Ɛster 2
1 Ɔhene Ahasweros bo tɔɔ ne yam akyi yi no, ofii ase dwenee nea Wasti ayɛ ne mmara a wɔahyɛ no ho.
And after this the king's anger was pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said, and how he had condemned her.
2 Na nʼasomfo susuw ho kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma yenwurawura ahemman yi mu, na yɛmpɛ mmabun ahoɔfɛfo mfa wɔn mmrɛ ɔhene.
Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste [and] beautiful young virgins.
3 Ɔhene nyi ananmusifo bi wɔ ɔmantam biara mu, na wɔmfa mmea ahoɔfɛfo yi mmra ɔhene yerenom atenae wɔ Susa. Hegai a ɔyɛ piamni no na ɔbɛhwɛ wɔn so, ama wɔn ahosiesie nnuru.
And let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select fair [and] chaste young damsels [and bring them] to the city Susa, into the women's apartment, and let them be consigned to the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women; and let things for purification and other attendance be given [to them].
4 Ɛno akyi no, ababaa a ɔsɔ wʼani yiye no na wobesi no ɔhemmea, asi Wasti anan mu.” Saa afotu yi sɔɔ ɔhene no ani yiye, enti ɔyɛɛ saa ntɛm so.
And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Na Yudani bi a ɔyɛ Yair babarima a ne din de Mordekai te Susa aban no mu. Na ofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu. Na ɔyɛ Kis ne Simei aseni.
Now there was a Jew in the city Susa, and his name was Mardochaeus, the [son] of Jairus, [the son] of Semeias, [the son] of Cisaeus, of the tribe of Benjamin;
6 Ɔhene Nebukadnessar na otwaa nʼabusuafo ne Yudahene Yekonia ne afoforo bi asu fii Yerusalem kɔɔ Babilonia.
who had been brought a prisoner from Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried into captivity.
7 Na saa ɔbarima yi wɔ onua hoɔfɛfo bi a ne din de Hadasa a na wɔsan frɛ no Ɛster. Bere a nʼagya ne ne na wuwui no, Mordekai faa no kaa nʼabusua ho, tetew no sɛ nʼankasa babea.
And he had a foster child, daughter of Aminadab his father's brother, and her name [was] Esther; and when her parents were dead, he brought her up for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.
8 Ɔhene no mmara a ɔhyɛe no nti, wɔde Ɛster ne mmabaa bebree baa ɔhene yerenom atenae wɔ Susa aban no mu, de wɔn hyɛɛ Hegai nsa.
And because the king's ordinance was published, many damsels were gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai; and Esther was brought to Gai the keeper of the women.
9 Hegai ani gyee Ɛster ho yiye, maa ɔhwɛɛ no yiye. Ntɛm ara, ɔma wɔmaa no aduan sononko, na ɔmaa no ahosiesie nnuru kaa ho. Ɔsan de mfenaa baason a oyii wɔn fii ahemfi hɔ no maa no, na ɔde ɔno ne mfenaa no kɔtenaa nea ɛhɔ ye pa ara wɔ mmea atenae hɔ.
And the damsel pleased him, and she found favor in his sight; and he hasted to give her the things for purification, and her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the palace: and he treated her and her maidens well in the women's apartment.
10 Ɛster anka ne man a ofi mu ne nʼabusua a ɔbɔ ankyerɛ obiara, efisɛ na Mordekai abɔ nʼano sɛ ɔnnkyerɛ.
But Esther didn’t reveal her family nor her kindred: for Mardochaeus had charged her not to tell.
11 Da biara Mordekai kɔnantew fa ahemfi no adiwo hɔ, bisa Ɛster ase sɛ ne ho te dɛn.
But Mardochaeus used to walk every day by the women's court, to see what would become of Esther.
12 Ansa na wɔde ababaa biara bɛkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn no, wɔma ɔde ahoɔfɛ nnuru yɛ ne ho afe baako. Wɔde kurobow ngo yɛ ne ho asram asia na ɛno akyi no wɔde aduhuam ne nkum sononko bi ayɛ ne ho asram asia.
Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women's purifications.
13 Na sɛ edu bere a ɛsɛ sɛ ɔkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn a wɔma no kwan ma ɔfa atade anaa agude a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔde siesie ne ho, na ama nʼahoɔfɛ no adi mu.
And then [the damsel] goes in to the king; and [the officer] to whoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him from the women's apartment to the king's chamber.
14 Anwummere no, wɔde no kɔ ɔhene dabekyire, na ade kye a, wɔde no akɔ baabi a ɔhene yerenom te no. Ɛhɔ na ɔhene piamni foforo bi a wɔfrɛ no Saasgas na bɛhwɛ no so. Na ɛhɔ na ɔbɛtena a ɔrenkɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn gye sɛ ɔhene no ani gye ne ho ansa na wabɔ ne din afrɛ no.
She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women's apartment, where Gai the king's chamberlain [is] keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.
15 Na eduu Ɛster a ɔyɛ Abihail ba no so no, wammisa hwee gye sɛ nea Hegai a ɔyɛ ɔhene piamni a ɔhwɛ mmea no so no tuu no fo wɔ ho no (Mordekai nua ne Abihail, na Mordekai nso ha ɔhwɛɛ Ɛster).
And when the time. was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochaeus' father to go in to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women's keeper, commanded; for Esther found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.
16 Bere a wɔde Ɛster kɔmaa ɔhene Ahasweros wɔ ahemfi hɔ Tebet ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛpɔn) mu a na ɛyɛ nʼadedi mfe ason so no,
So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 ɔhene no dɔɔ no sen mmabun a wɔaka no nyinaa. Nʼani gyee ne ho ara kosii sɛ, ɔhyɛɛ no ahenkyɛw, pagyaw no sɛ ɔhemmea, sii Wasti anan mu.
And the king loved Esther, and she found favor beyond all the [other] virgins: and he put on her the queen's crown.
18 Ahemmeasi no mu no, ɔtoo pon maa ne mmapɔmma ne asomfo nyinaa de hyɛɛ Ɛster anuonyam. Ɔmaa obiara akyɛde bebree, na ɔyɛɛ no afoofida wɔ amantam no nyinaa so.
And the king made a banquet for all his friends and great men for seven days, and he highly celebrated the marriage of Esther; and he made a release to those who were under his dominion.
19 Mpo, bere a wɔde mmabaa no nyinaa kɔɔ mmea atenae a ɛto so abien no mu no, na Mordekai nso abɛyɛ ɔpanyin wɔ ahemfi hɔ no,
But Mardochaeus served in the palace.
20 Ɛster ankyerɛ baabi a ofi ne abusua a ɔbɔ da. Ɔkɔɔ so dii Mordekai afotu no so sɛnea ɔyɛe bere a na ɔne no te no.
Now Esther had not revealed her kindred; for so Mardochaeus commanded her, to fear God, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him: and Esther changed not her manner of life.
21 Da koro bi a Mordekai wɔ adwuma mu wɔ ahemfi no, ɔhene no piamfo baanu a wɔn din de Bigtan ne Teres a na wɔyɛ ɔhene no kokoamfi no pon ano awɛmfo no bo fuw ɔhene Ahasweros, na wɔpam ne ti so sɛ wobekum no.
And two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mardochaeus was promoted; and they sought to kill king Artaxerxes.
22 Mordekai tee pɔwbɔ no, ɔbɔɔ ɔhemmea Ɛster amanneɛ. Ɔno nso ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no, na ɔmaa Mordekai mo sɛ ɔbɛkaa asɛm no.
And the matter was revealed to Mardochaeus, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.
23 Wɔkɔɔ asɛm no mu, huu sɛ asɛm a Mordekai bɛkae no yɛ nokware no, wɔsɛn mmarima baanu no wɔ dua so. Wɔkyerɛw eyi nyinaa hyɛɛ ɔhene Ahasweros adedi abakɔsɛm nhoma mu.
And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of Mardochaeus, as a commendation.
