Ɛster 5
1 Nnansa akyi, Ɛster hyɛɛ nʼahemmaa atadeɛ kɔɔ ahemfie no adihɔ hɔ a ɛbɛn ɔhene no asa. Na ɔhene no te nʼahennwa so a nʼani kyerɛ abɔntene kwan ano.
Now on the third day, Esther put on her royal clothing and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, next to the king’s house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house.
2 Ɛberɛ a ɔhunuu Ɔhemmaa Ɛster sɛ ɔgyina adihɔ hɔ no, ɔgyee no fɛ so. Ɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ahempoma no kyerɛɛ ne so. Enti, Ɛster bɛneeɛ, kɔsɔɔ poma no ti.
When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favour in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Na ɔhene no bisaa no sɛ, “Ɔhemmaa Ɛster, ɛdeɛn na wohwehwɛ? Wʼabisadeɛ ne sɛn? Sɛ ɛyɛ ahemman no fa koraa a, mede bɛma wo!”
Then the king asked her, “What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.”
4 Na Ɛster buaa sɛ, “Sɛ ɛyɛ wo pɛ a, Ɔhene kɛseɛ, wo ne Haman mmra apontoɔ a masiesie ama wo ɛnnɛ no.”
Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
5 Ɔhene no danee ne ho, ka kyerɛɛ nʼasomfoɔ sɛ, “Monka nkyerɛ Haman sɛ, ɔmmra apontoɔ no ase seesei ara, sɛdeɛ Ɛster abisa no.” Enti, ɔhene ne Haman kɔɔ Ɛster apontoɔ no.
Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that it may be done as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 Na ɛberɛ a wɔgu so renom nsã no, ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Ɛster sɛ, “Afei, ka deɛ wohwehwɛ pa ara no kyerɛ me. Wʼadesrɛdeɛ yɛ ɛdeɛn? Sɛ wobisa mʼahemman mu fa koraa a, mede bɛma wo.”
The king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
7 Ɛster buaa sɛ, “Mʼadesrɛdeɛ a mʼakoma da ho pa ara nie:
Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this.
8 Sɛ ɔhene kɛseɛ ani sɔ me, na ɔpɛ sɛ ɔyɛ mʼadesrɛdeɛ ma me a, anka ɔkyena wo ne Haman mmra apontoɔ a mɛto wo no ase. Na ɔkyena, mɛkyerɛ wo yei nyinaa ase.”
If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.”
9 Haman firii apontoɔ no ase no, na nʼani agye mmorosoɔ! Nanso, ɔhunuu Mordekai a ɔte ɛpono no ano a wansɔre na ne ho ampopo wɔ nʼanim no, ne bo fuiɛ.
Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he didn’t stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10 Nanso, Haman hyɛɛ ne ho so kɔɔ efie. Afei, ɔboaboaa ne nnamfonom a ne yere Seres ka ho ano,
Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
11 de ahonya ne mma dodoɔ a ɔwɔ hoahoaa ne ho wɔ wɔn anim. Ɔde abasobɔdeɛ ahodoɔ a ɔhene ama no nso ne sɛdeɛ wɔasi no panin wɔ mpanimfoɔ nkaeɛ no so no nso, tuu ne ho.
Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Afei, Haman ka kaa ho sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ ɛno nko! Ɔhemmaa Ɛster too nsa frɛɛ me ne ɔhene no ankasa kɔɔ nʼapontoɔ ase. Na wato nsa afrɛ me sɛ, ɔpɛ sɛ me ne no ne ɔhene no didi bio ɔkyena.”
Haman also said, “Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king.
13 Afei, ɔtoaa so sɛ, “Nanso, sɛ mehunu Yudani Mordekai sɛ ɔda so te ahemfie ɛpono ano a, yeinom nyinaa nka hwee.”
Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 Enti, Haman yere Seres ne ne nnamfonom no maa adwene sɛ, “Yɛ dua a wɔsɛn nnipa wɔ so a ne ɔsorokɔ yɛ anammɔn aduɔson enum na anɔpa ka kyerɛ ɔhene no sɛ, ɔnsɛn Mordekai wɔ so. Sɛ wɔyɛ no saa a, wode anigyeɛ ne ɔhene no bɛkɔ apontoɔ no.” Saa adwenkyerɛ yi sɔɔ Haman ani yie, maa ɔhyɛɛ sɛ wɔnsi dua a wɔsɛn nnipa wɔ so no.
Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
