Eseza 2
1 Oluvannyuma, obusungu bwa Kabaka Akaswero bwe bwakkakkana, yasigala ng’alowooza ku Vasuti, kye yakola, n’ekyali kisaliddwawo.
Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2 Awo abaddu ba Kabaka ne baleeta ekirowoozo nti, “Banoonyeze Kabaka omuwala ku bawala abato abalungi nga mbeerera.
Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
3 Kabaka alonde ababaka mu buli kitundu mu bwakabaka bwe, bamuleetere abawala abato ababalagavu abalungi mu lubiri lwe e Susani bakuumibwe mu nnyumba y’abakyala. Era Kegayi omulaawe wa Kabaka avunaanyizibwe abawala abo, ng’abawa ne by’okulungiya byonna bye beetaaga.
and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
4 Awo omuwala anasiimibwa kabaka, ye anafuuka Nnabagereka mu kifo kya Vasuti.” Ekirowoozo ekyo kyasanyusa kabaka, era n’akissa mu nkola.
Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
5 Mu biro ebyo mu lubiri e Susani, waaliyo Omuyudaaya ow’omu kika kya Benyamini, erinnya lye Moluddekaayi, mutabani wa Yayiri, muzzukulu wa Simeeyi, muzzukulu wa Kiisi,
Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
6 eyawaambibwa Nebukadduneeza, Kabaka we Babulooni n’aleetebwa mu buwaŋŋanguse nga y’omu ku basibe abaasibibwa ne Yekoniya, eyali Kabaka wa Yuda, okuva e Yerusaalemi.
He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.
7 Moluddekaayi yalina omuwala omuto erinnya lye Kadasa, gwe yalinako oluganda, eyakulira mu mikono gye, kubanga yali mulekwa nga yafiirwa kitaawe ne nnyina. Erinnya ly’omuwala ono eddala nga ye Eseza, era yali ng’alabika bulungi nnyo.
And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.
8 Awo olwatuuka ekiragiro kya Kabaka bwe kyalangirirwa, abawala bangi, nga ne Eseza mwali ne baleetebwa mu lubiri e Susani ne bakwasibwa Kegayi eyali alabirira abakyala ba Kabaka.
When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
9 Eseza n’asiimibwa Kegayi, era n’amuwa ebintu eby’okulungiya, n’emmere ey’enjawulo. Era yamuwa n’abazaana musanvu abaalondebwa okuva mu lubiri lwa Kabaka, era n’amuteeka mu kifo ekisinga obulungi awakuumibwa abakyala.
And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
10 Eseza yali tamanyiddwa ggwanga lye, wadde ekika kye, kubanga Moluddekaayi yali amugaanye okulyogera.
Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.
11 Buli lunaku Moluddekaayi yalagangako mu luggya lw’ennyumba ya bakyala okumanya ebyafanga ku Eseza.
And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
12 Awo oluwalo lwa buli muwala bwe lwatuukanga okugenda eri Kabaka Akaswero, omuwala oyo yalinanga okuba ng’amaze emyezi kkumi n’ebiri egy’okufumbirirwa, ng’era mu bbanga eryo, emyezi omukaaga aba ng’akozesa amafuta ag’omugavu n’emyezi omukaaga omulala nga yeyambisa obuwoowo n’ebintu ebirala ebifumbirira.
In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
13 Bw’atyo omuwala n’alyokanga agenda eri Kabaka. Omuwala bwe yatuukanga okugenda ewa Kabaka yabanga wa ddembe okuweebwa kyonna ky’ayagala okuva mu nnyumba y’abakyala.
When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.
14 Yagendangayo kawungeezi, ate bwe bwakeeranga, n’addayo mu kifo ekirala era eky’abakyala ekyalabirirwanga Saasugazi, omulaawe wa Kabaka eyakuumanga abakyala ba Kabaka abalala. Era omuwala oyo teyaddanga wa Kabaka wabula ng’amusiimye, era ng’amutumizza.
She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.
15 Awo oluwalo lwa Eseza omuwala eyakuzibwa Moluddekaayi, ate nga muwala wa Abikayiri, eyalina oluganda ku Moluddekaayi, bwe lwatuuka okugenda eri Kabaka, Eseza talina birala bye yasaba okuggyako ebyo Kegayi, omulaawe wa Kabaka bye yamuwa. Era Eseza n’aganja mu maaso g’abo bonna abaamutunuulira.
Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
16 Yatwalibwa eri Kabaka Akaswero mu lubiri lwe mu mwezi ogw’ekkumi, gwe mwezi Tebesi, mu mwaka ogw’omusanvu ogw’okufuga kwe.
She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Kabaka n’ayagala nnyo Eseza okukira abakyala abalala bonna, era n’aganja mu maaso ge okusinga abawala embeerera bonna. N’amutikkira engule okuba Nnabagereka mu kifo kya Vasuti.
And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
18 Awo Kabaka n’akolera Eseza embaga ennene, n’ayita abakungu be wamu n’abaami be, era n’alangirira abantu okusonyiyibwa emisolo mu bitundu byonna, ate n’agaba n’ebirabo nga bwe yayagala.
Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
19 Olunaku olumu Moluddekaayi bwe yali ng’atudde ku wankaaki w’olubiri lwa Kabaka, abawala ne bakuŋŋaanira eri Kabaka omulundi ogwokubiri.
When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
20 Eseza yakuuma ekyama Moluddekaayi kye yali amukuutidde, eky’obutayogera ekika kye newaakubadde eggwanga lye.
Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
21 Awo mu biro ebyo Moluddekaayi ng’atudde ku wankaaki wa Kabaka, abalaawe ba Kabaka babiri, Bigusani ne Teresi, ku abo abaakuumanga omulyango, ne banyiigira Kabaka Akaswero, era ne bateesa okumutemula.
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
22 Naye Moluddekaayi n’agwa mu lukwe olwo, n’ategeezaako Eseza Nnabagereka, eyagenda n’abuulira Kabaka nga Moluddekaayi bwe yamutegeeza.
When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
23 Awo ekigambo ekyo bwe baakyekenneenya, ne kirabika nga kituufu, abasajja abo bombi ne bawanikibwa ku kalabba. Awo ebigambo bino byonna ne biwandiikibwa mu kitabo eky’ebyafaayo ebya buli lunaku mu maaso ga Kabaka.
After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
