Asteer 2
1 Ahashweroos Mootichi erga aariin isaa qabbanaaʼee booddee waan Waashtiin gootee fi labsii inni waaʼee ishee labse ni yaadate.
After a while, King Xerxes quit being so angry. He thought about Vashti, and he thought about the law he had made because of what she [had done, and he wanted another wife].
2 Kana irrattis tajaajiltoonni mootichaa akkana jedhanii yaada dhiʼeessan; “Dubarran babbareedoon mootichaaf haa barbaadaman.
So his personal servants said to him, “[Your majesty, ] you should send some men to search throughout the empire for some beautiful young women/virgins for you.
3 Akka isaan kutaalee biyyaa mootichaa hunda keessaa dubarran babbareedoo hunda gara Suusaa magaalaa guddoo iddoo dubartoonni jiraatanitti fidaniif mootichi itti gaafatamtoota haa muudu; isaanis Heegaayi xuʼaashii mootichaa itti gaafatamaa dubartoota sana jalatti haa ajajaman; dubarran sanaafis kunuunsi miidhaginaa haa godhamu.
[After they find some, ] you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep (your wives/the women you sleep with) here in Susa. Then Hegai, the man who is in charge of these women, can arrange for ointments to be put [on their bodies] to make them [more] beautiful.
4 Ergasiis durbi mooticha gammachiiftu iddoo Waashtiin buutee niitii mootii haa taatu.” Gorsi kunis mooticha ni gammachiise; innis akkuma jedhame sana godhe.
Then the woman who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
5 Yeroo sanatti gosa Beniyaam keessaa namichi Yihuudaa ilmi Yaaʼiir, ilmi Shimeʼii, ilmi Qiish kan Mordekaayi jedhamu tokko Suusaa magaalaa muummittii keessa jiraata ture;
At that time there was a Jew [living] in Susa, the capital, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair. Jair was a descendant of Shimei. Shimei was a descendant of [King Saul’s father] Kish. [They were all] from the tribe descended from Benjamin.
6 innis warra Yehooyaakiin mooticha Yihuudaa wajjin Yerusaalemii Nebukadnezar mooticha Baabiloniin boojiʼamanii fudhataman keessaa tokko ture.
[Many years before that, ] King Nebuchadnezzar had taken (Mordecai/Mordecai’s family) [and brought them from Jerusalem] to Babylon, at the same time he brought King Jehoiachin of Judah and many other people to Babylon.
7 Mordekaayis, durbii Hadasaa jedhamtu kan sababii isheen abbaa fi haadha hin qabneef ofitti fudhate tokko qaba ture. Durbi Asteer jedhamtee beekamtu kun dhaabaa fi bifaan jaallatamtuu turte; yeroo abbaa fi haati ishee duʼanitti Mordekaayi ofitti fudhatee akkuma intala ofii isaatti guddifate.
Mordecai had a cousin whose [Hebrew] name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and beautiful body/figure. Her [Persian] name was Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.
8 Yeroo ajajnii fi labsiin mootichaa dhagaʼametti dubarran hedduun gara Suusaa magaalaa gudditiitti fidamanii harka Hegeetti kennaman. Asteeris gara masaraa mootichaatti geeffamtee Heegaayi itti gaafatamaa dubartootaa sanatti imaanaa kennamte.
After the king commanded [that they search for some beautiful women], they brought Esther and many other young women to the king’s palace [in Susa], and (the king put Hegai/Hegai was put) in charge of them.
9 Durbi sunis isa gammachiiftee fuula isaa duratti fudhatama argatte. Innis yommusuma dibata miidhagina isheetiif taʼuu fi nyaata addaa kenneef. Dubartoota ishee tajaajilan kanneen masaraa mootichaa keessaa filataman torbas isheedhaaf ramade; ishee fi tajaajiltoota ishee sana gara mana dubartootaa kan mana hunda caalaa filatamaa taʼeetti geesse.
Hegai was very pleased with Esther, and he treated her well. He immediately arranged for her to be given ointments to make her [even more] beautiful, and [he ordered that] special food [would be given to her]. [He arranged that] seven maids from the king’s palace [would take care of her], and arranged that she/they would stay in the best rooms.
10 Waan Mordekaayi akka isheen hin himne ishee dhowweef Asteer saba isheetii fi maalummaa maatii ishee hin himne.
Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
11 Mordekaayis haala Asteer keessa jirtuu fi waan ishee irra gaʼe beekuudhaaf guyyuma guyyaadhaan fuula oobdii mana dubartootaa dura jiru sana irra deddeebiʼaa ture.
Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He asked [people who entered the courtyard] to find out [and tell him] what was happening to Esther.
12 Durbi tokko utuu dabareen isheen itti fuula Ahashweroos Mootichaa duratti dhiʼeeffamtu hin gaʼin dura akkuma seera dubartootaaf kaaʼame sanaatti kunuunsa miidhaginaa kan jiʼa kudha lamaa fixuu qabdi ture; isheenis jiʼa jaʼa zayitii qumbiitiin, jiʼa jaʼa immoo shittoo fi dibata garaa garaatiin miidhagfamuu qabdi ture.
Before these women were taken to the king, they put ointments on [the bodies of] these women for one year to make them more beautiful. For six months they [rubbed olive] oil mixed with myrrh [on their bodies each day]. For [the next] six months they rubbed ointments and perfumes on their bodies.
13 Haalli itti durbi tokko mooticha bira dhaqxu akkana ture: Wanni isheen mana dubartootaatii fudhattee gara masaraa mootichaa dhaquu feetu kam iyyuu ni kennamaaf ture.
Then, when one of these women [was summoned to] go to the king, she was allowed to wear whatever clothes and jewelry she chose.
14 Isheenis galgala achi dhaqxee ganama immoo gara kutaa mana dubartootaa kan harka Shaʼasgaazi xuʼaashii itti gaafatamaa saajjatoowwan sana jala jiru kaaniitti deebiti turte; yoo mootichi itti gammadee maqaadhaan waame malee isheen gara mootichaatti hin deebitu turte.
In the evening, they would take her [to the king’s own room]. The next morning, they would take her to another place where the women [who had slept with the king] stayed. There another official whose name was Shaashgaz was in charge [of those women]. [Those women would live there for the rest of their lives, and] one of those women would go back to the king again only if the king very much wanted her to come again, and only if he told Shaashgaz the name of the woman.
15 Yommuu dabareen Asteer intalli Abiihaayil obboleessa abbaa Mordekaayi kan Mordekaayi akkuma intala ofii isaatti guddifate sun itti mooticha bira dhaqxu gaʼetti isheen waan Heegaayi xuʼaashiin mootichaa inni itti gaafatamaa mana dubartootaa ture sun gorse malee waan tokko illee hin gaafanne. Asteeris fuula nama ishee argu hundaa duratti fudhatama argatte.
Everyone who saw Esther liked her. After King Xerxes had been ruling for seven years, it was Esther’s turn to go to him. When they took her to the king, it was during the middle part of the winter. She wore only the things that Hegai suggested.
16 Isheenis bara mootichaa keessa waggaa torbaffaa jiʼa kurnaffaa Teebeeti jedhamu keessa gara mana jireenyaa Ahashweroos Mootichaatti dhiʼeeffamte.
17 Mootichis dubartoota kaan hunda caalaa Asteerin jaallate; isheenis dubarran qulqulluu kaan hunda caalaa fuula isaa duratti surraa fi fudhatama argatte. Kanaafuu inni gonfoo mootummaa mataa ishee irra kaaʼeefii qooda Waashtiin ishee mootittii taasise.
The king liked Esther more than he liked any of the other women [that they brought to him]. He liked her so much that he put on her head the queen’s crown, and he declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.
18 Ergasiis mootichi ulfina Asteeriitiif jedhee qondaaltota isaatii fi tajaajiltoota isaatiif cidha guddaa qopheesse. Innis ayyaana kana guutummaa kutaalee biyyaa keessatti labse; akkuma arjooma mootiitti kennaas kenne.
To celebrate her [becoming the queen], he had a big banquet/feast prepared for all his administrators and [other] officials. He generously gave [expensive] gifts to everyone, and he declared that in all the provinces there would be a holiday, [a time when people did not have to pay taxes].
19 Yommuu dubarran qulqulloonni sun yeroo lammaffaa walitti qabamanitti Mordekaayi karra mootichaa dura taaʼaa ture.
Later all those women who had spent a night with the king were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai had become an official at the palace.
20 Asteer garuu akkuma Mordekaayi ishee gorse sanatti maalummaa maatii isheetii fi saba ishee hin himne; Asteer akkuma yeroo inni ishee guddise sanaatti ajaja Mordekaayi eegaa turteetii.
But Esther still did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do.
21 Yeroo Mordekaayi karra mootichaa dura taaʼaa turetti qondaaltonni mootichaa warri balbala eegaa turan lamaan jechuunis Bigtaanaa fi Tereshi aaranii Ahashweroos Mooticha ajeessuuf malatan.
One day when Mordecai was doing his work in the palace, two of the king’s officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who stood outside the king’s own rooms. They became angry [with the king], and they were planning how they could assassinate/kill him.
22 Mordekaayi garuu waaʼee mala kanaa beekee Asteer Mootittiitti hime; Asteer immoo maqaa Mordekaayiin waan kana mootichatti himte.
But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, and he told that to Queen Esther. Then she told the king what Mordecai had found out.
23 Yeroo wanni sun qoratamee dhugaa taʼee argametti qondaaltonni sun lamaanuu muka irratti fannifaman. Wanni kun hundinuu fuula mootichaa duratti kitaaba seenaa keessatti barreeffame.
The king investigated and found out that Mordecai’s report was true. So the king ordered that those two men be hanged. When that was done, (an official wrote a report/a report was written) about it in a book called ‘The book that records what happened while Xerxes was king’.
