Esther 2
1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he thought about Vashti and what she had done. He also thought about the decree that he had made against her.
Poslije tih događaja, kako mu se utiša gnjev, kralj Ahasver sjeti se Vaštije, onoga što je ona učinila i što je bilo odlučeno protiv nje.
2 Then the king's young men who served him said, “Let a search be made on the king's behalf for beautiful young virgins.
Rekoše tada momci što služahu kralja: "Neka se potraže za kralja mlade djevojke, djevice lijepa izgleda.
3 Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, to gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in the fortress in Susa. Let them be put under the care of Hegai, the king's official, who is in charge of the women, and let him give them their cosmetics.
Kralj neka odredi u svim pokrajinama svojega kraljevstva povjerenike da mu sakupe sve djevice pristala izgleda u tvrđavi grada Suze, u haremu, pod upravom Hegeja, kraljeva eunuha, čuvara žena. On će se pobrinuti za njihovu njegu.
4 Let the young girl who pleases the king become queen in the place of Vashti.” This advice pleased the king, and he did so.
Ona djevojka koja se najviše svidi očima kraljevim neka kraljuje umjesto Vaštije." Bijaše to po volji kralju, i on tako uradi.
5 There was a certain Jew in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, who was a Benjamite.
U tvrđavi grada Suze bio je neki Židov koji se zvao Mordokaj, sin Jaira, sina Šimeja, sina Kišova, iz plemena Benjaminova.
6 He had been taken away from Jerusalem with the exiles along with those taken with Jehoiachin, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia carried away.
On je bio protjeran iz Jeruzalema među prognanicima koje je babilonski kralj Nabukodonozor odveo zajedno s judejskim kraljem Jekonijom.
7 He was caring for Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, because she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely in appearance. Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
On je odgajao Hadasu, to jest Esteru, kćerku strica svoga, jer ona ne imađaše ni oca ni majke. Djevojka je bila pristala i lijepa izgleda. Poslije smrti njezina oca i njezine majke Mordokaj je uze k sebi kao kćerku.
8 When the king's order and decree were proclaimed, many young women were brought to the fortress of Susa. They were put under Hegai's care. Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put under the care of Hegai, the overseer of the women.
Kako se začu za kraljevu riječ i njegovu naredbu, mnogo se djevojaka sabra u tvrđavi grada Suze pod Hegejevim nadzorom. Tako dovedoše i Esteru u kraljevu palaču, pod nadzor Hegeja, čuvara žena.
9 The young girl pleased him, and she found favor with him. Immediately he provided her with cosmetics and her portion of food. He assigned to her seven servant girls from the king's palace, and he moved her and the servant girls to the best place in the house of the women.
Djevojka se svidje njegovim očima, steče ona njegovu naklonost i on se pobrinu za njezino uljepšavanje i uzdržavanje. Uz to joj dade sedam najvrednijih ropkinja kraljevskog dvora i premjesti je, skupa s djevojkama, u najudobnije prostorije harema.
10 Esther had not told anyone who her people or relatives were, for Mordecai had instructed her not to tell.
Estera ne spomenu ni naroda ni obitelji kojoj je pripadala, jer joj Mordokaj bijaše zabranio da to učini.
11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard outside the house of the women, to learn about Esther's welfare, and about what would be done with her.
Svakoga je dana Mordokaj šetao pred dvorištem harema da bi doznao kako se Estera osjeća i kako se prema njoj odnose.
12 When the turn came for each girl to go to King Ahasuerus—complying with the regulations for the women, each girl had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh, and six with perfumes and cosmetics—
Svaka je djevojka morala ući kralju kad je na nju, prema uredbi za žene, došao red, to jest nakon dvanaest mjeseci. Jer tada se završavalo razdoblje njihova uljepšavanja: šest mjeseci uljem iz mirne, a šest mjeseci balzamom i ostalim pomastima za žensku njegu.
13 when a young woman went to the king, whatever she desired was given to her from the house of the women, for her to take to the palace.
Pa kad bi djevojka ulazila kralju, bilo joj je dopušteno da sa sobom iz harema u kraljevsku palaču ponese sve što bi zatražila.
14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's official, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again unless he had taken great pleasure in her and called for her again.
Ona bi ulazila uvečer, a ujutro bi se vraćala u drugi harem, pod nadzorom Šaašgaza, kraljeva eunuha, čuvara priležnica. Više se ne bi vraćala kralju, osim ako bi je posebno zaželio i dozvao je k sebi poimence.
15 Now when the time came for Esther (daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter) to go in to the king, she did not ask for anything but what Hegai the king's official, who was in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther received the favor of all who saw her.
Kada dođe red na Esteru, kćerku Abihajla, koji je bio stric Mordokaja koji ju je bio pokćerio, da uđe kralju, ona ne zatraži ništa osim onoga što joj bijaše rekao Hegej, kraljev eunuh, čuvar žena. Ipak je pobuđivala udivljenje svih koji su je gledali.
16 Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into the royal residence on the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esteru, dakle, uvedoše kralju Ahasveru, u njegovu kraljevsku palaču, u desetom mjesecu, mjesecu Tebetu, sedme godine njegova vladanja.
17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women and she received acceptance and favor before him, more than all the other virgins. So he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Kralj zavolje Esteru više od svih drugih žena; više nego sve ostale djevice ona mu omilje i predobi ona njegovu naklonost. I položi on na njezinu glavu kraljevsku krunu, pa mjesto Vaštije ona posta kraljicom.
18 The king gave a great feast for all his officials and his servants, “Esther's feast,” and he granted relief from taxation to the provinces. He also gave gifts with royal generosity.
Nakon toga priredi kralj u čast Estere veliku gozbu za svoje knezove i službenike; svim pokrajinama odredi odmor i razda darove kraljevski darežljivo.
19 Now when the virgins had been gathered together a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate.
Kad su drugi put djevojke bile sakupljene, Mordokaj sjeđaše na vratima kraljevim.
20 Esther had not yet told anyone about her relatives or her people, as Mordecai had instructed her. She continued to follow Mordecai's advice, as she had done when she was raised by him.
Estera ne oda ni naroda ni obitelji iz koje je potjecala, kao što joj Mordokaj bijaše naredio. Estera se i dalje držala svih Mordokajevih uputa kao kad se nalazila pod njegovim skrbništvom.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, two of the king's officials, Bigthana and Teresh, who guarded the doorway, became angry and sought to do harm to King Ahasuerus.
U ono vrijeme kad je Mordokaj sjedio na vratima kraljevim, Bigtan i Tereš, dva kraljeva dvoranina, čuvari praga, planuše gnjevom i počeše snovati da podignu ruku na kralja Ahasvera.
22 When the matter was revealed to Mordecai, he told Queen Esther, and Esther spoke to the king in the name of Mordecai.
Za tu njihovu namjeru sazna Mordokaj. On je dojavi kraljici Esteri, a Estera je u Mordokajevo ime saopći kralju.
23 The report was investigated and confirmed, and both the men were hanged from a gallows. This account was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
Sve se izvidje i otkri se zavjera, pa obojica budu obješena o stup. To se pred kraljem zapisa u knjizi Ljetopisa.
