< 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.
Ɔhene Ahasweros bo tɔɔ ne yam akyi yi no, ofii ase dwenee nea Wasti ayɛ ne mmara a wɔahyɛ no ho.
2 Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
Na nʼasomfo susuw ho kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma yenwurawura ahemman yi mu, na yɛmpɛ mmabun ahoɔfɛfo mfa wɔn mmrɛ ɔhene.
3 Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
Ɔhene nyi ananmusifo bi wɔ ɔmantam biara mu, na wɔmfa mmea ahoɔfɛfo yi mmra ɔhene yerenom atenae wɔ Susa. Hegai a ɔyɛ piamni no na ɔbɛhwɛ wɔn so, ama wɔn ahosiesie nnuru.
4 and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
Ɛno akyi no, ababaa a ɔsɔ wʼani yiye no na wobesi no ɔhemmea, asi Wasti anan mu.” Saa afotu yi sɔɔ ɔhene no ani yiye, enti ɔyɛɛ saa ntɛm so.
5 There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
Na Yudani bi a ɔyɛ Yair babarima a ne din de Mordekai te Susa aban no mu. Na ofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu. Na ɔyɛ Kis ne Simei aseni.
6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
Ɔhene Nebukadnessar na otwaa nʼabusuafo ne Yudahene Yekonia ne afoforo bi asu fii Yerusalem kɔɔ Babilonia.
7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
Na saa ɔbarima yi wɔ onua hoɔfɛfo bi a ne din de Hadasa a na wɔsan frɛ no Ɛster. Bere a nʼagya ne ne na wuwui no, Mordekai faa no kaa nʼabusua ho, tetew no sɛ nʼankasa babea.
8 So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Ɔhene no mmara a ɔhyɛe no nti, wɔde Ɛster ne mmabaa bebree baa ɔhene yerenom atenae wɔ Susa aban no mu, de wɔn hyɛɛ Hegai nsa.
9 The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
Hegai ani gyee Ɛster ho yiye, maa ɔhwɛɛ no yiye. Ntɛm ara, ɔma wɔmaa no aduan sononko, na ɔmaa no ahosiesie nnuru kaa ho. Ɔsan de mfenaa baason a oyii wɔn fii ahemfi hɔ no maa no, na ɔde ɔno ne mfenaa no kɔtenaa nea ɛhɔ ye pa ara wɔ mmea atenae hɔ.
10 Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
Ɛster anka ne man a ofi mu ne nʼabusua a ɔbɔ ankyerɛ obiara, efisɛ na Mordekai abɔ nʼano sɛ ɔnnkyerɛ.
11 Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.
Da biara Mordekai kɔnantew fa ahemfi no adiwo hɔ, bisa Ɛster ase sɛ ne ho te dɛn.
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
Ansa na wɔde ababaa biara bɛkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn no, wɔma ɔde ahoɔfɛ nnuru yɛ ne ho afe baako. Wɔde kurobow ngo yɛ ne ho asram asia na ɛno akyi no wɔde aduhuam ne nkum sononko bi ayɛ ne ho asram asia.
13 The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.
Na sɛ edu bere a ɛsɛ sɛ ɔkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn a wɔma no kwan ma ɔfa atade anaa agude a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔde siesie ne ho, na ama nʼahoɔfɛ no adi mu.
14 In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.
Anwummere no, wɔde no kɔ ɔhene dabekyire, na ade kye a, wɔde no akɔ baabi a ɔhene yerenom te no. Ɛhɔ na ɔhene piamni foforo bi a wɔfrɛ no Saasgas na bɛhwɛ no so. Na ɛhɔ na ɔbɛtena a ɔrenkɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn gye sɛ ɔhene no ani gye ne ho ansa na wabɔ ne din afrɛ no.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favour in the sight of all those who looked at her.
Na eduu Ɛster a ɔyɛ Abihail ba no so no, wammisa hwee gye sɛ nea Hegai a ɔyɛ ɔhene piamni a ɔhwɛ mmea no so no tuu no fo wɔ ho no (Mordekai nua ne Abihail, na Mordekai nso ha ɔhwɛɛ Ɛster).
16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Bere a wɔde Ɛster kɔmaa ɔhene Ahasweros wɔ ahemfi hɔ Tebet ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛpɔn) mu a na ɛyɛ nʼadedi mfe ason so no,
17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favour and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
ɔhene no dɔɔ no sen mmabun a wɔaka no nyinaa. Nʼani gyee ne ho ara kosii sɛ, ɔhyɛɛ no ahenkyɛw, pagyaw no sɛ ɔhemmea, sii Wasti anan mu.
18 Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
Ahemmeasi no mu no, ɔtoo pon maa ne mmapɔmma ne asomfo nyinaa de hyɛɛ Ɛster anuonyam. Ɔmaa obiara akyɛde bebree, na ɔyɛɛ no afoofida wɔ amantam no nyinaa so.
19 When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
Mpo, bere a wɔde mmabaa no nyinaa kɔɔ mmea atenae a ɛto so abien no mu no, na Mordekai nso abɛyɛ ɔpanyin wɔ ahemfi hɔ no,
20 Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
Ɛster ankyerɛ baabi a ofi ne abusua a ɔbɔ da. Ɔkɔɔ so dii Mordekai afotu no so sɛnea ɔyɛe bere a na ɔne no te no.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
Da koro bi a Mordekai wɔ adwuma mu wɔ ahemfi no, ɔhene no piamfo baanu a wɔn din de Bigtan ne Teres a na wɔyɛ ɔhene no kokoamfi no pon ano awɛmfo no bo fuw ɔhene Ahasweros, na wɔpam ne ti so sɛ wobekum no.
22 This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
Mordekai tee pɔwbɔ no, ɔbɔɔ ɔhemmea Ɛster amanneɛ. Ɔno nso ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no, na ɔmaa Mordekai mo sɛ ɔbɛkaa asɛm no.
23 When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
Wɔkɔɔ asɛm no mu, huu sɛ asɛm a Mordekai bɛkae no yɛ nokware no, wɔsɛn mmarima baanu no wɔ dua so. Wɔkyerɛw eyi nyinaa hyɛɛ ɔhene Ahasweros adedi abakɔsɛm nhoma mu.

< Esther 2 >