< Esther 2 >

1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, ka iwe eze Ahasuerọs dajụrụ, ọ malitere iche echiche banyere Vashti. O chetara ihe Vashti mere, chetakwa ihe e kpebiri banyere ya.
2 Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
Mgbe ahụ, ndị na-ejere eze ozi sịrị ya, “Ka anyị gaa chọtara eze ụmụ agbọghọ na-amaghị nwoke mara mma ile anya.
3 Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
Ka eze họpụta ndị nchịkọta nʼisi obodo niile, ndị ga na-ahọpụta, ma na-akpọbatakwa ụmụ agbọghọ ndị a niile mara mma, nʼụlọeze dị na Susa. Ka Hegai, onozi eze bụrụkwa onye ga-elekọta ndị inyom ndị a. Ka e jirikwa ihe ịchọ mma niile chọọ ha mma dịka o si kwesi.
4 and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
Emesịa, nwaagbọghọ ahụ ihe ya masịrị eze karịa ga-abụ nwunye eze nʼọnọdụ Vashti.” Ntụpụta a tọrọ eze ụtọ nke ukwuu. O nyere ha ike ka ha malite na-atụfughị mgbe.
5 There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
Nʼoge a, enwere otu onye Juu nọ nʼobodo Susa nke ewusiri ike, a na-akpọ Mọdekai nwa Jaịa, nwa Shimei, nwa Kish, onye Benjamin.
6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
Ọ bụ onye a dọtara nʼagha mgbe Nebukadneza bibiri Jerusalem. Nʼoge ahụ, e mere ka ọ hapụ obodo ya gaa biri na Babilọn bụkwa oge a dọtakwara Jekonaya eze ndị Juda na ọtụtụ ndị ọzọ nʼagha.
7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
Mọdekai nwere nwa nwanne nna ya, aha ya bụ Hadasa, ma a na-akpọkwa ya Esta, onye mara mma nʼahụ dịkwa mma ile anya. Nne ya na nna ya anwụọla, ma Mọdekai kpọbatara ya nʼụlọ ya zụọ ya dịka nwa ya nwanyị.
8 So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Ya mere, nʼihi iwu ahụ eze nyere, e mere ka ọtụtụ ụmụ agbọghọbịa bịa na Susa, nʼime ụlọ ukwu eze. Ọ bụkwa Hegai na-elekọta ha niile. A kpọbatakwara Esta nʼụlọeze nyefee ya Hegai nʼaka, onye na-elekọta ebe obibi ndị iko nwanyị eze.
9 The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
Ọ masịrị ya, ọ natakwara ihuọma nʼebe ọ nọ. Ngwangwa ọ malitere inye ya nri pụrụ iche, na ihe ndị ahụ niile e ji edozi ahụ na ịchọ mma. O sitere nʼetiti ụmụ agbọghọ nọ nʼụlọeze họpụta ụmụ agbọghọ asaa ndị na-ejere Esta ozi. O duuru ya na ndị na-ejere ya ozi dubaa nʼebe kachasị mma nʼogige ebe ndị inyom eze bi.
10 Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
Ma Esta agwabeghị onye ọbụla obodo ya maọbụ ihe banyere ezinaụlọ ya, nʼihi na Mọdekai nyere ya iwu ka ọ ghara ịgwa onye ọbụla.
11 Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.
Ụbọchị niile, Mọdekai na-abịa nʼogige ụlọ ndị inyom na-ajụ ase otu Esta mere, nʼịchọpụta otu ihe si agara ya.
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
Tupu o ruoro nwaagbọghọ ọbụla ibakwuru eze Sekses, ọ ga-anọzu ọnwa iri na abụọ nʼebe a na-achọ ya mma dịka iwu e nyere banyere ịchọ mma ndị inyom si dị. A ga-eji mmanụ máá chọọ ya mma ọnwa isii, werekwa mmanụ isi ụtọ dị iche iche, na ihe ịchọ mma ndị ọzọ kwadoo ya nʼime ọnwa isii nke ọzọ.
13 The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.
Nʼụzọ dị otu a, ka nwaagbọghọ ọbụla ga-adị gakwuru eze, bụ Sekses. A na-enye ya ihe ọbụla ọ chọrọ site nʼebe obibi ha nke o ji aba nʼụlọeze.
14 In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.
A na-eme ka ọ banye nʼụlọeze nʼanyasị, ma nʼụtụtụ, ọ na-alọghachi nʼụlọ ọzọ nke dị nʼebe ụmụ nwanyị eze bi. Nʼebe ahụ ka Shashgaz, onozi eze nọ na-elekọta ndị iko nwanyị eze. Ọ gakwaghị alọghachi nʼebe eze ọzọ karịakwa ma ihe ya ọ masịrị eze, eze akpọọ ya ka ọ bịaghachi ọzọ.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.
Mgbe oge Esta (ada Abihail, onye bụ nwanne nna Mọdekai, onye kpọọrọ nwantakịrị nwaagbọghọ a ka ọ bụrụ nwa nke ya) ga-eji gaa nʼihu eze ruru, ọ nabatara ndụmọdụ Hegai, onozi ahụ na-elekọta ndị inyom. Ọ hụtara amara nʼihu mmadụ niile ndị hụrụ ya.
16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
E mere ka Esta bakwuru eze nʼọnwa nke iri nʼafọ nke asaa nke ọchịchị eze Ahasuerọs.
17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Eze hụrụ Esta nʼanya karịa ụmụ agbọghọ ndị ọzọ niile. Ọ natara amara na mmasị eze karịa ụmụ agbọghọ na-amaghị nwoke ndị ọzọ. Ya mere, o weere okpueze kpukwasị ya nʼisi mee ya eze nwanyị nʼọnọdụ Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
Eze kpọrọ oke oriri, nʼihi Esta, nye ndịisi ọchịchị ya niile na ndị ozi ya niile. Ọ kpọsara ezumike nye ndị ọrụ niile nʼalaeze ya, ma kesaakwa onyinye nye ọtụtụ ndị mmadụ dịka eze pụrụ ime.
19 When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
Mgbe a chịkọtara ụmụ agbọghọ ndị a na-amaghị nwoke nke ugboro abụọ, Mọdekai nọ ala nʼọnụ ụzọ ama eze.
20 Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
Ma Esta emebeghị ka onye ọbụla mara ihe banyere ezinaụlọ ya maọbụ obodo ya, dịka Mọdekai nyere ya nʼiwu, nke ọ na-emeri mgbe a na-azụlite ya.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
Otu ụbọchị, mgbe Mọdekai nọ nʼọrụ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama ụlọ ukwu eze, ndị onozi abụọ eze nwere, aha ha bụ Bigtan na Teresh, ndị na-eche ọnụ ụzọ ụlọeze nche, were iwe megide eze. Ha gbara izu kpebie na ha ga-egbu eze Sekses.
22 This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
Ma Mọdekai chọpụtara nzube ọjọọ a gwa ya Esta, nwunye eze, onye gwara eze, meekwa ka eze mata na ọ bụ Mọdekai gwara ya.
23 When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
Mgbe e nyochara kwu a, chọpụta na ọ bụ eziokwu, e jidere mmadụ abụọ ahụ kwụgbuo ha nʼosisi. E dekwara ihe ndị a niile nʼihu eze nʼime akwụkwọ akụkọ ihe e mere.

< Esther 2 >