Ester 2

¹Bu olaylardan sonra kralın öfkesi dindi; artık Astin'i anmıyor, onun ne söylediğini ve kendisinin onu nasıl mahkum ettiğini hatırlıyordu.

²Bunun üzerine kralın hizmetkarları, "Kral için görünüşü güzel, bakire genç kızlar aransın" dediler.

³"Kral, egemenliğinin bütün eyaletlerine yerel idareciler atasın; onlar da görünüşü güzel, bakire genç kızları seçip Susa Kenti'ndeki sarayın haremine getirsinler. Kızlar kralın haremağası olan kadınların koruyucusuna teslim edilsin, kendilerine arınma kozmetikleri ve diğer bakım ihtiyaçları verilsin.

⁴Kralın hoşuna gidecek olan kadın da Astin'in yerine kraliçe olsun." Bu öneri kralın hoşuna gitti ve böyle yaptı.

⁵Susa Kenti'nde Yahudi bir adam vardı; adı Benyamin oymağından Kis oğlu, Şemeyi oğlu, Yair oğlu Mordekay'dı.

⁶Babil Kralı Nebukadnessar'ın Yeruşalim'den sürgün ettiği esirler arasındaydı.

⁷Mordekay'ın, babasının kardeşi Aminadab'ın kızı olan Ester adında bir evlatlığı vardı. Kızın anne ve babası ölünce, Mordekay onu kendisi için bir eş olarak yetiştirmişti; genç kızın görünüşü çok güzeldi.

⁸Kralın buyruğu duyurulunca, birçok genç kız Susa Kenti'nde Gai'nin gözetimi altında toplandı; Ester de kadınların koruyucusu Gai'nin yanına götürüldü.

⁹Genç kız Gai'nin hoşuna gitti ve onun gözünde lütuf buldu. Gai ona arınma kozmetiklerini, yiyecek payını ve kraliyet evinden kendisine tahsis edilen yedi genç kızı hemen sağladı; kıza ve hizmetçilerine haremde çok iyi davrandı.

¹⁰Ester soyunu ve vatanını açıklamadı; çünkü Mordekay bunu söylememesini buyurmuştu.

¹¹Mordekay, Ester'in başına ne geleceğini öğrenmek için her gün kadınlar avlusunun önünde yürüyüp dururdu.

¹²Bir genç kızın kralın huzuruna çıkma sırası, on iki aylık bakım süresi tamamlanınca geliyordu. Kadınların bakım günleri şöyle tamamlanırdı: Altı ay mür yağıyla yağlanarak, altı ay da güzel kokularla ve kadınlara özgü arınma kozmetikleriyle süslenirlerdi.

¹³Genç kız ancak bundan sonra kralın huzuruna çıkardı. Haremden kralın sarayına giderken yanına almak için talep ettiği refakatçi kişi kendisine teslim edilirdi.

¹⁴Akşamüstü kralın yanına girer, şafağa doğru ise kralın haremağası ve kadınların koruyucusu Gai'nin gözetimindeki ikinci hareme dönerdi. Adıyla çağrılmadıkça bir daha kralın huzuruna çıkamazdı.

¹⁵Mordekay'ın amcası Aminadab'ın kızı olan Ester'in kralın huzuruna çıkma sırası geldiğinde, kadınların koruyucusu olan haremağasının kendisine buyurduğu hiçbir şeyi ihmal etmedi. Ester, kendisini gören herkesin gözünde lütuf buluyordu.

¹⁶Ester, kral Artaxerxes'in krallığının yedinci yılında, Adar denilen on ikinci ayda kralın huzuruna çıkarıldı.

¹⁷Kral Ester'e aşık oldu; Ester bütün bakirelerden daha çok onun gözünde lütuf ve beğeni kazandı. Böylece kral onun başına kadın tacını koydu.

¹⁸Sonra kral, bütün dostlarına ve ordularına yedi gün süren büyük bir şölen verdi; Ester'in düğününü yüceltti ve egemenliği altındakilere vergilerden muafiyet sağladı.

¹⁹Mordekay ise saray avlusunda hizmet ediyordu.

²⁰Ester vatanını henüz açıklamamıştı; çünkü Mordekay ona Tanrı'dan korkmasını ve onun yanındayken yaptığı gibi O'nun buyruklarını yerine getirmesini emretmişti. Ester yaşam tarzını hiç değiştirmemişti.

²¹Kralın baş muhafızı olan iki haremağası, Mordekay terfi ettirildiği için gücendiler ve Kral Artaxerxes'i öldürmek için fırsat kolladılar.

²²Durum Mordekay tarafından öğrenildi; o da bunu Ester'e bildirdi. Ester de suikast girişimini krala açıkladı.

²³Kral iki haremağasını sorguya çekip onları astırdı. Kral, Mordekay'ın gösterdiği bu bağlılığın bir övgü olarak kraliyet kütüphanesine anılmak üzere kaydedilmesini buyurdu.

¹ΚΑΙ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐκόπασεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ θυμοῦ καὶ οὐκέτι ἐμνήσθη τῆς ᾿Αστίν, μνημονεύων οἷα ἐλάλησε καὶ ὡς κατέκρινεν αὐτήν.

²καὶ εἶπαν οἱ διάκονοι τοῦ βασιλέως· ζητηθήτω τῷ βασιλεῖ κοράσια ἄφθορα καλὰ τῷ εἴδει·

³καὶ καταστήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς κωμάρχας ἐν πάσαις ταῖς χώραις τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπιλεξάτωσαν κοράσια παρθενικὰ καλὰ τῷ εἴδει εἰς Σοῦσαν τὴν πόλιν εἰς τὸν γυναικῶνα· καὶ παραδοθήτωσαν τῷ εὐνούχῳ τοῦ βασιλέως τῷ φύλακι τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ δοθήτω σμῆγμα καὶ ἡ λοιπὴ ἐπιμέλεια·

⁴καὶ ἡ γυνή, ἣ ἂν ἀρέσῃ τῷ βασιλεῖ, βασιλεύσει ἀντὶ ᾿Αστίν. καὶ ἤρεσε τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως.

⁵καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἦν ᾿Ιουδαῖος ἐν Σούσοις τῇ πόλει, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Μαρδοχαῖος ὁ τοῦ ᾿Ιαΐρου, τοῦ Σεμεΐου, τοῦ Κισσαίου, ἐκ φυλῆς Βενιαμίν,

⁶ὃς ἦν αἰχμάλωτος ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, ἣν ᾐχμαλώτευσε Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος.

⁷καὶ ἦν τούτῳ παῖς θρεπτή, θυγάτηρ ᾿Αμιναδὰβ ἀδελφοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ ᾿Εσθήρ· ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταλλάξαι αὐτῆς τοὺς γονεῖς ἐπαίδευσεν αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα· καὶ ἦν τὸ κοράσιον καλὸν τῷ εἴδει.

⁸καὶ ὅτε ἠκούσθη τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως πρόσταγμα, συνήχθησαν πολλὰ κοράσια εἰς Σοῦσαν τὴν πόλιν ὑπὸ χεῖρα Γαΐ, καὶ ἤχθη ᾿Εσθὴρ πρὸς Γαΐ τὸν φύλακα τῶν γυναικῶν.

⁹καὶ ἤρεσεν αὐτῷ τὸ κοράσιον καὶ εὗρε χάριν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔσπευσε δοῦναι αὐτῇ τὸ σμῆγμα καὶ τὴν μερίδα καὶ τὰ ἑπτὰ κοράσια τὰ ὑποδεδειγμένα αὐτῇ ἐκ βασιλικοῦ καὶ ἐχρήσατο αὐτῇ καλῶς καὶ ταῖς ἅβραις αὐτῆς ἐν τῷ γυναικῶνι.

¹⁰καὶ οὐχ ὑπέδειξε ᾿Εσθὴρ τὸ γένος αὐτῆς οὐδὲ τὴν πατρίδα· ὁ γὰρ Μαρδοχαῖος ἐνετείλατο αὐτῇ μὴ ἀπαγγεῖλαι·

¹¹καθ’ ἑκάστην δὲ ἡμέραν περιεπάτει ὁ Μαρδοχαῖος κατὰ τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν γυναικείαν ἐπισκοπῶν τί ᾿Εσθὴρ συμβήσεται.

¹²οὗτος δὲ ἦν καιρὸς κορασίου εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ὅταν ἀναπληρώσῃ μῆνας δεκαδύο· οὕτως γὰρ αναπληροῦνται αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς θεραπείας, μῆνας ἓξ ἀλειφόμεναι ἐν σμυρνίνῳ ἐλαίῳ καὶ μῆνας ἓξ ἐν τοῖς ἀρώμασι καὶ ἐν τοῖς σμήγμασι τῶν γυναικῶν,

¹³καὶ τότε εἰσπορεύεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν εἴπῃ, παραδώσει αὐτὴν συνεισέρχεσθαι αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ γυναικῶνος ἕως τῶν βασιλείων.

¹⁴δείλης εἰσπορεύεται καὶ πρὸς ἡμέραν ἀποτρέχει εἰς τὸν γυναικῶνα τὸν δεύτερον, οὗ Γαΐ ὁ εὐνοῦχος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ φύλαξ τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰσπορεύεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ἐὰν μὴ κληθῇ ὀνόματι.

¹⁵ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀναπληροῦσθαι τὸν χρόνον ᾿Εσθὴρ τῆς θυγατρὸς ᾿Αμιναδὰβ ἀδελφοῦ πατρὸς Μαρδοχαίου εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα οὐδὲν ἠθέτησεν, ὧν ἐνετείλατο ὁ εὐνοῦχος ὁ φύλαξ τῶν γυναικῶν· ἦν γὰρ ᾿Εσθὴρ εὑρίσκουσα χάριν παρὰ πάντων τῶν βλεπόντων αὐτήν.

¹⁶καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ᾿Εσθὴρ πρὸς ᾿Αρταξέρξην τὸν βασιλέα τῷ δωδεκάτῳ μηνί, ὅς ἐστιν ᾿Αδάρ, τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ.

¹⁷καὶ ἠράσθη ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Εσθήρ, καὶ εὗρε χάριν παρὰ πάσας τὰς παρθένους, καὶ ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῇ τὸ διάδημα τὸ γυναικεῖον.

¹⁸καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πότον πᾶσι τοῖς φίλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ καὶ ὕψωσε τοὺς γάμους ᾿Εσθὴρ καὶ ἄφεσιν ἐποίησε τοῖς ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ.

¹⁹ὁ δὲ Μαρδοχαῖος ἐθεράπευεν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ.

²⁰ἡ δὲ ᾿Εσθὴρ οὐχ ὑπέδειξε τὴν πατρίδα αὐτῆς· οὕτως γὰρ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῇ Μαρδοχαῖος, φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ποιεῖν τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ, καθὼς ἦν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾿Εσθὴρ οὐ μετήλλαξε τὴν ἀγωγὴν αὐτῆς.

²¹Καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν οἱ δύο εὐνοῦχοι τοῦ βασιλέως, οἱ ἀρχισωματοφύλακες, ὅτι προήχθη Μαρδοχαῖος, καὶ ἐζήτουν ἀποκτεῖναι ᾿Αρταξέρξην τὸν βασιλέα.

²²καὶ ἐδηλώθη Μαρδοχαίῳ ὁ λόγος, καὶ ἐσήμανεν ᾿Εσθήρ, καὶ αὐτὴ ἐνεφάνισε τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς

²³ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἤτασε τοὺς δύο εὐνούχους καὶ ἐκρέμασεν αὐτούς· καὶ προσέταξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καταχωρίσαι εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐν τῇ βασιλικῇ βιβλιοθήκῃ ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐνοίας Μαρδοχαίου ἐν ἐγκωμίῳ.

¹And after this the king’s anger was pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said, and how he had condemned her.

²Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste [and] beautiful young virgins.

³And let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select fair [and] chaste young damsels [and bring them] to the city Susa, into the women’s apartment, and let them be consigned to the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women; and let things for purification and other attendance be given [to them].

⁴And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

⁵Now there was a Jew in the city Susa, and his name was Mardochaeus, the [son] of Jairus, [the son] of Semeias, [the son] of Cissaeus, of the tribe of Benjamin;

⁶who had been brought a prisoner from Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried into captivity.

⁷And he had a foster child, daughter of Aminadab his father’s brother, and her name [was] Esther; and when her parents were dead, he brought her up for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.

⁸And because the king’s ordinance was published, many damsels were gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai; and Esther was brought to Gai the keeper of the women.

⁹And the damsel pleased him, and she found favour in his sight; and he hasted to give her the things for purification, and her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the palace: and he treated her and her maidens well in the women’s apartment.

¹⁰But Esther discovered not her family nor her kindred: for Mardochaeus had charged her not to tell.

¹¹But Mardochaeus used to walk every day by the women’s court, to see what would become of Esther.

¹²Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women’s purifications.

¹³And then [the damsel] goes in to the king; and [the officer] to whomsoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him from the women’s apartment to the king’s chamber.

¹⁴She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women’s apartment, where Gai the king’s chamberlain [is] keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.

¹⁵And when the time. was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochaeus’ father to go in to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women’s keeper, commanded; for Esther found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.

¹⁶So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷And the king loved Esther, and she found favour beyond all the [other] virgins: and he put on her the queen’s crown.

¹⁸And the king made a banquet for all his friends and great men for seven days, and he highly celebrated the marriage of Esther; and he made a release to those who were under his dominion.

¹⁹But Mardochaeus served in the palace.

²⁰Now Esther had not discovered her kindred; for so Mardochaeus commanded her, to fear God, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him: and Esther changed not her manner of life.

²¹And two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mardochaeus was promoted; and they sought to kill king Artaxerxes.

²²And the matter was discovered to Mardochaeus, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.

²³And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of Mardochaeus, as a commendation.