< 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.
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 Then said the young men of the king, who waited upon him, —Let them seek out for the king young virgins, of pleasing 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 let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather together every young virgin of pleasing appearance unto Shusan the palace, unto the house of the women, into the custody of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and let there be given the things needed for their purification;
願はくは王御國の各州において官吏を択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浄の物をこれに與へたまへ
4 and, the maiden that is pleasing in the eyes of the king, let her be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king, and he did 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 certain Jew, there was, in Shusan the palace, —whose, name, was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a man of Benjamin;
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日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 exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, —whom, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, exiled.
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 it came to pass, that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same, was Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, —and, the maiden, was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own 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 So it came to pass, when the king’s command and decree was heard, and there had been gathered together many maidens unto Shusan the palace, unto the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the house of the king, unto the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women;
王の命令と詔言の聞え伝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に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 maiden was pleasing in his eyes, and she received lovingkindness before him, and he hastened to give her, the things needed for her purification, and things apportioned her, and to give her, seven select maidens, out of the house of the king, —and he removed her and her maidens to the best place in the house of the women.
この女子ヘガイの意にかなひて之が恵を受たり即はちヘガイすみやかに之に潔浄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挙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 had not told of her people, nor of her kindred, —for, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, that she should not tell.
エステルはおのれの民をもおのれの宗族をも顧はさざりき其はモルデカイこれを顕はすなかれと彼に言ふくめたればなり
11 And, throughout every day, Mordecai, used to walk to and fro, before the court of the house of the women, —to get to know the welfare of Esther, and what would be done with her.
またモルデカイはエステルの模様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 Now, when the turn of each maiden came, to go in unto King Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her according to the law of the women for twelve months, for, so, were filled the days of their purification, —six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with things for the purification of the women,
女子はおのおの婦人の則にしたがひて十二ケ月を経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浄の日を終るはかくのごとくなるが故なり 既ち没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浄ごとにあつる物等を用ふること六ヶ月
13 then, indeed, the maiden came in unto the king, —whatsoever she might mention, was given her, to go with her, out of the house of the women up 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 went in, and, in the morning, she returned—unto the second house of the women, unto the custody of Shaashgaz the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines, —she went not in again unto the king, except the king delighted in her, and she were 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属す王これを喜こびて名をさして召すにあらざれぼ重ねて王にいたることなし
15 But, when the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai—who had taken her as his own daughter—to go in unto the king, she requested nothing, save what Hegai the king’s eunuch who kept the women might direct, —but so it was, that Esther obtained favour in the eyes of all who beheld 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 So then Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, into his royal house, in the tenth month, the same, was the month 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 loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favour and lovingkindness before him, above all the virgins, —so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen, 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 Then the king made a great banquet, for all his rulers and his servants, the banquet of Esther, —and, a remission, for all the provinces, made he, and gave a present, according to the bounty of a 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 Now, when virgins were gathered together second time, then, Mordecai, was 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 had not told of her kindred, nor her people, as, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, —and, the command of Mordecai, Esther performed, like as when she was being brought up 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顕はさざりき エステタ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, was sitting in the gate of the king, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the eunuchs of the king who guarded the threshold, were wroth, and sought to thrust a hand upon King Ahasuerus;
常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 but the thing became known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen, —and Esther told it unto 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, when the thing was searched into and found [true], then were they two hanged upon the gallows, and it was written, in the book 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顕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 >