< Ɛster 2 >

1 Ɔhene Ahasweros bo tɔɔ ne yam akyi yi no, ofii ase dwenee nea Wasti ayɛ ne mmara a wɔahyɛ no ho.
After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Na nʼasomfo susuw ho kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma yenwurawura ahemman yi mu, na yɛmpɛ mmabun ahoɔfɛfo mfa wɔn mmrɛ ɔhene.
Then said the young men of the king, who waited upon him, —Let them seek out for the king young virgins, of pleasing appearance;
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 officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather together every young virgin of pleasing appearance unto Shusan the palace, unto the house of the women, into the custody of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and let there be given the things needed for their purification;
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, the maiden that is pleasing in the eyes of the king, let her be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing seemed good in the eyes of 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.
A certain Jew, there was, in Shusan the palace, —whose, name, was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a man of Benjamin;
6 Ɔhene Nebukadnessar na otwaa nʼabusuafo ne Yudahene Yekonia ne afoforo bi asu fii Yerusalem kɔɔ Babilonia.
who had been exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, —whom, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, exiled.
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 it came to pass, that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same, was Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, —and, the maiden, was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
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.
So it came to pass, when the king’s command and decree was heard, and there had been gathered together many maidens unto Shusan the palace, unto the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the house of the king, unto the custody of Hegai, 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 maiden was pleasing in his eyes, and she received lovingkindness before him, and he hastened to give her, the things needed for her purification, and things apportioned her, and to give her, seven select maidens, out of the house of the king, —and he removed her and her maidens to the best place in the house of the women.
10 Ɛster anka ne man a ofi mu ne nʼabusua a ɔbɔ ankyerɛ obiara, efisɛ na Mordekai abɔ nʼano sɛ ɔnnkyerɛ.
Esther had not told of her people, nor of her kindred, —for, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, that she should not tell.
11 Da biara Mordekai kɔnantew fa ahemfi no adiwo hɔ, bisa Ɛster ase sɛ ne ho te dɛn.
And, throughout every day, Mordecai, used to walk to and fro, before the court of the house of the women, —to get to know the welfare of Esther, and what would be done with her.
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, when the turn of each maiden came, to go in unto King Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her according to the law of the women for twelve months, for, so, were filled the days of their purification, —six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with things for the purification of the women,
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.
then, indeed, the maiden came in unto the king, —whatsoever she might mention, was given her, to go with her, out of the house of the women up to the house of the king:
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.
in the evening, she went in, and, in the morning, she returned—unto the second house of the women, unto the custody of Shaashgaz the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines, —she went not in again unto the king, except the king delighted in her, and she were 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).
But, when the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai—who had taken her as his own daughter—to go in unto the king, she requested nothing, save what Hegai the king’s eunuch who kept the women might direct, —but so it was, that Esther obtained favour in the eyes of all who beheld 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 then Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, into his royal house, in the tenth month, the same, was the month Tebeth, —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 above all the women, and she obtained favour and lovingkindness before him, above all the virgins, —so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen, instead of Vashti.
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.
Then the king made a great banquet, for all his rulers and his servants, the banquet of Esther, —and, a remission, for all the provinces, made he, and gave a present, according to the bounty of a king.
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,
Now, when virgins were gathered together second time, then, Mordecai, was sitting in the gate of the king.
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.
Esther had not told of her kindred, nor her people, as, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, —and, the command of Mordecai, Esther performed, like as when she was being brought up with him.
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.
In those days, when, Mordecai, was sitting in the gate of the king, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the eunuchs of the king who guarded the threshold, were wroth, and sought to thrust a hand upon King Ahasuerus;
22 Mordekai tee pɔwbɔ no, ɔbɔɔ ɔhemmea Ɛster amanneɛ. Ɔno nso ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no, na ɔmaa Mordekai mo sɛ ɔbɛkaa asɛm no.
but the thing became known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen, —and Esther told it unto the king, in the name of Mordecai.
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, when the thing was searched into and found [true], then were they two hanged upon the gallows, and it was written, in the book of the chronicles, before the king.

< Ɛster 2 >