< Esther 2 >

1 After these things, at the ceasing of the fury of King Ahasuerus, he has remembered Vashti, and that which she did, and that which has been decreed concerning her;
これらの事の後アハシユエロス王忿怒とけてワシテおよび彼が爲たる所またその彼にむかひて議定めしところの事を憶ひおこせり
2 and servants of the king, his ministers, say, “Let them seek for the king young women, virgins, of good appearance,
ここに王の前に事ふる僕等いひけるは請ふ美しき少き處女等を王のために尋もとめん
3 and the king appoints inspectors in all provinces of his kingdom, and they gather every young woman—virgin, of good appearance—to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and to give their purifications,
願はくは王御國の各州において官吏を擇び之をして美はしき處女をことごとくシユシヤンの城に集めしめ婦人を管理る王の侍從ヘガイの手にわたして婦人の局に入らしめ而して潔淨の物をこれに與へたまへ
4 and the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king reigns instead of Vashti”; and the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and he does so.
斯して王の御意に適ふ女子を取りワシテに代りて后とならしめたまへと王この事を善として然なしぬ
5 A man, a Jew, there has been in Shushan the palace, and his name [is] Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite—
茲にシユシヤンの城に一人のユダヤ人ありその名をモルデカイと曰ひキシの曾孫シメイの孫ヤイルの子にしてベニヤミン人なり
6 who had been removed from Jerusalem with the expulsion that was removed with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed—
かれはバビロンの王ネブカデネザルが擄へゆきしユダのヱコニヤとともに擄はれ往る俘囚の中にありてヱサレムより移されたる者なり
7 and he is supporting Hadassah—she [is] Esther—daughter of his uncle, for she has neither father nor mother, and the young woman [is] of beautiful form, and of good appearance, and at the death of her father and her mother Mordecai has taken her to himself for a daughter.
かれその叔父の女ハダツサすなはちエステルを養ひ育てたり 是は父も母もなかりければなり この女子顔貌勝れてうるはしかりしがその父母の死たる後モルデカイこれを取ておのれの女となせるなり
8 And it comes to pass, in the word of the king, even his law, being heard, and in many young women being gathered to Shushan the palace, to the hand of Hegai, that Esther is taken to the house of the king, to the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women,
王の命令と詔言の聞え傳はり衆多の女子シユシヤンの城にあつめられてヘガイの手にわたされし時エステルも亦王の家に携へられてゆき婦人を管理るヘガイの手に交されしが
9 and the young woman is good in his eyes, and she receives kindness before him, and he hurries her purifications and her portions—to give to her, and the seven young women who are provided—to give to her, from the house of the king, and he changes her and her young women to a good [place in] the house of the women.
この女子ヘガイの意にかなひて之が惠を受たり即はちヘガイすみやかに之に潔淨の物およびその分を與へまた王の家の中より七人の侍女を擧てこれに附そはしめ彼とその侍女等を婦人の局の中なる最も佳き處に移しぬ
10 Esther has not declared her people, and her family, for Mordecai has laid a charge on her that she does not declare [it];
エステルはおのれの民をもおのれの宗族をも顯はさざりき其はモルデカイこれを顯はすなかれと彼に言ふくめたればなり
11 and during every day Mordecai is walking up and down before the court of the house of the women to know the welfare of Esther, and what is done with her.
またモルデカイはエステルの模樣およびその如何になれるかを知んため日々に婦人の局の庭の前をあゆめり
12 And in the drawing near of the turn of each young woman to come in to King Ahasuerus, at the end of there being to her—according to the law of the women—twelve months, for so they fulfill the days of their purifications; six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with the purifications of women,
女子はおのおの婦人の則にしたがひて十二ヶ月を經しかる後順番にいりてアハシユエロス王にいたる是その潔淨の日を終るはかくのごとくなるが故なり 即ち沒薬の油を用ふること六ヶ月また各種の薫物および婦人の潔淨ごとにあつる物等を用ふること六ヶ月
13 and with this the young woman has come in to the king, all that she says is given to her to go in with her out of the house of the women to the house of the king;
女子の王にいたるは是のごとしその婦人の局より出て王の家にゆく時には凡てその望む物をことごとく與へらる
14 in the evening she has gone in, and in the morning she has turned back to the second house of the women, to the hand of Shaashgaz eunuch of the king, keeper of the concubines; she does not come in anymore to the king except the king has delighted in her, and she has been called by name.
而して夕に往き朝におよびて婦人の第二の局に還り妃嬪をつかさどる王の侍從シヤシガスの手に屬す王これを喜こびて名をさして召すにあらざれば重ねて王にいたることなし
15 And in the drawing near of the turn of Esther—daughter of Abihail, uncle of Mordecai, whom he had taken to himself for a daughter—to come in to the king, she has not sought a thing except that which Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, says, and Esther is receiving grace in the eyes of all seeing her.
ここにモルデカイの叔父アビハイルの女すなはちモルデカイが取ておのれの女となしたるエステル入て王にいたるべき順番にあたりけるが彼は婦人をつかさどる王の侍從ヘガイが言きかせたる事の外には何をももとめざりき エステルは凡て彼を見る者によろこばれたり
16 And Esther is taken to King Ahasuerus, to his royal house, in the tenth month—it [is] the month of Tebeth—in the seventh year of his reign,
かくエステルは王の家に召いれられてアハシユエロス王にいたれり是その治世の第七年十月即ちテベテの月なり
17 and the king loves Esther above all the women, and she receives grace and kindness before him above all the virgins, and he sets a royal crown on her head, and causes her to reign instead of Vashti,
王一切の婦人に超てエステルを愛しければエステルはすべての處女にまさりて王の前に恩寵と厚情を得たり 王つひに后の冕をかれの首に戴かせ彼をしてワシテにかはりて后とならしむ
18 and the king makes a great banquet to all his heads and his servants—the banquet of Esther—and has made a release to the provinces, and gives gifts as a memorial of the king.
ここにおいて王おほいなる酒宴を設けてそのもろもろの牧伯と臣僕を饗す これをエステルの酒宴と稱ふまた諸州に租税をゆるし王の富有にかなひて物を賜ふ
19 And in the virgins being gathered a second time, then Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king;
再度處女の集められし時モルデカイは王の門に坐しをりぬ
20 Esther is not declaring her family and her people, as Mordecai has laid a charge on her, and the saying of Mordecai Esther is doing as when she was truly with him.
エステルはモルデカイがかれに言ふくめたる如くして未だおのれの宗族をもおのれの民をも顯はさざりき エステルはモルデカイの言語にしたがふことその彼に養なひ育てられし時と異ならざりき
21 In those days, when Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king, has Bigthan been angry, and Teresh (two of the eunuchs of the king, the keepers of the threshold), and they seek to put forth a hand on King Ahasuerus,
當時モルデカイ王の門に坐し居ける時王の侍從にて戸を守る者の中ビグタンおよびテレシの二人怨むる事ありてアハシユエロス王を弑せんともとめたりしが
22 and the thing is known to Mordecai, and he declares [it] to Esther the queen, and Esther speaks to the king in the name of Mordecai,
その事モルデカイに知れければモルデカイこれを后エステルに告げエステルまたモルデカイの名をもてこれを王に告げたり
23 and the thing is sought out, and found, and both of them are hanged on a tree, and it is written in the scroll of the Chronicles before the king.
ここにおいて此事をしらべさせしにその然ること顯はれければ彼ら二人は木にかけられその事は王の前なる日誌の書にかきしるさる

< Esther 2 >