< Esther 2 >

1 After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:
Sedan detta skedt var, när Konungens Ahasveros vrede hade saktat sig, kom han Vasthi ihåg, hvad hon gjort hade, och hvad om henne beslutet var.
2 And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
Då sade Konungens svenner, som honom tjente: Man söke Konungenom upp dägeliga unga jungfrur;
3 And let some persons be sent through all the provinces to look for beautiful maidens and virgins: and let them bring them to the city of Susan, and put them into the house of the women under the hand of Egeus the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women: and let them receive women’s ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
Och Konungen beställe skådare i all land i sitt rike, att de låta komma tillhopa alla dägeliga unga jungfrur, intill den staden Susan i fruhuset, under Hegai hand, Konungens kamererares, hvilken qvinnorna vakta skulle, och få dem deras skrud;
4 And whosoever among them all shall please the king’s eyes, let her be queen instead of Vasthi. The word pleased the king: and he commanded it should be done as they had suggested.
Och hvilken pigan Konungenom täckes, den blifve Drottning i Vasthis stad. Det behagade Konungenom, och han gjorde så.
5 There was a man in the city of Susan, a Jew, named Mardochai, the son of Jair, the son of Semei, the son of Cis, of the race of Jemini,
Då var en Judisk man i Susans stad, han het Mardechai, Jairs son, Simei sons, Kis sons, Jemini sons;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,
Den med bortförd var ifrå Jerusalem, då Jechonia, Juda Konung, bortförd var, hvilken NebucadNezar, Konungen i Babel, bortförde.
7 And he had brought up his brother’s daughter Edissa, who by another name was called Esther: now she had lost both her parents: and was exceeding fair and beautiful. And her father and mother being dead, Mardochai adopted her for his daughter.
Och han var förmyndare till Hadassa, denna är Esther, sins faderbroders dotter; förty hon hade hvarken fader eller moder, och hon var en fager och dägelig piga; och då hennes fader och moder blefvo döde, tog Mardechai henne för sin dotter.
8 And when the king’s ordinance was noised abroad, and according to his commandment many beautiful virgins were brought to Susan, and were delivered to Egeus the eunuch: Esther also among the rest of the maidens was delivered to him to be kept in the number of the women.
Då Konungens bud och beslut vardt kunnigt, och många pigor voro tillhopahemtade till staden Susan, under Hegai hand, vardt Esther ock tagen uti Konungshuset, under Hegai hand, qvinnovaktarens.
9 And she pleased him, and found favour in his sight. And he commanded the eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver to her her part, and seven of the most beautiful maidens of the king’s house, and to adorn and deck out both her and her waiting maids.
Och pigan täcktes honom, och hon fann barmhertighet för honom; och han skyndade sig med hennes skrud, att han skulle få henne hennes del, och sju dägeliga pigor utaf Konungshuset dertill; och han satte henne med hennes pigor uti bästa rummet i fruhuset.
10 And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:
Och Esther sade honom intet utaf sitt folk, eller sitt slägte; förty Mardechai hade budit henne, att hon skulle icke sägat.
11 And he walked every day before the court of the house, in which the chosen virgins were kept, having a care for Esther’s welfare, and desiring to know what would befall her.
Och Mardechai spatserade hvar dag i gårdenom åt fruhuset, att han måtte förnimma, om väl ginge med Esther, och hvad med henne ske kunde.
12 Now when every virgin’s turn came to go in to the king, after all had been done for setting them off to advantage, it was the twelfth month: so that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for other six months they used certain perfumes and sweet spices.
Då nu hvarjo pigones bestämda tid kom, att hon skulle komma till Konungen Ahasveros, sedan hon hade varit i tolf månader i fruprydning; förty deras prydelse måste så mycken tid hafva, nämliga sex månader med balsam och myrrham, och sex månader med godt speceri, så voro då qvinnorna tillprydda;
13 And when they were going in to the king, whatsoever they asked to adorn themselves they received: and being decked out, as it pleased them, they passed from the chamber of the women to the king’s chamber.
Och så gick då en piga in till Konungen; och hvilka hon ville, måste man få henne, som med henne gå skulle ifrå fruhuset till Konungshuset.
14 And she that went in at evening, came out in the morning, and from thence she was conducted to the second house, that was under the hand of Susagaz the eunuch, who had the charge over the king’s concubines: neither could she return any more to the king, unless the king desired it, and had ordered her by name to come.
Och när en om aftonen inkom, gick hon om morgonen ifrå honom in uti det andra fruhuset, under Saasgas hand, Konungens kamererares, frillovaktarens; och hon måste icke komma igen till Konungen, utan Konungenom täcktes, och han lät kalla henne vid namn.
15 And as the time came orderly about, the day was at hand, when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardochai, whom he had adopted for his daughter, was to go in to the king. But she sought not women’s ornaments, but whatsoever Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins had a mind, he gave her to adorn her. For she was exceeding fair, and her incredible beauty made her appear agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all.
Då nu Esthers tid kom, Abihails dotters, Mardechai faderbroders, den henne för dotter tagit hade, att hon skulle komma till Konungen, begärade hon intet annat, än det Hegai, Konungens kamererare, qvinnovaktaren, sade henne före. Och Esther fann nåd för alla dem, som sågo uppå henne.
16 So she was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Men Esther vardt tagen till Konungen Ahasveros, uti Konungshuset, i tionde månadenom, den Thebeth kallas; i sjunde årena hans rikes.
17 And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.
Och Konungen fick Esther kär öfver alla qvinnor, och hon fann nåd och barmhertighet för honom, för alla jungfrur; och han satte Drottningakrono uppå hennes hufvud, och gjorde henne till Drottning i Vasthis stad.
18 And he commanded a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the princes, and for his servants, for the marriage and wedding of Esther. And he gave rest to all the provinces, and bestowed gifts according to princely magnificence.
Och Konungen gjorde ett stort gästabåd, till alla sina Förstar och tjenare; det gästabådet var för Esthers skull; och lät landen hafva rolighet, och gaf ut Konungsliga skänker.
19 And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king’s gate,
Och då man annan gång församlade jungfrur, satt Mardechai vid Konungens dörr.
20 Neither had Esther as yet declared her country and people, according to his commandment. For whatsoever he commanded, Esther observed: and she did all things in the same manner as she was wont at that time when he brought her up a little one.
Och Esther hade ännu icke sagt sitt slägte, eller folk, såsom Mardechai henne budit hade; ty Esther gjorde efter Mardechai ord, lika som då han hennes förmyndare var.
21 At that time, therefore, when Mardochai abode at the king’s gate, Bagathan and Thares, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were porters, and presided in the first entry of the palace, were angry: and they designed to rise up against the king, and to kill him.
På samma tiden, då Mardechai vid Konungens dörr satt, vordo två Konungens kamererare vrede, Bigthan och Theres, som dörrena vaktade, och hade i sinnet, att de ville slå uppå Konungen Ahasveros.
22 And Mardochai had notice of it, and immediately he told it to queen Esther: and she to the king in Mardochai’s name, who had reported the thing unto her.
Det förnam Mardechai, och lät Drottningena Esther få veta det; och Esther sade det för Konungenom, på Mardechai vägnar.
23 It was inquired into, and found out: and they were both hanged on a gibbet. And it was put in the histories, and recorded in the chronicles before the king.
Och då man ransakade derefter, vardt det så funnet; och de vordo både hängde i trän; och det vardt beskrifvet i Chrönicon för Konungenom.

< Esther 2 >