< 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.
Pea hili ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, pea kuo ʻosi ʻae houhau ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo, naʻa ne manatuʻi ʻa Vasiti, mo ia naʻa ne fai, mo ia naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ke fai kiate ia.
2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
Pea pehē ai ʻe he kau tamaioʻeiki ʻae tuʻi ʻaia naʻe tauhi ia, “Tuku ke kumi he kau tāupoʻou hoihoifua maʻae tuʻi:
3 and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that young virgins unto Shushan the palace, they may gather together all the fair to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
Pea ke fakanofo ʻe he tuʻi ʻae kau matāpule ʻi he ngaahi potu kotoa pē ʻo hono puleʻanga, koeʻuhi ke nau tānaki ke fakataha kotoa pē ʻae kau tāupoʻou hoihoifua ki Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ki he fale ʻoe kau fefine, ki he tauhi ʻo Hekai, ko e tauhi fale ʻoe tuʻi, ʻaia ʻoku tauhi ʻae kau fefine: pea ke ʻatu kiate kinautolu ʻenau ngaahi meʻa fakamaʻa:
4 and let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.
Pea ʻilonga ʻae tāupoʻou ʻaia ʻe fiemālie ki ai ʻae tuʻi, tuku ia ke tuʻi fefine ko e fetongi ʻo Vasiti.” Pea naʻe fiemālie ʻae tuʻi ʻi he meʻa ko ia; pea naʻa ne fai ia.
5 There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
Pea naʻe ʻi Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ʻae Siu ʻe taha, ko Motekiai hono hingoa, ko e foha ʻo Saili, ko e foha ʻo Simi, ko e foha ʻo Kisi, ko e tangata Penisimani:
6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar he king of Babylon had carried away.
‌ʻAia naʻe fetuku mei Selūsalema, ʻi he fakapōpula ʻaia naʻe fetuku ki he mamaʻo mo Sekonia ko e tuʻi ʻo Siuta, ʻaia naʻe fetuku ʻe Nepukanesa ko e tuʻi ʻo Papilone ʻo ʻave ki he mamaʻo.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
Pea naʻa ne ohi ʻa Hatasa, ʻaia ko Eseta, ko e ʻofefine ʻo hono tuʻasina: he naʻe ʻikai haʻane tamai pe faʻē, pea naʻe matamatalelei mo hoihoifua ʻae tāupoʻou, ʻaia naʻe ohi ʻe Motekiai ʻi he pekia ʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē, ʻo ne ʻofefine ʻaki ia.
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 taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he ongoʻi ʻae fekau ʻae tuʻi mo ʻene tuʻutuʻuni, pea kuo fakakātoa ʻae kau taʻahine tokolahi ki Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ki he tauhi ʻo Hekai, naʻe ʻomi foki ʻa Eseta ki he fale ʻoe tuʻi, ki he tauhi ʻo Hekai, ko e tauhi ʻoe kau fefine.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.
Pea naʻe fiemālie ia ki he taʻahine, pea naʻa ne ʻofeina ia: pea naʻa ne ʻatu leva kiate ia ʻae ngaahi meʻa maʻa ʻene fakamaʻa ia, fakataha mo e ngaahi meʻa naʻe kau tonu kiate ia, mo e kau taʻahine ʻe toko fitu, ʻaia naʻe taau ke foaki kiate ia, mei he fale ʻoe tuʻi: pea naʻa ne tomuʻa fili ia mo ʻene kau taʻahine ki he potu lelei lahi ʻoe fale ʻoe kau fefine.
10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.
Naʻe teʻeki ai fakahā ʻe Eseta hono kakai pe ko hono kāinga: he naʻe fekau ia ʻe Motekiai ke ʻoua naʻa fakahā ia.
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.
Pea naʻe ʻeveʻeva ʻa Motekiai ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻi he mata fale ʻoe lotoʻā ʻoe fale ʻoe kau fefine, ke ʻilo pe ʻoku fēfē ʻa Eseta, pea ko e hā ʻe fai kiate ia.
12 Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women, twelve months, (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 the things for the purifying of the women, )
Pea ʻi he hoko ʻae lakanga ʻoe taʻahine kotoa pē ke hū ki loto ki he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo, hili ʻene nofo ʻi he māhina ʻe hongofulu ma ua, ʻo fakatatau ki he anga ʻae kau fefine, (he naʻe pehē pe hono fakaʻosi ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻo honau fakamaʻa, ʻio, ʻae māhina ʻe ono mo e lolo ko e mula, mo e māhina ʻe ono mo e ngaahi meʻa namu kakala, pea mo e ngaahi meʻa kehe ko e meʻa fakamaʻa ʻae kau fefine.)
13 then in this wise came the 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.
Pea naʻe haʻu pehē pe ʻae taʻahine kotoa pē ki he tuʻi: ʻilonga ʻaia kotoa pē naʻa ne fili ke taungaʻaki mei he fale ʻoe kau fefine, ke ʻalu ki he fale ʻoe tuʻi, naʻe foaki ia kiate ia.
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.
Naʻe hū ki ai ia ʻi he efiafi, pea pongipongi ai naʻe liu mai ia ki hono ua ʻoe fale ʻoe kau fefine, ki he tauhi ʻa Seasikasi, ko e tauhi fale ʻae tuʻi, ʻaia naʻe tauhi ʻae kau sinifu: naʻe ʻikai te ne toe haʻu ki he tuʻi, ʻo kapau naʻe ʻikai fiemālie ʻae tuʻi ʻiate ia, pea ne ui ia ʻi hono hingoa.
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.
Pea ʻi he hoko ʻae lakanga ʻo Eseta, ko e ʻofefine ʻo ʻApieli ko e tuʻasina ʻo Motekiai, ʻaia naʻa ne ohi ko hono ʻofefine, ke hū ia ki loto ki he tuʻi, naʻe ʻikai te ne fili ha meʻa ʻe taha ka ko e meʻa pe naʻe ʻatu kiate ia ʻe Hekai, ko e tauhi fale ʻae tuʻi, mo e haʻa tukauʻi ʻoe kau fefine. Pea naʻe ʻofeina ʻa Eseta ʻe he kakai kotoa pē naʻe mamata kiate ia.
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.
Ko ia, naʻe ʻave ʻa Eseta ki he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo ki hono fale fakatuʻi ʻi hono hongofulu ʻoe māhina, ʻaia ko e māhina ko Tipeti, ʻi hono fitu taʻu ʻo ʻene pule.
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.
Pea naʻe ʻofa lahi ʻae tuʻi kia Eseta ʻi he kau fefine kotoa pē, pea naʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae lelei mo e angaʻofa ʻi hono ʻao ʻo lahi hake ʻi he kau tāupoʻou kotoa pē; ko ia naʻa ne ʻai ai ʻae tatā fakatuʻi ki hono ʻulu, pea fakanofo ia ko e tuʻi fefine ko e fetongi ʻo Vasiti.
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 bounty of the king.
Pea naʻe fai ai ʻe he tuʻi ʻae kātoanga lahi ki heʻene ngaahi houʻeiki kotoa pē mo ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻio, ko e kātoanga ʻo Eseta: pea naʻa ne fai ʻae vetepōpula ʻi hono ngaahi puleʻanga, ʻo ne fai ʻae ngaahi foaki, ʻo taau mo e monūʻia ʻoe tuʻi.
19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
Pea ʻi he fakakātoa ʻae kau taʻahine ko hono liunga ua, naʻe toki nofo ai ʻa Motekiai ʻi he matapā ʻoe tuʻi.
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.
Pea naʻe teʻeki ai fakahā ʻe Eseta ʻa hono kāinga pe ko hono kakai: ʻo hangē ko e fekau pau ʻe Motekiai kiate ia: he naʻe fai ʻe Eseta ki he fekau ʻa Motekiai kiate ia, ʻo hangē ko ia naʻa ne fai ʻi heʻene kei tauhi ia.
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 hands on the king Ahasuerus.
ʻI he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, lolotonga ʻene nofo ʻa Motekiai ʻi he matapā ʻoe tuʻi, naʻe ʻita ʻae tauhi ʻe toko ua ʻae tuʻi, ko Pikitani mo Telesi, ʻiate kinautolu naʻe tauhi ʻae matapā, ʻo na kumi ke ala ki he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who shewed it unto Esther the queen; and Esther told the king [thereof] in Mordecai’s name.
Pea naʻe ʻilo ʻae meʻa ni ʻe Motekiai, ʻaia naʻe tala ia kia Eseta ko e tuʻi fefine, pea fakahā ia ʻe Eseta ki he tuʻi ʻi he hingoa ʻo Motekiai.
23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Pea ʻi he fai ʻae ʻeke ki he meʻa ni, naʻe ʻilo hono moʻoni: ko ia naʻe tautau ai ʻakinaua fakatouʻosi ki ha ʻakau: pea naʻe tohi ia ʻi he tohi fakamatala meʻa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi.

< Esther 2 >