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 pacified, 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 the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be 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.
Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics 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 who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” 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.
There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa 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 captives who 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.
He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her 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, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into 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.
The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
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 made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
11 Ɛda biara Mordekai kɔnante fa ahemfie no adihɔ hɔ, bisa Ɛster ase sɛ ne ho te sɛn.
Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would 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.
Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying 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.
The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to 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 next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was 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, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favour in the sight of all those who looked at 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 to King Ahasuerus into his royal house 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.
The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favour and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on 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 for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
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,
When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting 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 made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by 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 was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands 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.
This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king 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.
When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
