Esther Becomes Queen
1 After a while, King Xerxes got over being angry. But he kept thinking about what Vashti had done and the law that he had written because of her. 2 Then the king's personal servants said:
Your Majesty, a search must be made to find you some beautiful young women. 3 You can select officers in every province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives in the capital city of Susa. Put your servant Hegai in charge of them since that is his job. He can see to it that they are given the proper beauty treatments. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases you most take Vashti's place as queen.
King Xerxes liked these suggestions, and he followed them.
5 At this time a Jew named Mordecai was living in Susa. His father was Jair, and his grandfather Shimei was the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. 6 Kish was one of the people that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem, when he took King Jeconiah of Judah to Babylonia.
7 Mordecai had a very beautiful cousin named Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. He had raised her as his own daughter, after her father and mother died. 8 When the king ordered the search for beautiful women, many were taken to the king's palace in Susa, and Esther was one of them.
Hegai was put in charge of all the women, 9 and from the first day, Esther was his favorite. He began her beauty treatments at once. He also gave her plenty of food and seven special maids from the king's palace, and they had the best rooms.
10 Mordecai had warned Esther not to tell anyone that she was a Jew, and she obeyed him. 11 He was anxious to see how Esther was getting along and to learn what had happened to her. So each day he would walk back and forth in front of the court where the women lived.
12 The young women were given beauty treatments for one whole year. The first six months their skin was rubbed with olive oil and myrrh, and the last six months it was treated with perfumes and cosmetics. Then each of them spent the night alone with King Xerxes. 13 When a young woman went to the king, she could wear whatever clothes or jewelry she chose from the women's living quarters. 14 In the evening she would go to the king, and the following morning she would go to the place where his wives stayed after being with him. There a man named Shaashgaz was in charge of the king's wives. Only the ones the king wanted and asked for by name could go back to the king.
15-16 Xerxes had been king for seven years when Esther's turn came to go to him during Tebeth, the tenth month of the year. Everyone liked Esther. The king's personal servant Hegai was in charge of the women, and Esther trusted Hegai and asked him what she ought to take with her.
17 Xerxes liked Esther more than he did any of the other young women. None of them pleased him as much as she did, and he immediately fell in love with her and crowned her queen in place of Vashti. 18 In honor of Esther he gave a big dinner for his leaders and officials. Then he declared a holiday everywhere in his kingdom and gave expensive gifts.
Mordecai Saves the King's Life
19 When the young women were brought together again, Esther's cousin Mordecai had become a palace official. 20 He had told Esther never to tell anyone that she was a Jew, and she obeyed him, just as she had always done.
21 Bigthana and Teresh were the two men who guarded King Xerxes' rooms, but they got angry with the king and decided to kill him. 22 Mordecai found out about their plans and asked Queen Esther to tell the king what he had found out. 23 King Xerxes learned that Mordecai's report was true, and he had the two men hanged. Then the king had all of this written down in his record book as he watched.
Ester, Omujuda, ta ningi omumbada wohamba Ahasveros
1 Konima yoinima ei, ehandu lohamba Ahasveros eshi la lota, oya dimbulukwa Vasti, osho e shi ninga naasho she mu tokolelwa. 2 Opo nee ovapiya vohamba, ovo ve i yakula tava ti: “Ohamba nai kongelwe oukadona ounyasha ve nondjelo iwa. 3 Ohamba nai tule mo moitukulwalongo aishe yoshilongo shayo ovahona, opo va ongele oukadona aveshe ovanyasha ovo ve nondjelo iwa, ve uye mohotengulu yaSusa mongulu yovalikadi, kelenga Hegai, omupashukili wovalikadi, e va pashukile. Ndele nava pewe omaadi okuvava oku va wapeka. 4 Nokakadona oko taka pandwa kohamba, naka ninge omumbada wohamba ponhele yomumbada Vasti.” Ondjovo ei ya wapalela ohamba, nosho ya ninga.
5 Mohotengulu yaSusa mwa li omulumenhu Omujuda, edina laye Mordekai yaJair yaSimei yaKis, Omubenjamin; 6 okwa kufwa muJerusalem nokwa li mokati keenghwate odo da li di nokuya moukwatwa pamwe naJekonia, ohamba yaJuda, yo ya twalwa ko kuNebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon.
7 Ndele ye okwa li omutekuli waHadassa, nokutya waEster, omona waxekulu, ndele okwa li ehe naxe ile ina. Ndele ye okwa li okakadona kawa kondjelo yako nokoshipala shako; ndele pefyo laxe nolaina, Mordekai e ka tambula omona waye. 8 Ndele oshipango shohamba nomhango yayo eshi ya shiivika, noukadona vahapu va ongelwa mohotengulu yaSusa komupashukili Hegai, ova eta yo Ester pamwe navo mongulu yohamba va diininwe kuHegai, omupashukili wovakainhu. 9 Nokakadona oko e ka panda ndele ka filwa onghenda kuye. Onghee hano okwa endelela oku ka pa omivavo dokuwapaleka, neendja de ka wapalela ndele e ka pa ovapiya ovakainhu vaheyali, va hoololwa vomongulu yohamba. Nokwe ka tula pamwe novapiya vako medimo liwa longulu yovakainhu.
10 Ester okwa li ina holola oshiwana shaye noludi laye, shaashi Mordekai okwe mu lombwela ehe shi popye. 11 Ndele efiku keshe Mordekai okwa enda mehale longulu yovakainhu a shiivifilwe ngeenge Ester oku li nawa ndele nonhumbi ta ningwa.
12 Ndele olufo lokakadona kamwe ngeenge la fika okuya kohamba Ahasveros, ko eshi ka wapalekwa eehani omulongo nambali pamhango yovakainhu (osheshi elilongekido lavo la pula efimbo li fike pomafiku oo. Eehani hamano nomaadi omirha neehani hamano nabalsam nomaadi ovakainhu makwao okuvava). 13 Okakadona eshi ka ya ngaha kohamba, aishe oyo ke i pula, ke i pewa ya dja mongulu yovakainhu ya twalwa pamwe nako kongulu yohamba. 14 Eshi ka ya mo onguloshi ndele ka aluka ongula, ka ya kongulu onhivali yovakainhu ya diininwa kuSaaskas, elenga lohamba, tali pashukile ovalikadi vohamba vopomunghulo. Itaka ka ya mo vali kohamba okuninga ohamba ye ka hokwa ndele tai ka ifana padina.
15 Olufo laEster, omona okakadona kaAbigail, xekulu yaMordekai, eshi la fika a ye mo kohamba, ko inaka hala sha shimwe, osho ashike Hegai, elenga lohamba, lo la pashukila ovakainhu, le ka lombwela. Ndele Ester okwa pandwa kwaaveshe ovo ve mu mona. 16 Ester okwa tambulwa kohamba Ahasveros mongulu yayo youhamba mohani onhimulongo nokutya, mohani Tebet, momudo omutiheyali wepangelo layo. 17 Nohamba ya li i hole Ester komesho yovakainhu aveshe noye mu hokwa ndele ye mu fila onghenda komesho youkadona aveshe. Ndele yo oye mu dika komutwe waye oshishani shohamba ndele ye mu ninga omumbada ponhele yaVasti. 18 Nohamba ya telekela omalenga ayo aeshe novapiya vayo aveshe oitendele inene, oitendele yaEster. Ndele yo ya shiivifila oitukulwalongo i dane efiku letulumuko ndele ya yandja eeshali di fike pakuyandja kohamba.
Mordekai ta holola ehangakeno
19 Oukadona eshi va ongelwa lutivali, fimbo Mordekai ta kala omutumba poshivelo shohamba. 20 Ester ina holola oshiwana shaye noludi laye, ngaashi Mordekai e mu lombwela. Ndele Ester okwa ninga ngaashi Mordekai e mu lombwela ngaashi mefimbo linya a kala mouteku waye. 21 Pomafiku tuu enya fimbo Mordekai a kala omutumba poshivelo shohamba, Bigtan naTeres, omalenga avali ohamba, ovanangeli vopoivelo, va handuka ndele va konga omhito va kwate ohamba Ahasveros. 22 Ndelenee Mordekai okwe shi uda nokwe shi shiivifila omumbada Ester. Ndele Ester e shi lombwela ohamba medina laMordekai. 23 Oshinima osho eshi sha konakonwa ndele sha monika osho oshili, venya vavali va endjelelifwa komuti. Ndele osho sha shangelwa membo omafimbo koshipala shohamba.
