Ester 2
1 Sedan detta skedt var, när Konungens Ahasveros vrede hade saktat sig, kom han Vasthi ihåg, hvad hon gjort hade, och hvad om henne beslutet var.
After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he thought about Vashti and what she had done. He also thought about the decree that he had made against her.
2 Då sade Konungens svenner, som honom tjente: Man söke Konungenom upp dägeliga unga jungfrur;
Then the king's young men who served him said, “Let a search be made on the king's behalf for beautiful young virgins.
3 Och Konungen beställe skådare i all land i sitt rike, att de låta komma tillhopa alla dägeliga unga jungfrur, intill den staden Susan i fruhuset, under Hegai hand, Konungens kamererares, hvilken qvinnorna vakta skulle, och få dem deras skrud;
Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, to gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in the fortress in Susa. Let them be put under the care of Hegai, the king's official, who is in charge of the women, and let him give them their cosmetics.
4 Och hvilken pigan Konungenom täckes, den blifve Drottning i Vasthis stad. Det behagade Konungenom, och han gjorde så.
Let the young girl who pleases the king become queen in the place of Vashti.” This advice pleased the king, and he did so.
5 Då var en Judisk man i Susans stad, han het Mardechai, Jairs son, Simei sons, Kis sons, Jemini sons;
There was a certain Jew in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, who was a Benjamite.
6 Den med bortförd var ifrå Jerusalem, då Jechonia, Juda Konung, bortförd var, hvilken NebucadNezar, Konungen i Babel, bortförde.
He had been taken away from Jerusalem with the exiles along with those taken with Jehoiachin, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia carried away.
7 Och han var förmyndare till Hadassa, denna är Esther, sins faderbroders dotter; förty hon hade hvarken fader eller moder, och hon var en fager och dägelig piga; och då hennes fader och moder blefvo döde, tog Mardechai henne för sin dotter.
He was caring for Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, because she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely in appearance. Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
8 Då Konungens bud och beslut vardt kunnigt, och många pigor voro tillhopahemtade till staden Susan, under Hegai hand, vardt Esther ock tagen uti Konungshuset, under Hegai hand, qvinnovaktarens.
When the king's order and decree were proclaimed, many young women were brought to the fortress of Susa. They were put under Hegai's care. Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put under the care of Hegai, the overseer of the women.
9 Och pigan täcktes honom, och hon fann barmhertighet för honom; och han skyndade sig med hennes skrud, att han skulle få henne hennes del, och sju dägeliga pigor utaf Konungshuset dertill; och han satte henne med hennes pigor uti bästa rummet i fruhuset.
The young girl pleased him, and she found favor with him. Immediately he provided her with cosmetics and her portion of food. He assigned to her seven servant girls from the king's palace, and he moved her and the servant girls to the best place in the house of the women.
10 Och Esther sade honom intet utaf sitt folk, eller sitt slägte; förty Mardechai hade budit henne, att hon skulle icke sägat.
Esther had not told anyone who her people or relatives were, for Mordecai had instructed her not to tell.
11 Och Mardechai spatserade hvar dag i gårdenom åt fruhuset, att han måtte förnimma, om väl ginge med Esther, och hvad med henne ske kunde.
Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard outside the house of the women, to learn about Esther's welfare, and about what would be done with her.
12 Då nu hvarjo pigones bestämda tid kom, att hon skulle komma till Konungen Ahasveros, sedan hon hade varit i tolf månader i fruprydning; förty deras prydelse måste så mycken tid hafva, nämliga sex månader med balsam och myrrham, och sex månader med godt speceri, så voro då qvinnorna tillprydda;
When the turn came for each girl to go to King Ahasuerus—complying with the regulations for the women, each girl had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh, and six with perfumes and cosmetics—
13 Och så gick då en piga in till Konungen; och hvilka hon ville, måste man få henne, som med henne gå skulle ifrå fruhuset till Konungshuset.
when a young woman went to the king, whatever she desired was given to her from the house of the women, for her to take to the palace.
14 Och när en om aftonen inkom, gick hon om morgonen ifrå honom in uti det andra fruhuset, under Saasgas hand, Konungens kamererares, frillovaktarens; och hon måste icke komma igen till Konungen, utan Konungenom täcktes, och han lät kalla henne vid namn.
In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's official, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again unless he had taken great pleasure in her and called for her again.
15 Då nu Esthers tid kom, Abihails dotters, Mardechai faderbroders, den henne för dotter tagit hade, att hon skulle komma till Konungen, begärade hon intet annat, än det Hegai, Konungens kamererare, qvinnovaktaren, sade henne före. Och Esther fann nåd för alla dem, som sågo uppå henne.
Now when the time came for Esther (daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter) to go in to the king, she did not ask for anything but what Hegai the king's official, who was in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther received the favor of all who saw her.
16 Men Esther vardt tagen till Konungen Ahasveros, uti Konungshuset, i tionde månadenom, den Thebeth kallas; i sjunde årena hans rikes.
Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into the royal residence on the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Och Konungen fick Esther kär öfver alla qvinnor, och hon fann nåd och barmhertighet för honom, för alla jungfrur; och han satte Drottningakrono uppå hennes hufvud, och gjorde henne till Drottning i Vasthis stad.
The king loved Esther more than all the other women and she received acceptance and favor before him, more than all the other virgins. So he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Och Konungen gjorde ett stort gästabåd, till alla sina Förstar och tjenare; det gästabådet var för Esthers skull; och lät landen hafva rolighet, och gaf ut Konungsliga skänker.
The king gave a great feast for all his officials and his servants, “Esther's feast,” and he granted relief from taxation to the provinces. He also gave gifts with royal generosity.
19 Och då man annan gång församlade jungfrur, satt Mardechai vid Konungens dörr.
Now when the virgins had been gathered together a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate.
20 Och Esther hade ännu icke sagt sitt slägte, eller folk, såsom Mardechai henne budit hade; ty Esther gjorde efter Mardechai ord, lika som då han hennes förmyndare var.
Esther had not yet told anyone about her relatives or her people, as Mordecai had instructed her. She continued to follow Mordecai's advice, as she had done when she was raised by him.
21 På samma tiden, då Mardechai vid Konungens dörr satt, vordo två Konungens kamererare vrede, Bigthan och Theres, som dörrena vaktade, och hade i sinnet, att de ville slå uppå Konungen Ahasveros.
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, two of the king's officials, Bigthana and Teresh, who guarded the doorway, became angry and sought to do harm to King Ahasuerus.
22 Det förnam Mardechai, och lät Drottningena Esther få veta det; och Esther sade det för Konungenom, på Mardechai vägnar.
When the matter was revealed to Mordecai, he told Queen Esther, and Esther spoke to the king in the name of Mordecai.
23 Och då man ransakade derefter, vardt det så funnet; och de vordo både hängde i trän; och det vardt beskrifvet i Chrönicon för Konungenom.
The report was investigated and confirmed, and both the men were hanged from a gallows. This account was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
