Ester 5

¹Ve üçüncü günde, duasını bitirdiğinde, yas giysilerini üzerinden çıkarıp kendi görkemini kuşandı.

⁰1α Ve ihtişamla ortaya çıkarak, her şeyi denetleyen ve kurtaran Tanrı'ya yakardıktan sonra yanına iki hizmetçi aldı; narin bir kadın gibi birine yaslanıyor, diğeri ise arkasından gelip elbisesinin eteklerini kaldırarak onu takip ediyordu.

⁰1β Güzelliğinin doruğunda, yüzü al al olmuştu; çehresi cana yakın ve neşeliydi, ama yüreği korkudan daralmıştı.

⁰1γ Bütün kapılardan geçerek kralın huzuruna çıktı; kral krallık tahtında oturuyordu, baştan aşağı altın ve değerli taşlarla kaplı en görkemli resmi giysilerini kuşanmıştı ve görünüşü son derece heybetliydi.

⁰1δ Kral, görkemle alev alev yanan yüzünü kaldırıp öfkesinin doruğunda bakınca, kraliçe baygınlık geçirerek rengi soldu ve önünden giden hizmetçinin omzuna yığıldı.

⁰1ε Ama Tanrı kralın ruhunu uysallığa dönüştürdü; kral büyük bir kaygıyla tahtından fırladı, kraliçe kendine gelene kadar onu kollarına aldı ve onu esenlik dolu sözlerle teselli ederek şöyle dedi:

⁰1ζ "Ne oldu Ester? Ben senin kardeşinim, cesur ol, ölmeyeceksin; çünkü bu ferman bizim için geçerli değildir, yaklaş."

²Ve altın asasını kaldırıp Ester'in boynuna dokundurdu, onu kucaklayıp, "Benimle konuş" dedi.

⁰2α Ester ona şöyle dedi: "Seni Tanrı'nın bir meleği gibi gördüm efendim; senin görkeminin korkusundan yüreğim ürperdi. Çünkü sen harikasın efendim ve yüzün lütufla doludur."

⁰2β Ancak o konuşurken baygınlıktan yere düştü; kral çok endişelendi ve bütün saray maiyeti onu ayıltmaya çalıştı.

³Kral, "Ne istiyorsun Ester?" dedi, "Talebin nedir? Krallığımın yarısı bile olsa sana verilecektir."

⁴Ester, "Bugün benim için özel bir gündür" dedi, "Eğer krala uygun görünürse, kendisi ve Haman, bugün onlar için hazırlayacağım şölene gelsinler."

⁵Bunun üzerine kral, "Ester'in sözünü yerine getirebilmemiz için Haman'ı hemen çağırın" dedi. Böylece her ikisi de Ester'in sözünü ettiği şölene geldiler.

⁶Şarap meclisinde kral Ester'e, "Dileğin nedir, Kraliçe Ester? Ne talep edersen yerine getirilecektir" dedi.

⁷Ester şöyle yanıtladı: "Dileğim ve talebim şudur:

⁸Eğer kralın gözünde lütuf bulduysam, kral ve Haman yarın da onlar için hazırlayacağım şölene gelsinler; yarın da bugünkü gibi yapacağım."

⁹Haman o gün kralın yanından büyük bir sevinç ve neşeyle ayrıldı; ancak avluda Yahudi Mordekay'ı görünce ona karşı büyük bir öfkeyle doldu.

¹⁰Evine dönünce dostlarını ve karısı Zosara'yı yanına çağırdı.

¹¹Onlara zenginliğini, kralın kendisine verdiği görkemi, kendisini nasıl krallıkta birinci sıraya yükselttiğini ve önder kıldığını anlattı.

¹²Haman, "Üstelik Kraliçe Ester, hazırladığı şölene kralın yanında benden başka kimseyi çağırmadı" dedi, "Yarın için de davet edildim.

¹³Ama avluda Yahudi Mordekay'ı gördüğüm sürece, bunların hiçbiri beni hoşnut etmiyor."

¹⁴Karısı Zosara ve bütün dostları ona şöyle dediler: "Elli arşın yüksekliğinde bir direk hazırlat; sabah olunca krala söyle de Mordekay'ı o direğe assınlar. Sonra kralın yanına katılıp şölene keyifle gidersin." Bu öneri Haman'ın hoşuna gitti ve direği hazırlattı.

¹ΚΑΙ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ, ὡς ἐπαύσατο προσευχομένη, ἐξεδύσατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς θεραπείας καὶ περιεβάλετο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς. 1α καὶ γενηθεῖσα ἐπιφανής, ἐπικαλεσαμένη τῶν πάντων ἐπόπτην Θεὸν καὶ σωτῆρα, παρέλαβε τὰς δύο ἅβρας· καὶ τῇ μὲν μιᾷ ἐπηρείδετο ὡς τρυφερευομένη, ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα ἐπηκολούθει κουφίζουσα τὴν ἔνδυσιν αὐτῆς, 1β καὶ αὐτὴ ἐρυθριῶσα ἀκμῇ κάλλους αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ἱλαρὸν ὡς προσφιλές, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῆς ἀπεστενωμένη ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου. 1γ καὶ εἰσελθοῦσα πάσας τὰς θύρας κατέστη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν στολὴν τῆς ἐπιφανείας αὐτοῦ ἐνδεδύκει, ὅλος διὰ χρυσοῦ καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν, καὶ ἦν φοβερὸς σφόδρα. 1δ καὶ ἄρας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πεπυρωμένον δόξῃ ἐν ἀκμῇ θυμοῦ ἔβλεψε, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ βασίλισσα καὶ μετέβαλε τὸ χρῶμα αὐτῆς ἐν ἐκλύσει καὶ κατεπέκυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῆς ἅβρας τῆς προπορευομένης. 1ε καὶ μετέβαλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς πραΰτητα, καὶ ἀγωνιάσας ἀνεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀγκάλας αὐτοῦ, μέχρις οὗ κατέστη, καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὴν λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· 1ζ τί ἐστιν ᾿Εσθήρ; ἐγὼ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, θάρσει, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ὅτι κοινὸν τὸ πρόσταγμα ἡμῶν ἐστι· πρόσελθε.

²καὶ ἄρας τὴν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς καὶ ἠσπάσατο αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπε· λάλησόν μοι. 2α καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· εἶδόν σε, κύριε, ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐταράχθη ἡ καρδία μου ἀπὸ φόβου τῆς δόξης σου, ὅτι θαυμαστὸς εἶ, κύριε, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου χαρίτων μεστόν. 2β ἐν δὲ τῷ διαλέγεσθαι αὐτὴν ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ ἐκλύσεως αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐταράσσετο, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ θεραπεία αὐτοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτήν.

³καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· τί θέλεις, ᾿Εσθήρ; καὶ τί σού ἐστι τὸ ἀξίωμα; ἕως τοῦ ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου, καὶ ἔσται σοι.

⁴εἶπε δὲ ᾿Εσθήρ· ἡμέρα μου ἐπίσημος σήμερόν ἐστι· εἰ οὖν δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐλθάτω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ᾿Αμὰν εἰς τὴν δοχήν, ἣν ποιήσω σήμερον.

⁵καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· κατασπεύσατε ᾿Αμάν, ὅπως ποιήσωμεν τὸν λόγον ᾿Εσθήρ· καὶ παραγίνονται ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὴν δοχήν, ἣν εἶπεν ᾿Εσθήρ.

⁶ἐν δὲ τῷ πότῳ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Εσθήρ· τί ἐστι βασίλισσα ᾿Εσθήρ; καὶ ἔσται ὅσα ἀξιοῖς.

⁷καὶ εἶπε· τὸ αἴτημά μου καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα·

⁸εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐλθάτω ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ᾿Αμὰν ἔτι τὴν αὔριον εἰς τὴν δοχήν, ἣν ποιήσω αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὔριον ποιήσω τὰ αὐτά.

⁹Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ᾿Αμὰν ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπερχαρὴς εὐφραινόμενος· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἰδεῖν ᾿Αμὰν Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν ᾿Ιουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα

¹⁰καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐκάλεσε τοὺς φίλους καὶ Ζωσάραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ,

¹¹καὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δόξαν, ἣν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῷ περιέθηκε, καὶ ὡς ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν πρωτεύειν καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι τῆς βασιλείας.

¹²καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αμάν· οὐ κέκληκεν ἡ βασίλισσα μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οὐδένα εἰς τὴν δοχὴν ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἐμέ, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὔριον κέκλημαι·

¹³καὶ ταῦτά μοι οὐκ ἀρέσκει, ὅταν ἴδω Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν ᾿Ιουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ.

¹⁴καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Ζωσάρα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ φίλοι· κοπήτω σοι ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα, ὄρθρου δὲ εἰπὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ κρεμασθήτω Μαρδοχαῖος ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου· σὺ δὲ εἴσελθε εἰς τὴ δοχὴν σὺν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εὐφραίνου. καὶ ἤρεσε τὸ ρῆμα τῷ ᾿Αμάν, καὶ ἡτοιμάσθη τὸ ξύλον.

¹And it came to pass on the third day, when she had ceased praying, that she put off her mean dress, and put on her glorious apparel. 1α And being splendidly arrayed, [and] having called upon God the Overseer and Preserver of all things, she took her two maids, and she leaned upon one, as a delicate female, and the other followed bearing her train. 1β And she [was] blooming in the perfection of her beauty; and her face [was] cheerful, and [it were] benevolent, but her heart [was] straitened for fear. 1γ And having passed through all the doors, she stood before the king: and he was sitting upon his royal throne, and he had put on all his glorious apparel, [covered] all over with gold and precious stones, and was very terrible. 1δ And having raised his face resplendent with glory, he looked with intense anger: and the queen fell, and changed her colour as she fainted; and she bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before [her]. 1ε But God changed the spirit of the king to gentleness, and in intense feeling he sprang from off his throne, and took her into his arms, until she recovered: and he comforted her with peaceable words, and said to her, 1ζ What is [the matter], Esther? I [am] thy brother; be of good cheer, thou shalt not die, for our command is openly declared [to thee], Draw nigh.

²And having raised the golden sceptre he laid it upon her neck, and embraced her, and said, Speak to me. 2α And she said to him, I saw thee, [my] lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy glory; for thou, [my] lord, art to be wondered at, and thy face [is] full of grace. 2β And while she was speaking, she fainted and fell. Then the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her.

³And the king said, What wilt thou, Esther? and what is thy request? [ask] even to the half of my kingdom, and it shall be thine.

⁴And Esther said, To-day is my great day: if then it seem good to the king, let both him and Aman come to the feast which I will prepare this day.

⁵And the king said, Hasten Aman hither, that we may perform the word of Esther. So they both come to the feast of which Esther had spoken.

⁶And at the banquet the king said to Esther, What is [thy request], queen Esther? [speak], and thou shalt have all that thou requirest.

⁷And she said, My request and my petition [are]:

⁸if I have found favour in the sight of the king, let the king and Aman come again to-morrow to the feast which I shall prepare for them, and to-morrow I will do the same.

⁹So Aman went out from the king very glad [and] merry: but when Aman saw Mardochaeus the Jew in the court, he was greatly enraged.

¹⁰And having gone into his own house, he called his friends, and his wife Zosara.

¹¹And he shewed them his wealth, and the glory with which the king had invested him, and how he had caused him to take precedence and bear chief rule in the kingdom.

¹²And Aman said, The queen has called no one to the feast with the king but me, and I am invited to-morrow.

¹³But these things please me not, while I see Mardochaeus the Jew in the court.

¹⁴And Zosara his wife and his friends said to him, Let there be a gallows made for thee of fifty cubits, and in the morning do thou speak to the king, and let Mardochaeus be hanged on the gallows: but do thou go in to the feast with the king, and be merry. And the saying pleased Aman, and the gallows was prepared.