Esther 2
1 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].
Más tarde, después de todo lo ocurrido, la ira del rey Jerjes se calmó y pensó en Vasti y en lo que había hecho, y en el decreto emitido contra ella.
2 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.
Sus consejeros le sugirieron, “¿Por qué no ordenar una búsqueda para encontrar hermosas jóvenes vírgenes para Su Majestad?
3 [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.
Su Majestad debería poner oficiales a cargo en cada provincia de su imperio para reunir a todas las jóvenes hermosas y llevarlas al harén del rey en la fortaleza de Susa. Que las pongan bajo la supervisión de Hegai, el eunuco del rey encargado de las mujeres, y que les hagan tratamientos de belleza.
4 Then the woman who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
La joven que el rey encuentre más atractiva puede convertirse en reina en lugar de Vasti”. Al rey le pareció una buena idea y la puso en práctica.
5 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.
En la fortaleza de Susa vivía un judío llamado Mardoqueo, hijo de Jair, hijo de Simei, hijo de Cis, un benjamita
6 [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.
que estaba entre los que fueron tomados como prisioneros con el rey Joaquín de Judá y llevados al exilio desde Jerusalén por el rey Nabucodonosor de Babilonia.
7 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.
Él había criado a Hadasa (o Ester), la hija de su tío, porque ella no tenía padre ni madre. La joven tenía una hermosa figura y era muy atractiva. Después de la muerte de su padre y de su madre, Mardoqueo la había adoptado como su propia hija.
8 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.
Cuando se anunció la orden y el decreto del rey, muchas jóvenes fueron llevadas a la fortaleza de Susa bajo la supervisión de Hegai. Ester también fue llevada al palacio del rey y puesta bajo el cuidado de Hegai, quien estaba a cargo de las mujeres.
9 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.
Ester llamó su atención y la trató favorablemente. Rápidamente le preparó tratamientos de belleza y comida especial. También le proporcionó siete sirvientas especialmente elegidas del palacio del rey, y la trasladó a ella y a sus sirvientas al mejor lugar del harén.
10 Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
Ester no había dejado que nadie supiera su nacionalidad o quién era su familia, porque Mardoqueo le había ordenado que no lo hiciera.
11 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.
Todos los días Mardoqueo se paseaba frente al patio del harén para saber cómo estaba Ester y qué le ocurría.
12 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.
Antes de que le llegara el turno a la joven de ir a ver al rey Jerjes, tenía que cumplir doce meses de tratamientos de belleza para mujeres que eran obligatorios: seis meses con aceite de mirra y seis con aceites y ungüentos perfumados.
13 Then, when one of these women [was summoned to] go to the king, she was allowed to wear whatever clothes and jewelry she chose.
Cuando llegaba el momento de que la joven fuera a ver al rey, se le daba lo que ella pidiera para ir del harén al palacio del rey.
14 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.
Al anochecer iba, y por la mañana volvía a otro harén bajo la supervisión de Saasgaz, que era el eunuco del rey encargado de las concubinas. No volvería a estar con el rey a menos que éste se sintiera especialmente atraído por ella y la llamara por su nombre.
15 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.
(Ester era hija de Abihail, tío de Mardoqueo. Mardoqueo la había adoptado como su propia hija). Cuando le tocó a Ester ir a ver al rey, no pidió nada para llevar, excepto lo que le aconsejó Hegai. (Él era el eunuco del rey encargado de las mujeres). Y Ester fue vista con admiración por todos.
Entonces Ester fue llevada ante el rey Jerjes a su palacio real, en el décimo mes, el mes de Tebet, en el séptimo año de su reinado.
17 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.
El rey amó a Ester más que a todas las demás mujeres. La trató más favorablemente y con mayor bondad que a todas las demás vírgenes. Así que colocó la corona real sobre su cabeza y la nombró reina en lugar de Vasti.
18 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].
Entonces el rey dio un gran banquete a todos sus funcionarios y administradores: el banquete de Ester. También lo declaró festivo en todas las provincias y repartió generosos regalos.
19 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.
Aunque hubo una segunda reunión de vírgenes, y Mardoqueo había recibido un puesto del rey,
20 But Esther still did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do.
Ester seguía sin dejar que nadie supiera de su familia o de su nacionalidad, como le había ordenado Mardoqueo. Siguió las instrucciones de Mardoqueo tal como lo hizo cuando la educó.
21 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.
En ese momento, mientras Mardoqueo hacía su trabajo en la puerta del palacio, Bigtán y Teres, dos eunucos que custodiaban la entrada a las habitaciones del rey, se enfurecieron con el rey Jerjes y buscaron la manera de asesinarlo.
22 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.
Mardoqueo se enteró del complot y se lo comunicó a la reina Ester. Ester, a su vez, se lo comunicó al rey en nombre de Mardoqueo.
23 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’.
Cuando se investigó el complot y se comprobó que era cierto, ambos fueron empalados en postes. Esto fue registrado en el libro oficial de registros por orden del rey.
