< 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.
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 young men of the king, who waited upon him, —Let them seek out for the king young virgins, of pleasing appearance;
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 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;
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, 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.
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 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;
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 exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, —whom, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, exiled.
‌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 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.
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 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;
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 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.
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 told of her people, nor of her kindred, —for, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, that she should not tell.
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, 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.
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 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,
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, 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:
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Now, when virgins were gathered together second time, then, Mordecai, was sitting in the gate of the king.
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 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.
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, 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;
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 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.
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 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.
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 >