďováno bylo panen mnoho do Susan, města královského, pod stráž Hegai, že i Ester vzata byla do domu královského pod stráž Hegai, strážného nad ženami.
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 I líbila se jemu ta mladice, a našla milost u něho. Pročež i hned dal jí okrasu její a díl její, a sedm panen způsobných z domu královského; k tomu opatření její i jejích panen proměnil v lepší v domě ženském.
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 Neoznámila pak Ester lidu svého, ani rodiny své; nebo přikázal jí byl Mardocheus, aby nepravila.
Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
11 Ale Mardocheus každého dne chodíval před síní domu ženského, aby zvěděl, jak se má Ester, a co se s ní děje.
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 Když pak přišel jistý čas jedné každé panny, aby vešla před krále Asvera, když se vyplnilo při ní podlé práva žen, za dvanácte měsíců, (nebo za tolik dnů ozdobovaly se, šest měsíců olejem mirrovým, a šest měsíců věcmi vonnými a ozdobami ženskými),
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 A tak přicházela panna před krále. Cožkoli řekla, dávalo se jí, aby s tím šla z domu žen až k domu královskému.
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 U večer vcházela k králi, a ráno zase odcházela do druhého domu ženského, pod stráž Saasgazy, komorníka královského, strážce ženin. Nepřicházela více k králi, ale jestliže se líbila králi, povolána bývala ze jména.
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 Tedy když přišel čas jistý Estery, dcery Abichaile, strýce Mardocheova, kterouž byl vzal sobě za dceru, aby vešla k králi, nežádala ničeho, než což řekl Hegai komorník královský, strážce žen. I líbila se Ester všechněm, kteříž ji viděli.
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 A tak vzata jest Ester k králi Asverovi do domu jeho královského, měsíce desátého, (jenž jest měsíc Tebet), léta sedmého kralování jeho.
17 I zamiloval král Ester nade všecky jiné ženy, a nalezla milost a lásku u něho nade všecky panny, tak že vstavil korunu královskou na hlavu její, a učinil ji královnou místo 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 K tomu také učinil král hody veliké všechněm knížatům svým a služebníkům svým, totiž hody Estery, a dal odpočinutí krajinám, a daroval je tak, jakž slušelo na krále.
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 A když podruhé shromažďovány byly panny, a Mardocheus seděl u brány královské,
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 Ester pak neoznámila byla rodiny své a národu svého, jakž jí byl přikázal Mardocheus; nebo rozkázaní Mardocheovo Ester činila, jako i když chována byla u něho:
But Esther still did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do.
21 V těch dnech, (když Mardocheus sedal u brány královské), rozhněval se Bigtan a Teres, dva komorníci královští z strážných prahu, a smýšleli o to, aby vztáhli ruce na krále Asvera.
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 Čehož dověděv se Mardocheus, oznámil to Ester královně, Ester pak oznámila králi jménem Mardocheovým.
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 A když bylo toho vyhledáváno, našlo se tak. I oběšeni jsou ti oba na šibenici, a zapsáno jest to do kronik před králem.
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 >