< Ester 2 >

1 Passadas estas coisas, e apaziguado já o furor do rei Assuero, lembrou-se de Vasthi, e do que fizera, e do que se tinha decretado a seu respeito.
After these things, when the fury of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Então disseram os mancebos do rei, que lhe serviam: Busquem-se para o rei moças virgens, formosas á vista.
Then said the king's servants that attended upon him, Let there be maidens, virgins of beautiful countenance, sought for the king;
3 E ponha o rei commissarios em todas as provincias do seu reino, que ajuntem a todas as moças virgens, formosas á vista, na fortaleza de Susan, na casa das mulheres, debaixo da mão d'Hegai, eunucho do rei, guarda das mulheres, e dêem-se-lhes os seus enfeites.
and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the young virgins of beautiful countenance to Shushan the fortress, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given.
4 E a moça que parecer bem aos olhos do rei, reine em logar de Vasthi. E isto pareceu bem aos olhos do rei, e assim fez.
And let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Havia então um homem judeo na fortaleza de Susan, cujo nome era Mardoqueo, filho de Jair, filho de Simei, filho de Kis, homem benjamita,
There was in Shushan the fortress a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,
6 Que fôra transportado de Jerusalem, com os transportados que foram transportados com Jechonias, rei de Judah, o qual transportara Nabucodonosor, rei de Babylonia.
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.
7 Este criara a Hadassa (que é Esther, filha de seu tio), porque não tinha pae nem mãe: e era moça bella de parecer, e formosa á vista; e, morrendo seu pae e sua mãe, Mardoqueo a tomara por sua filha
And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had neither father nor mother — and the maiden was fair and beautiful — and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
8 Succedeu pois que, divulgando-se o mandado do rei e a sua lei, e ajuntando-se muitas moças na fortaleza de Susan, debaixo da mão d'Hegai, tambem levaram Esther á casa do rei, debaixo da mão d'Hegai, guarda das mulheres.
And it came to pass when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the fortress, unto the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was brought into the king's house, unto the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 E a moça pareceu formosa aos seus olhos, e alcançou graça perante elle; pelo que se apressurou com os seus enfeites, e em lhe dar os seus quinhões, como tambem em lhe dar sete moças de respeito da casa do rei: e a fez passar com as suas moças ao melhor logar da casa das mulheres.
And the maiden pleased him, and obtained favour before him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, and her portions, and the seven maidens selected to be given her, out of the king's house; and he removed her and her maids to the best [place] of the house of the women.
10 Esther porém não declarou o seu povo e a sua parentela; porque Mardoqueo lhe tinha ordenado que o não declarasse.
Esther had not made known her people nor her birth; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known.
11 E passeava Mardoqueo cada dia diante do pateo da casa das mulheres, para se informar de como Esther passava, e do que lhe succederia.
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 E, chegando já a vez de cada moça, para vir ao rei Assuero, depois que fôra feito a ella segundo a lei das mulheres, por doze mezes (porque assim se cumpriam os dias das suas purificações), seis mezes com oleo de myrrha, e seis mezes com especiarias, e com as coisas para a purificação das mulheres:
And when every maiden's turn came to go in to king Ahasuerus after that she had been treated for twelve months, according to the manner of the women (for so were the days of their purification accomplished — six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices, and with things for the purifying of the women,
13 D'esta maneira pois entrava a moça ao rei: tudo quanto ella dizia se lhe dava, para se ir com aquillo da casa das mulheres á casa do rei:
and thus came the maiden in unto the king), whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king's house.
14 Á tarde entrava, e pela manhã tornava á segunda casa das mulheres, debaixo da mão de Saasgaz, eunucho do rei, guarda das concubinas: não tornava mais ao rei, salvo se o rei a desejasse, e fosse chamada por nome
In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, unto the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she were called by name.
15 Chegando pois a vez d'Esther, filha d'Abihail, tio de Mardoqueo (que a tomara por sua filha), para ir ao rei, coisa nenhuma pediu, senão o que disse Hegai, eunucho do rei, guarda das mulheres: e alcançava Esther graça aos olhos de todos quantos a viam.
And 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 chamberlain, keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained grace in the sight of all them that saw her.
16 Assim foi levada Esther ao rei Assuero, á sua casa real, no decimo mez, que é o mez de tebeth, no setimo anno do seu reinado.
So Esther was taken to king Ahasuerus, into his royal house, in the tenth month, that is, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 E o rei amou a Esther mais do que a todas as mulheres, e alcançou perante elle graça e benevolencia mais do que todas as virgens: e poz a corôa real na sua cabeça, e a fez rainha em logar de Vasthi.
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins, and he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Então o rei fez um grande convite a todos os seus principes e aos seus servos, que era o convite d'Esther: e deu repouso ás provincias, e fez presentes segundo o estado do rei.
And the king made a great feast to all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave presents according to the king's bounty.
19 E ajuntando-se segunda vez as virgens, Mardoqueo estava assentado á porta do rei.
And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
20 Esther porém não declarava a sua parentela e o seu povo, como Mardoqueo lhe ordenara: porque Esther fazia o mandado de Mardoqueo, como quando a criara.
(Esther, as Mordecai had charged her, had not yet made known her birth nor her people; for Esther did what Mordecai told her, like as when she was brought up with him.)
21 N'aquelles dias, assentando-se Mardoqueo á porta do rei, dois eunuchos do rei, dos guardas da porta, Bigthan e Theres, grandemente se indignaram, e procuraram pôr as mãos no rei Assuero.
In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
22 E veiu isto ao conhecimento de Mardoqueo, e elle fez saber á rainha Esther, e Esther o disse ao rei, em nome de Mardoqueo.
And the thing became known to Mordecai, and he related it to Esther the queen, and Esther told it to the king in Mordecai's name.
23 E inquiriu-se o negocio, e se descobriu, e ambos foram enforcados n'uma forca: e foi escripto nas chronicas perante o rei.
And the matter was investigated and found out; and they were both hanged on a tree. And it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

< Ester 2 >