Esther 2
1 Lẹ́yìn nǹkan wọ̀nyí, Ahaswerusi ọba sì dáwọ́ ìbínú un rẹ̀ dúró, ó rántí i Faṣti àti ohun tí ó ti ṣe àti àṣẹ tí ó pa nípa tirẹ̀.
After a while, King Xerxes quit being so angry. He thought about Vashti, and he thought about the law he had made because of what she [had done, and he wanted another wife].
2 Nígbà náà ni ìránṣẹ́ ọba tí ó wà ní ọ̀dọ̀ ọ rẹ̀ wí pé, “Jẹ́ kí a wá ọmọbìnrin arẹwà tí kò ì ti mọ ọkùnrin rí fún ọba.
So his personal servants said to him, “[Your majesty, ] you should send some men to search throughout the empire for some beautiful young women/virgins for you.
3 Àti pé kí ọba kí ó yan àwọn aláṣẹ ní gbogbo agbègbè ilẹ̀ ọba láti kó gbogbo àwọn arẹwà ọmọbìnrin wọ̀nyí jọ sí ilé àwọn obìnrin ní ilé ìṣọ́ Susa. Kí a kó wọn fún ìtọ́jú Hegai, ìwẹ̀fà ọba, ẹni tí ó ṣe olùtọ́jú àwọn obìnrin; kí a ṣe ìtọ́jú u wọn dáradára.
[After they find some, ] you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep (your wives/the women you sleep with) here in Susa. Then Hegai, the man who is in charge of these women, can arrange for ointments to be put [on their bodies] to make them [more] beautiful.
4 Nígbà náà kí ọmọbìnrin tí ó bá tẹ́ ọba lọ́rùn kí ó jẹ́ ayaba dípò Faṣti.” Ìmọ̀ràn yìí tẹ́ ọba lọ́rùn, ó sì tẹ̀lé e.
Then the woman who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
5 Ó sì ṣe ní ìgbà náà ará a Júù kan wà ní ilé ìṣọ́ ti Susa, ẹni tí orúkọ rẹ̀ ń jẹ́ Mordekai ọmọ Jairi, ọmọ Ṣimei, ọmọ Kiṣi, ẹ̀yà Benjamini,
At that time there was a Jew [living] in Susa, the capital, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair. Jair was a descendant of Shimei. Shimei was a descendant of [King Saul’s father] Kish. [They were all] from the tribe descended from Benjamin.
6 ẹni tí Nebukadnessari ọba Babeli ti gbé lọ sí ìgbèkùn láti Jerusalẹmu, lára àwọn tí wọ́n kó ní ìgbèkùn pẹ̀lú ọba Jekoniah ọba Juda.
[Many years before that, ] King Nebuchadnezzar had taken (Mordecai/Mordecai’s family) [and brought them from Jerusalem] to Babylon, at the same time he brought King Jehoiachin of Judah and many other people to Babylon.
7 Mordekai ní arákùnrin kan ẹni tí orúkọ rẹ̀ ń jẹ́ Hadassa, ẹni tí ó tọ́ dàgbà nítorí tí kò ní baba bẹ́ẹ̀ sì ni kò ní ìyá. Obìnrin yìí, ẹni tí a tún mọ̀ sí Esteri, ó dára ó sì lẹ́wà, Mordekai mú u gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọmọ rẹ̀ nígbà tí baba àti ìyá rẹ̀ ti kú.
Mordecai had a cousin whose [Hebrew] name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and beautiful body/figure. Her [Persian] name was Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.
8 Nígbà tí a ti kéde òfin àti àṣẹ ọba, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ àwọn ọmọbìnrin ni a kó wá sí ilé ti ìṣọ́ Susa, sí abẹ́ ìtọ́jú Hegai. A sì mú Esteri náà wá sí ààfin ọba pẹ̀lú, a fà á lé Hegai lọ́wọ́, ẹni tí ó jẹ́ alábojútó ilé àwọn obìnrin.
After the king commanded [that they search for some beautiful women], they brought Esther and many other young women to the king’s palace [in Susa], and (the king put Hegai/Hegai was put) in charge of them.
9 Ọmọbìnrin náà sì wù ú, ó sì rí ojúrere rẹ̀, lẹ́sẹ̀kẹsẹ̀ ó pèsè àwọn ohun tí ó dára àti oúnjẹ pàtàkì fún un. Ó sì yan àwọn ìránṣẹ́bìnrin wúńdíá méje láti ààfin ọba òun àti àwọn ìránṣẹ́bìnrin náà lọ sí ibi tí ó dára jù nínú ilé àwọn obìnrin.
Hegai was very pleased with Esther, and he treated her well. He immediately arranged for her to be given ointments to make her [even more] beautiful, and [he ordered that] special food [would be given to her]. [He arranged that] seven maids from the king’s palace [would take care of her], and arranged that she/they would stay in the best rooms.
10 Esteri kò tí ì sọ nípa àwọn ènìyàn àti ìdílé e rẹ̀, nítorí Mordekai ti pàṣẹ fún un pé kí ó má ṣe sọ ọ́.
Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
11 Ní ojoojúmọ́ ni Mordekai máa ń rìn ní iwájú ilé àwọn obìnrin láti wo bí Esteri ṣe wà ní àlàáfíà àti ohun tí ó ṣẹlẹ̀ sí i.
Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He asked [people who entered the courtyard] to find out [and tell him] what was happening to Esther.
12 Kí àkókò tó tó fún obìnrin kọ̀ọ̀kan láti lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ ọba Ahaswerusi, ó ní láti lo ohun èlò tí ń mú ara lẹ́wà tí a yàn fún àwọn obìnrin fún oṣù méjìlá, yóò lo òróró òjìá fún oṣù mẹ́fà, yóò sì lo ohun èlò olóòórùn dídùn tùràrí àti ìpara fún oṣù mẹ́fà pẹ̀lú.
Before these women were taken to the king, they put ointments on [the bodies of] these women for one year to make them more beautiful. For six months they [rubbed olive] oil mixed with myrrh [on their bodies each day]. For [the next] six months they rubbed ointments and perfumes on their bodies.
13 Báyìí ni yóò ṣe lọ síwájú ọba: ohunkóhun tí ó bá béèrè ni wọ́n fi fún un láti inú ilé àwọn obìnrin lọ sí ààfin ọba.
Then, when one of these women [was summoned to] go to the king, she was allowed to wear whatever clothes and jewelry she chose.
14 Ní alẹ́ ni yóò lọ síbẹ̀, tí ó bá sì di òwúrọ̀ yóò padà sí ilé kejì nínú ilé àwọn obìnrin ní abẹ́ ìtọ́jú Ṣaaṣigasi ìwẹ̀fà ọba ẹni tí ó máa ń ṣe ìtọ́jú àwọn àlè. Òun kò ní lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ ọba mọ́ àyàfi tí inú ọba bá dùn sí i, tí ó sì ránṣẹ́ pé ó ní orúkọ obìnrin.
In the evening, they would take her [to the king’s own room]. The next morning, they would take her to another place where the women [who had slept with the king] stayed. There another official whose name was Shaashgaz was in charge [of those women]. [Those women would live there for the rest of their lives, and] one of those women would go back to the king again only if the king very much wanted her to come again, and only if he told Shaashgaz the name of the woman.
15 Nígbà tí ó kan Esteri (ọmọbìnrin tí Mordekai gbà ṣe ọmọ, ọmọbìnrin arákùnrin rẹ̀ tí ó ń jẹ́ Abihaili) láti lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ ọba, wọn kò béèrè fún ohunkóhun ju èyí tí Hegai, ìwẹ̀fà ọba ẹni tí ó jẹ́ olùtọ́jú ilé àwọn obìnrin sọ pé kí ó ṣe lọ. Esteri sì rí ojúrere lọ́dọ̀ gbogbo àwọn tí ó rí i.
Everyone who saw Esther liked her. After King Xerxes had been ruling for seven years, it was Esther’s turn to go to him. When they took her to the king, it was during the middle part of the winter. She wore only the things that Hegai suggested.
16 A mú Esteri lọ síwájú ọba Ahaswerusi ní ibùgbé ọba ní oṣù kẹwàá, tí ó jẹ́ oṣù Tebeti, ní ọdún keje ìjọba rẹ̀.
17 Esteri sì wu ọba ju àwọn obìnrin tókù lọ, Ó sì rí ojúrere àti oore-ọ̀fẹ́ gbà ju ti àwọn wúńdíá tókù lọ. Nítorí náà ó fi adé ọba dé e ní orí ó sì fi ṣe ayaba dípò Faṣti.
The king liked Esther more than he liked any of the other women [that they brought to him]. He liked her so much that he put on her head the queen’s crown, and he declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.
18 Ọba sì ṣe àsè ńlá, àsè Esteri, fún gbogbo àwọn ọlọ́lá àti àwọn ìjòyè e rẹ̀. Ó sì kéde ìsinmi jákèjádò ìgbèríko ó sì pín ẹ̀bùn fún wọn pẹ̀lú bí ọba ṣe lawọ́ tó.
To celebrate her [becoming the queen], he had a big banquet/feast prepared for all his administrators and [other] officials. He generously gave [expensive] gifts to everyone, and he declared that in all the provinces there would be a holiday, [a time when people did not have to pay taxes].
19 Nígbà tí àwọn wúńdíá tún péjọ ní ìgbà kejì, Mordekai jókòó sí ẹnu-ọ̀nà ọba.
Later all those women who had spent a night with the king were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai had become an official at the palace.
20 Ṣùgbọ́n Esteri pa àṣírí ìdílé e rẹ̀ àti ibi tí ó ti wá mọ́ gẹ́gẹ́ bí Mordekai ṣe sọ fún un pé kí ó ṣe, nítorí tí ó ń tẹ̀lé àṣẹ tí Mordekai fún un gẹ́gẹ́ bí ó ṣe máa ń ṣe nígbà tí ó wà ní ọ̀dọ̀ Mordekai.
But Esther still did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do.
21 Ní àsìkò tí Mordekai jókòó sí ẹnu-ọ̀nà ọba, Bigitana àti Tereṣi, àwọn ìjòyè ọba méjì tí wọ́n máa ń ṣọ́ ẹnu-ọ̀nà, wọ́n bínú, wọ́n sì ń wá ọ̀nà láti pa ọba Ahaswerusi.
One day when Mordecai was doing his work in the palace, two of the king’s officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who stood outside the king’s own rooms. They became angry [with the king], and they were planning how they could assassinate/kill him.
22 Ṣùgbọ́n Mordekai sì mọ̀ nípa ọ̀tẹ̀ náà, ó sọ̀ fún ayaba Esteri, Esteri sì sọ fún ọba, wọ́n sì fi ọlá fún Mordekai.
But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, and he told that to Queen Esther. Then she told the king what Mordecai had found out.
23 Nígbà tí wọ́n sì wádìí ọ̀rọ̀ náà tí ó sì jásí òtítọ́, a sì so àwọn ìjòyè méjèèjì náà kọ́. Gbogbo nǹkan wọ̀nyí ni a kọ sínú ìwé ìtàn ní iwájú ọba.
The king investigated and found out that Mordecai’s report was true. So the king ordered that those two men be hanged. When that was done, (an official wrote a report/a report was written) about it in a book called ‘The book that records what happened while Xerxes was king’.
