< Ɛster 2 >

1 Ɔhene Ahasweros bo tɔɔ ne yam akyire no, ɔhyɛɛ aseɛ dwenee deɛ 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 nʼasomfoɔ susuu ho kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ma yɛnwurawura ahemman yi mu, na yɛmpɛ mmaabunu ahoɔfɛfoɔ mfa wɔn mmrɛ ɔhene.
Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 Ɔhene nyi ananmusifoɔ bi wɔ ɔmantam biara mu, na wɔmfa mmaa ahoɔfɛfoɔ yi mmra ɔhene yerenom atenaeɛ wɔ Susa. Hegai a ɔyɛ opiani no na ɔbɛhwɛ wɔn so, ama wɔn ahosiesie nnuro.
And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given [them: ]
4 Ɛno akyi no, ababaawa a ɔsɔ wʼani yie no na wɔbɛsi no ɔhemmaa, asi Wasti ananmu.” Saa afotuo yi sɔɔ ɔhene no ani yie, enti ɔyɛɛ saa ntɛm so.
And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. 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 ɔfiri Benyamin abusuakuo mu. Na ɔyɛ Kis ne Simei aseni.
[Now] in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name [was] Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Ɔhene Nebukadnessar na ɔtwaa nʼabusuafoɔ ne Yudahene Yekonia ne afoforɔ bi asuo firii Yerusalem kɔɔ Babilonia.
Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 Na saa ɔbarima yi wɔ onua hoɔfɛfoɔ bi a ne din de Hadasa a na wɔsane frɛ no Ɛster. Ɛberɛ a nʼagya ne ne maame wuwuiɛ no, Mordekai faa no kaa nʼabusua ho, tetee no sɛ nʼankasa babaa.
And he brought up Hadassah, that [is], Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid [was] fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8 Ɔhene no mmara a ɔhyɛeɛ no enti, wɔde Ɛster ne mmabaawa bebree baa ɔhene yerenom atenaeɛ wɔ Susa aban no mu, de wɔn hyɛɛ Hegai nsa.
So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 Hegai ani gyee Ɛster ho yie, ma ɔhwɛɛ no yie. Ntɛm ara, ɔma wɔmaa no aduane sononko, na ɔmaa no ahosiesie nnuro kaa ho. Ɔsane de mfenaa baason a ɔyii wɔn firii ahemfie hɔ maa no, na ɔde ɔno ne mfenaa no kɔtenaa deɛ ɛhɔ yɛ pa ara wɔ mmaa atenaeɛ hɔ.
And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, [which were] meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best [place] of the house of the women.
10 Ɛster anka ne ɔman a ɔfiri mu ne nʼabusua a ɔbɔ ankyerɛ obiara, ɛfiri sɛ na Mordekai abɔ nʼano sɛ ɔnnkyerɛ.
Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew [it].
11 Ɛda biara Mordekai kɔnante fa ahemfie no adihɔ hɔ, bisa Ɛster ase sɛ ne ho te sɛn.
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 Ansa na wɔde ababaawa biara bɛkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn no, wɔma ɔde ahoɔfɛ nnuro yɛ ne ho afe. Wɔde kurobo ngo yɛ ne ho abosome nsia na ɛno akyi, wɔde aduhwam ne nku sononko bi ayɛ ne ho abosome nsia.
Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women; )
13 Na sɛ ɛduru ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ ɔkɔ ɔhene nkyɛn a wɔma no kwan ma ɔfa atadeɛ anaa agudeɛ a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔde siesie ne ho, na ama nʼahoɔfɛ no adi mu.
Then thus came [every] maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.
14 Anwummerɛ no, wɔde no kɔ ɔhene dabekyire, na adeɛ kye a, wɔde no akɔ baabi a ɔhene yerenom teɛ no. Ɛhɔ no, ɔhene piani foforɔ bi a wɔfrɛ no Saasgas na ɔbɛhwɛ no so. Na ɛhɔ na ɔbɛtena ne nkwa nna nyinaa a ɔrenkɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn bio, gye sɛ ɔhene no ani gyee ne ho yie ansa na wabɔ ne din afrɛ no.
In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
15 Na ɛduruu Ɛster a ɔyɛ Abihail ba no so no, wammisa hwee gye sɛ deɛ Hegai a ɔyɛ ɔhene piani a ɔhwɛ mmaa no so no tuu no fo wɔ ho no (Mordekai nua ne Abihail, na Mordekai nso ha ɔhwɛɛ Ɛster).
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
16 Ɛberɛ a wɔde Ɛster kɔmaa ɔhene Ahasweros wɔ ahemfie hɔ Tebet bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛpɔn) mu a na ɛyɛ nʼadedie mfeɛ nson so no,
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which [is] the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 ɔhene no dɔɔ no senee mmaabunu a wɔaka no nyinaa. Nʼani gyee ne ho ara kɔsii sɛ, ɔhyɛɛ no ahenkyɛ, pagyaa no sɛ ɔhemmaa, sii Wasti ananmu.
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Ahemmaasie no mu, ɔtoo ɛpono maa ne mmapɔmma ne asomfoɔ nyinaa de hyɛɛ Ɛster animuonyam. Ɔmaa obiara akyɛdeɛ bebree, na ɔyɛɛ no afahyɛ wɔ amantam no nyinaa so.
Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, [even] Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
19 Mpo, ɛberɛ a wɔde mmabaawa no nyinaa kɔɔ mmaa atenaeɛ a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu no, na Mordekai nso abɛyɛ panin wɔ ahemfie hɔ no,
And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
20 Ɛster ankyerɛ baabi a ɔfiri ne abusua a ɔbɔ da. Ɔkɔɔ so dii Mordekai afotuo no so sɛdeɛ ɔyɛeɛ wɔ ɛberɛ a na ɔne no teɛ no.
Esther had not [yet] shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
21 Ɛda koro bi a Mordekai wɔ adwuma mu wɔ ahemfie no, ɔhene no apiafoɔ baanu a wɔn din de Bigtan ne Teres a na wɔyɛ ɔhene no kɔkoamfie no ɛpono ano awɛmfoɔ no bo fuu ɔhene Ahasweros, na wɔpamm ne tiri so sɛ wɔbɛkum no.
In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
22 Mordekai tee atirisopam no, ɔbɔɔ ɔhemmaa Ɛster amaneɛ. Ɔno nso ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no, na ɔmaa Mordekai amo sɛ ɔbɛkaa asɛm no.
And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told [it] unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king [thereof] in Mordecai’s name.
23 Wɔkɔɔ asɛm no mu, hunuu sɛ asɛm a Mordekai bɛkaeɛ no yɛ nokorɛ no, wɔsɛnee mmarima baanu no wɔ dua so. Wɔtwerɛɛ yei nyinaa hyɛɛ ɔhene Ahasweros adedie abakɔsɛm nwoma mu.
And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

< Ɛster 2 >