Ester 2
1 Pasadas estas cosas, reposada ya la ira del rey Asuero, acordóse de Vasti, y de lo que hizo, y de lo que fue sentenciado sobre ella.
After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:
2 Y dijeron los criados del rey, sus oficiales: Busquen al rey mozas vírgenes de buen parecer.
And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
3 Y ponga el rey personas en todas las provincias de su reino, que junten todas las mozas vírgenes de buen parecer en Susán la cabecera del reino, en la casa de las mujeres, en poder de Egeo eunuco del rey, guarda de las mujeres, dándoles sus atavíos.
And let some persons be sent through all the provinces to look for beautiful maidens and virgins: and let them bring them to the city of Susan, and put them into the house of the women under the hand of Egeus the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women: and let them receive women’s ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
4 Y la moza que agradare a los ojos del rey, reine en lugar de Vasti. Y la cosa plugo en ojos del rey, e hízolo así.
And whosoever among them all shall please the king’s eyes, let her be queen instead of Vasthi. The word pleased the king: and he commanded it should be done as they had suggested.
5 Había un varón Judío en Susán la cabecera del reino, cuyo nombre era Mardoqueo, hijo de Jair, hijo de Semeí, hijo de Cis, del linaje de Jemini,
There was a man in the city of Susan, a Jew, named Mardochai, the son of Jair, the son of Semei, the son of Cis, of the race of Jemini,
6 Que había sido traspasado de Jerusalem con los cautivos que fueron traspasados con Jeconías rey de Judá, que hizo traspasar Nabucodonosor rey de Babilonia.
Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,
7 Y había criado a Edisa, que es Ester, hija de su tio, porque no tenía padre ni madre, y era moza hermosa de forma y de buen parecer: y como su padre y su madre murieron, Mardoqueo se la había tomado por hija.
And he had brought up his brother’s daughter Edissa, who by another name was called Esther: now she had lost both her parents: and was exceeding fair and beautiful. And her father and mother being dead, Mardochai adopted her for his daughter.
8 Y fue, que como se divulgó el mandamiento del rey y su ley, y siendo juntadas muchas mozas en Susán la cabecera del reino en poder de Egeo, fue tomada Ester para casa del rey, al cargo de Egeo guarda de las mujeres.
And when the king’s ordinance was noised abroad, and according to his commandment many beautiful virgins were brought to Susan, and were delivered to Egeus the eunuch: Esther also among the rest of the maidens was delivered to him to be kept in the number of the women.
9 Y aquella moza agradó en sus ojos, y hubo gracia delante de él, e hizo apresurar sus atavíos, y sus raciones para darle; y siete mozas convenientes de la casa del rey para darle: y pasóla con sus mozas a lo mejor de la casa de las mujeres.
And she pleased him, and found favour in his sight. And he commanded the eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver to her her part, and seven of the most beautiful maidens of the king’s house, and to adorn and deck out both her and her waiting maids.
10 Ester no declaró su pueblo, ni su nacimiento, porque Mardoqueo le había mandado, que no lo declarase.
And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:
11 Y cada día Mardoqueo se paseaba delante del patio de la casa de las mujeres, por saber cómo iba a Ester, y qué se hacía de ella.
And he walked every day before the court of the house, in which the chosen virgins were kept, having a care for Esther’s welfare, and desiring to know what would befall her.
12 Y como venía el tiempo de cada una de las mozas para venir al rey Asuero, al cabo que tenía ya doce meses según la ley de las mujeres, porque así se cumplía el tiempo de sus atavíos, seis meses con óleo de mirra, y seis meses con cosas aromáticas y afeites de mujeres;
Now when every virgin’s turn came to go in to the king, after all had been done for setting them off to advantage, it was the twelfth month: so that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for other six months they used certain perfumes and sweet spices.
13 Y con esto la moza venía al rey: todo lo que ella decía, se le daba, para venir con ello de la casa de las mujeres hasta la casa del rey.
And when they were going in to the king, whatsoever they asked to adorn themselves they received: and being decked out, as it pleased them, they passed from the chamber of the women to the king’s chamber.
14 Ella venía a la tarde, y a la mañana se volvía a la casa segunda de las mujeres al cargo de Saasgaz eunuco del rey, guarda de las concubinas: no venía más al rey, salvo si el rey la quería: entonces era llamada por nombre.
And she that went in at evening, came out in the morning, and from thence she was conducted to the second house, that was under the hand of Susagaz the eunuch, who had the charge over the king’s concubines: neither could she return any more to the king, unless the king desired it, and had ordered her by name to come.
15 Y como se llegó el tiempo de Ester, hija de Abihail, tio de Mardoqueo, que él se había tomado por hija, para venir al rey, ninguna cosa procuró, sino lo que dijo Egeo eunuco del rey, guarda de las mujeres: y ganaba Ester la gracia de todos los que la veían.
And as the time came orderly about, the day was at hand, when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardochai, whom he had adopted for his daughter, was to go in to the king. But she sought not women’s ornaments, but whatsoever Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins had a mind, he gave her to adorn her. For she was exceeding fair, and her incredible beauty made her appear agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all.
16 Y fue Ester llevada al rey Asuero a su casa real en el mes décimo, que es el mes de Tebet, en el año séptimo de su reino.
So she was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Y el rey amó a Ester sobre todas las mujeres, y tuvo gracia y misericordia delante de él más que todas las vírgenes: y puso la corona del reino en su cabeza, e hízola reina en lugar de Vasti.
And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.
18 E hizo el rey gran banquete a todos sus príncipes y siervos, el banquete de Ester: e hizo relajación a las provincias; e hizo y dio mercedes conforme a la facultad real.
And he commanded a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the princes, and for his servants, for the marriage and wedding of Esther. And he gave rest to all the provinces, and bestowed gifts according to princely magnificence.
19 Y cuando eran juntadas las vírgenes la segunda vez, Mardoqueo estaba asentado a la puerta del rey.
And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king’s gate,
20 Y Ester nunca declaró su nación ni su pueblo, como Mardoqueo le mandó: porque Ester hacía lo que decía Mardoqueo, como cuando estaba en crianza con él.
Neither had Esther as yet declared her country and people, according to his commandment. For whatsoever he commanded, Esther observed: and she did all things in the same manner as she was wont at that time when he brought her up a little one.
21 En aquellos días, estando Mardoqueo asentado a la puerta del rey, enojáronse Bagatán y Tares, dos eunucos del rey, de la guarda de la puerta, y procuraban poner mano en el rey Asuero.
At that time, therefore, when Mardochai abode at the king’s gate, Bagathan and Thares, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were porters, and presided in the first entry of the palace, were angry: and they designed to rise up against the king, and to kill him.
22 Y la cosa fue entendida de Mardoqueo, y él lo denunció a la reina Ester, y Ester lo dijo al rey en nombre de Mardoqueo.
And Mardochai had notice of it, and immediately he told it to queen Esther: and she to the king in Mardochai’s name, who had reported the thing unto her.
23 Y fue inquirida la cosa, y fue hallada; y ambos ellos fueron colgados en la horca: y fue escrito en el libro de las cosas de los tiempos delante del rey.
It was inquired into, and found out: and they were both hanged on a gibbet. And it was put in the histories, and recorded in the chronicles before the king.
