< Esther 2 >

1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
Men da der var gået nogen Tid, og Kong Ahasverus's Vrede havde lagt sig, kom han til at tænke på Vasjti, og hvad hun havde gjort, og hvad der var besluttet om hende.
2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
Da sagde Kongens Folk, der gik ham til Hånde: Man bør søge efter unge, smukke Jomfruer til Kongen;
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given [them: ]
og Kongen bør overdrage Folk i alle sit Riges Dele det Hverv at samle alle unge, smukke Jomfruer og sende dem til Fruerstuen i Borgen Susan og der lade dem stille under Opsyn af Kongens Hofmand Hegaj, som vogter Kvinderne; lad dem så gennemgå Skønhedsplejen,
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
og den unge Pige, Kongen synes om, skal være Dronning i Vasjtis Sted. Det Forslag var godt i Hongens Øjne, og han gjorde derefter.
5 [Now] in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name [was] Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
Nu var der i Borgen Susao en jødisk Mand ved Navn Mordokaj, en Søn af Ja'ir, en Søn af Sjim'i, en Søn af Kisj, en Benjaminit,
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
som var ført bort fra Jerusalem blandt de Fanger, Kong Nebukadnezar af Babel bortførte sammen med Kong Jekonja af Juda.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that [is], Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid [was] fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Han var Plejefader for Hadassa - det er Ester - hans Farbroders Datter; thi hun havde hverken Fader eller Moder. Den unge Pige havde en smuk Skikkelse og så godt ud; og efter hendes Forældres Død havde Mordokaj taget hende til sig i Datters Sted.
8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Da nu Kongens Befaling og Bud blev kendt, og mange unge Piger samledes i Borgen Susan, hvor de stilledes under Opsyn af Hegaj, blev også Ester bragt til Kongens Hus og stillet under Opsyn af Hegaj, som vogtede Kvinderne.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, [which were] meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best [place] of the house of the women.
Pigen tiltalte ham og vandt hans Yndest, og så hurtigt som muligt lod han Skønhedsplejen foretage på hende og gav hende den Kost, hun skulde have, og stillede tillige de syv dertil udsete Piger fra Kongens Hus til hendes Tjeneste; og han lod hende og Pigerne flytte til den bedste Del af Fruerstuen.
10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew [it].
Ester røbede imidlertid ikke sit Folk og sin Slægt, thi det havde Mordokaj forbudt hende.
11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
Og Mordokaj gik Dag efter Dag frem og tilbage foran Fruerstuens Gård for at få at vide, hvorledes Ester havde det, og hvorledes det gik hende.
12 Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women; )
Nu var det således, at når en af de unge Pigers Tid til at gå ind til Kong Ahasverus kom, efter at hun i tolv Måneder var behandlet efter Forskriften for Kvinderne sålang Tid tog nemlig Skønhedsplejen; seks Måneder blev de behandlet med Myrraolie og andre seks Måneder med vellugtende Stoffer og de andre Skønhedsmidler, som bruges af Kvinder
13 Then thus came [every] maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.
når så den unge Pige gik ind til Kongen, gav man hende alt, hvad hun bad om, med fra Fruerstuen til Kongens Hus.
14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
Hun gik da derind om Aftenen, og næste Morgen vendte hun tilbage og kom så ind i den anden Fruerstue og blev stillet under Opsyn af Sja'asjgaz, den kongelige Hofmand, som vogtede Medhustruerne; så kom hun ikke mere til Kongen, medmindre Kongen havde syntes særlig godt om hende og hun udtrykkelig blev kaldt til ham.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
Da nu Tiden kom til, at Ester, en Datter af Abihajil, der var Farbroder til Mordokaj, som havde taget hende til sig i Datters Sted, skulde gå ind til Kongen, krævede hun ikke andet, end hvad Hegaj, den kongelige Hofmand, som vogtede Kvinderne, rådede til. Og Ester vandt Yndest hos alle, som så hende.
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which [is] the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Så blev Ester hentet til Kong Ahasverus i hans kongelige Palads i den tiende Måned, det er Tebet Måned, i hans syvende Regeringsår.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Og Kongen fik Ester kærere end alle de andre Kvinder, og hun vandt hans Yndest og Gunst mere end alle de andre Jomfruer. Og han satte et kongeligt Diadem på hendes Hoved og gjorde hende til Dronning i Vasjtis Sted.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, [even] Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
Derpå gjorde Kongen et stort Gæstebud for alle sine Fyrster og Folk til Ære for Ester, og han eftergav Straf i sine Lande og uddelte Gaver, som det sømmede sig en Konge.
19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
Da Mordokaj engang sad i Kongens Port -
20 Esther had not [yet] shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
Ester havde, som Mordokaj havde pålagt hende, intet røbet om sin Slægt og sit Folk; thi Ester gjorde, hvad Mordokaj sagde, som hun havde gjort, da hun var i Pleje hos ham
21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
som Mordokaj ved den Tid engang sad i Kongens Port, blev Bigtan og Teresj, to kongelige Hofmænd, der hørte til Dørvogterne, vrede på Kong Ahasverus og søgte Lejlighed til at lægge Hånd på ham.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told [it] unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king [thereof] in Mordecai’s name.
Det fik Mordokaj at vide og meddelte Dronning Ester det; og Ester sagde det til Kongen fra Mordokaj.
23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Sagen blev undersøgt, og da den havde sin Rigtighed, blev de begge hængt i en Galge. Det blev optegnet i Krøniken i Kongens Påsyn.

< Esther 2 >