Ester 2— comparação

1Depois destas coisas, quando a ira do rei Assuero se apaziguou, ele se lembrou de Vasti, do que ela havia feito e do que fora decretado contra ela.

2Então os servos do rei que o serviam disseram: “Que se busquem belas jovens virgens para o rei.

3Que o rei nomeie oficiais em todas as províncias do seu reino, para que reúnam todas as belas jovens virgens na cidadela de Susã, na casa das mulheres, sob a custódia de Hegai, o eunuco do rei, guarda das mulheres. Que lhes sejam dados cosméticos;

4e que a jovem que agradar ao rei seja rainha em lugar de Vasti.” Isso agradou ao rei, e ele assim o fez.

5Havia um certo judeu na cidadela de Susã cujo nome era Mardoqueu, filho de Jair, filho de Simei, filho de Quis, um benjamita,

6que havia sido levado de Jerusalém com os cativos que foram exilados com Jeconias, rei de Judá, a quem Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, havia levado.

7Ele criou Hadassa, isto é, Ester, filha de seu tio; pois ela não tinha pai nem mãe. A jovem era de bela aparência e formosa; e quando seu pai e sua mãe morreram, Mardoqueu a tomou como sua própria filha.

8Assim, quando o mandamento do rei e o seu decreto foram ouvidos, e quando muitas jovens foram reunidas na cidadela de Susã, sob a custódia de Hegai, Ester foi levada para a casa do rei, sob a custódia de Hegai, guarda das mulheres.

9A jovem lhe agradou, e obteve o seu favor. Ele rapidamente lhe deu cosméticos e suas porções de comida, e as sete jovens escolhidas que lhe deviam ser dadas da casa do rei. Ele a transferiu, junto com suas jovens, para o melhor lugar na casa das mulheres.

10Ester não havia revelado o seu povo nem a sua parentela, porque Mardoqueu a havia instruído para que não o revelasse.

11Mardoqueu caminhava todos os dias em frente ao pátio da casa das mulheres, para saber como Ester estava e o que seria dela.

12Chegava a vez de cada jovem ir ao rei Assuero após a sua purificação de doze meses (pois assim se cumpriam os dias da purificação delas: seis meses com óleo de mirra, e seis meses com perfumes e com preparações para o embelezamento das mulheres).

13A jovem então ia ao rei desta maneira: tudo o que ela desejava lhe era dado para ir com ela da casa das mulheres para a casa do rei.

14À tarde ela ia, e no dia seguinte retornava para a segunda casa das mulheres, sob a custódia de Saasgaz, o eunuco do rei, que guardava as concubinas. Ela não ia mais ao rei, a menos que o rei se agradasse dela e ela fosse chamada pelo nome.

15Ora, quando chegou a vez de Ester, filha de Abiail, tio de Mardoqueu, que a havia tomado por filha, de ir ao rei, ela não pediu nada além do que Hegai, o eunuco do rei, o guarda das mulheres, aconselhou. Ester obteve favor aos olhos de todos os que olhavam para ela.

16Assim, Ester foi levada ao rei Assuero, à sua casa real, no décimo mês, que é o mês de tebete, no sétimo ano do seu reinado.

17O rei amou Ester mais do que a todas as mulheres, e ela obteve favor e bondade diante dele mais do que todas as virgens; de modo que ele colocou a coroa real na cabeça dela e a fez rainha em lugar de Vasti.

18Então o rei deu um grande banquete para todos os seus príncipes e seus servos, o banquete de Ester; e ele proclamou um feriado nas províncias, e deu presentes de acordo com a generosidade do rei.

19Quando as virgens foram reunidas pela segunda vez, Mardoqueu estava sentado à porta do rei.

20Ester ainda não havia revelado a sua parentela nem o seu povo, como Mardoqueu lhe havia ordenado; pois Ester obedecia a Mardoqueu, como fazia quando era criada por ele.

21Naqueles dias, enquanto Mardoqueu estava sentado à porta do rei, dois dos eunucos do rei, Bigtã e Teres, que eram guardas da porta, ficaram irados e procuraram pôr as mãos no rei Assuero.

22Isso chegou ao conhecimento de Mardoqueu, que informou a rainha Ester; e Ester informou o rei em nome de Mardoqueu.

23Quando este assunto foi investigado e se descobriu ser verdade, ambos foram pendurados numa forca; e isso foi escrito no livro das crônicas na presença do rei.

1After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

2Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

3Let 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;

4and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

5There 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,

6who 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.

7He 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.

8So, 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.

9The 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.

10Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.

11Mordecai 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.

12Each 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).

13The 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.

14In 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.

15Now 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 favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.

16So 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.

17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor 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.

18Then 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.

19When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.

20Esther 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.

21In 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.

22This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.

23When 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.