< Esther 2 >

1 After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:
Ɔhene Ahasweros bo tɔɔ ne yam akyire no, ɔhyɛɛ aseɛ dwenee deɛ Wasti ayɛ ne mmara a wɔahyɛ no ho.
2 And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
Na nʼasomfoɔ susuu ho kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ma yɛnwurawura ahemman yi mu, na yɛmpɛ mmaabunu ahoɔfɛfoɔ mfa wɔn mmrɛ ɔhene.
3 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.
Ɔhene nyi ananmusifoɔ bi wɔ ɔmantam biara mu, na wɔmfa mmaa ahoɔfɛfoɔ yi mmra ɔhene yerenom atenaeɛ wɔ Susa. Hegai a ɔyɛ opiani no na ɔbɛhwɛ wɔn so, ama wɔn ahosiesie nnuro.
4 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.
Ɛno akyi no, ababaawa a ɔsɔ wʼani yie no na wɔbɛsi no ɔhemmaa, asi Wasti ananmu.” Saa afotuo yi sɔɔ ɔhene no ani yie, enti ɔyɛɛ saa ntɛm so.
5 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,
Na Yudani bi a ɔyɛ Yair babarima a ne din de Mordekai te Susa aban no mu. Na ɔfiri Benyamin abusuakuo mu. Na ɔyɛ Kis ne Simei aseni.
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,
Ɔhene Nebukadnessar na ɔtwaa nʼabusuafoɔ ne Yudahene Yekonia ne afoforɔ bi asuo firii Yerusalem kɔɔ Babilonia.
7 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.
Na saa ɔbarima yi wɔ onua hoɔfɛfoɔ bi a ne din de Hadasa a na wɔsane frɛ no Ɛster. Ɛberɛ a nʼagya ne ne maame wuwuiɛ no, Mordekai faa no kaa nʼabusua ho, tetee no sɛ nʼankasa babaa.
8 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.
Ɔhene no mmara a ɔhyɛeɛ no enti, wɔde Ɛster ne mmabaawa bebree baa ɔhene yerenom atenaeɛ wɔ Susa aban no mu, de wɔn hyɛɛ Hegai nsa.
9 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.
Hegai ani gyee Ɛster ho yie, ma ɔhwɛɛ no yie. Ntɛm ara, ɔma wɔmaa no aduane sononko, na ɔmaa no ahosiesie nnuro kaa ho. Ɔsane de mfenaa baason a ɔyii wɔn firii ahemfie hɔ maa no, na ɔde ɔno ne mfenaa no kɔtenaa deɛ ɛhɔ yɛ pa ara wɔ mmaa atenaeɛ hɔ.
10 And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:
Ɛster anka ne ɔman a ɔfiri mu ne nʼabusua a ɔbɔ ankyerɛ obiara, ɛfiri sɛ na Mordekai abɔ nʼano sɛ ɔnnkyerɛ.
11 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.
Ɛda biara Mordekai kɔnante fa ahemfie no adihɔ hɔ, bisa Ɛster ase sɛ ne ho te sɛn.
12 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.
Ansa na wɔde ababaawa biara bɛkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn no, wɔma ɔde ahoɔfɛ nnuro yɛ ne ho afe. Wɔde kurobo ngo yɛ ne ho abosome nsia na ɛno akyi, wɔde aduhwam ne nku sononko bi ayɛ ne ho abosome nsia.
13 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.
Na sɛ ɛduru ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ ɔkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn a wɔma no kwan ma ɔfa atadeɛ anaa agudeɛ a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔde siesie ne ho, na ama nʼahoɔfɛ no adi mu.
14 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.
Anwummerɛ no, wɔde no kɔ ɔhene dabekyire, na adeɛ kye a, wɔde no akɔ baabi a ɔhene yerenom teɛ no. Ɛhɔ no, ɔhene piani foforɔ bi a wɔfrɛ no Saasgas na ɔbɛhwɛ no so. Na ɛhɔ na ɔbɛtena ne nkwa nna nyinaa a ɔrenkɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn bio, gye sɛ ɔhene no ani gyee ne ho yie ansa na wabɔ ne din afrɛ no.
15 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.
Na ɛduruu Ɛster a ɔyɛ Abihail ba no so no, wammisa hwee gye sɛ deɛ Hegai a ɔyɛ ɔhene piani a ɔhwɛ mmaa no so no tuu no fo wɔ ho no (Mordekai nua ne Abihail, na Mordekai nso ha ɔhwɛɛ Ɛster).
16 So she was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Ɛberɛ a wɔde Ɛster kɔmaa ɔhene Ahasweros wɔ ahemfie hɔ Tebet bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛpɔn) mu a na ɛyɛ nʼadedie mfeɛ nson so no,
17 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.
ɔhene no dɔɔ no senee mmaabunu a wɔaka no nyinaa. Nʼani gyee ne ho ara kɔsii sɛ, ɔhyɛɛ no ahenkyɛ, pagyaa no sɛ ɔhemmaa, sii Wasti ananmu.
18 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.
Ahemmaasie no mu, ɔtoo ɛpono maa ne mmapɔmma ne asomfoɔ nyinaa de hyɛɛ Ɛster animuonyam. Ɔmaa obiara akyɛdeɛ bebree, na ɔyɛɛ no afahyɛ wɔ amantam no nyinaa so.
19 And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king’s gate,
Mpo, ɛberɛ a wɔde mmabaawa no nyinaa kɔɔ mmaa atenaeɛ a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu no, na Mordekai nso abɛyɛ panin wɔ ahemfie hɔ no,
20 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.
Ɛster ankyerɛ baabi a ɔfiri ne abusua a ɔbɔ da. Ɔkɔɔ so dii Mordekai afotuo no so sɛdeɛ ɔyɛeɛ wɔ ɛberɛ a na ɔne no teɛ no.
21 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.
Ɛda koro bi a Mordekai wɔ adwuma mu wɔ ahemfie no, ɔhene no apiafoɔ baanu a wɔn din de Bigtan ne Teres a na wɔyɛ ɔhene no kɔkoamfie no ɛpono ano awɛmfoɔ no bo fuu ɔhene Ahasweros, na wɔpamm ne tiri so sɛ wɔbɛkum no.
22 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.
Mordekai tee atirisopam no, ɔbɔɔ ɔhemmaa Ɛster amaneɛ. Ɔno nso ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no, na ɔmaa Mordekai amo sɛ ɔbɛkaa asɛm no.
23 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.
Wɔkɔɔ asɛm no mu, hunuu sɛ asɛm a Mordekai bɛkaeɛ no yɛ nokorɛ no, wɔsɛnee mmarima baanu no wɔ dua so. Wɔtwerɛɛ yei nyinaa hyɛɛ ɔhene Ahasweros adedie abakɔsɛm nwoma mu.

< Esther 2 >