Ester 2
1 PASADAS estas cosas, sosegada ya la ira del rey Assuero, acordóse de Vasthi, y de lo que hizo, y de lo que fué sentenciado contra 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 residencia regia, en la casa de las mujeres, al cuidado de Hegai, 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 á los ojos del rey, reine en lugar de Vasthi. Y la cosa plugo en ojos del rey, é 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 residencia regia, cuyo nombre era Mardochêo, hijo de Jair, hijo de Simi, hijo de Cis, del linaje de Benjamín;
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 El cual había sido trasportado de Jerusalem con los cautivos que fueron llevados con Jechônías rey de Judá, á quien hizo trasportar 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 á Hadassa, que es Esther, hija de su tío, porque no tenía padre ni madre; y era moza de hermosa forma y de buen parecer; y como su padre y su madre murieron, Mardochêo la había tomado por hija suya.
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 Sucedió pues, que como se divulgó el mandamiento del rey y su acuerdo, y siendo reunidas muchas mozas en Susán residencia regia, á cargo de Hegai, fué tomada también Esther para casa del rey, al cuidado de Hegai, 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 la moza agradó en sus ojos, y halló gracia delante de él; por lo que hizo darle prestamente sus atavíos y sus raciones, dándole también siete convenientes doncellas de la casa del rey; y pasóla con sus doncellas á 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 Esther no declaró su pueblo ni su nacimiento; porque Mardochêo 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 Mardochêo se paseaba delante del patio de la casa de las mujeres, por saber cómo iba á Esther, 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 llegaba el tiempo de cada una de las mozas para venir al rey Assuero, al cabo de haber estado ya doce meses conforme á la ley acerca de las mujeres (porque así se cumplía el tiempo de sus atavíos, [esto es], 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 Entonces la moza venía así 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 á la tarde, y á la mañana se volvía á 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, y 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 llegado que fué el tiempo de Esther, hija de Abihail tío de Mardochêo, que él se había tomado por hija, para venir al rey, ninguna cosa procuró sino lo que dijo Hegai eunuco del rey, guarda de las mujeres: y ganaba Esther 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 Fué pues Esther llevada al rey Assuero á su casa real en el mes décimo, que es el mes de Tebeth, en el año séptimo de su reinado.
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 á Esther sobre todas las mujeres, y halló gracia y benevolencia delante de él más que todas las vírgenes; y puso la corona real en su cabeza, é hízola reina en lugar de Vasthi.
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 Hizo luego el rey gran banquete á todos sus príncipes y siervos, el banquete de Esther; y alivió á las provincias, é hizo y dió mercedes conforme á 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 se juntaban las vírgenes la segunda vez, Mardochêo estaba puesto á 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 Esther, según le tenía mandado Mardochêo, no había declarado su nación ni su pueblo; porque Esther hacía lo que decía Mardochêo, como cuando con él se educaba.
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 Mardochêo sentado á la puerta del rey, enojáronse Bigthán y Teres, dos eunucos del rey, de la guardia de la puerta, y procuraban poner mano en el rey Assuero.
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 Mas entendido que fué esto por Mardochêo, él lo denunció á la reina Esther, y Esther lo dijo al rey en nombre de Mardochêo.
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 Hízose entonces indagación de la cosa, y fué hallada cierta; por tanto, entrambos fueron colgados en una horca. Y escribióse [el caso] 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.
