1 A fter these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what was decreed against her.

Passadas estas coisas e aplacada a ira do rei Assuero, lembrou-se ele de Vasti, do que ela fizera e do que se decretara a seu respeito.

2 T hen the king’s servants who ministered to him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

Então disseram os servos do rei que lhe ministravam: Busquem-se para o rei moças virgens e formosas.

3 A nd let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the capital in Shushan, to the harem under the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their things for purification be given them.

Ponha o rei em todas as províncias do seu reino oficiais que ajuntem todas as moças virgens e formosas em Susã, a capital, na casa das mulheres, sob a custódia de Hegai, eunuco do rei, guarda das mulheres; e dêem-se-lhes os seus cosméticos.

4 A nd let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. This pleased the king, and he did so.

E a donzela que agradar ao rei seja rainha em lugar de Vasti. E isso pareceu bem ao rei; e ele assim fez.

5 T here was a certain Jew in the capital in Shushan whose name was Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

Havia então em Susã, a capital, certo judeu, benjamita, cujo nome era Mardoqueu, filho de Jair, filho de Simei, filho de Quis,

6 W ho had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile.

que tinha sido levado de Jerusalém com os cativos que foram deportados com Jeconias, rei de Judá, o qual nabucodonosor, rei de Babilônia, transportara.

7 H e had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was beautiful and lovely, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Criara ele Hadassa, isto é, Ester, filha de seu tio, pois não tinha ela nem pai nem mãe; e era donzela esbelta e formosa; e, morrendo seu pai e sua mãe, Mardoqueu a tomara por filha.

8 S o when the king’s command and his decree were proclaimed and when many maidens were gathered in Shushan the capital under the custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken to the king’s house into the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

Tendo se divulgado a ordem do rei e o seu edito, e ajuntando-se muitas donzelas em Susã, a capital, sob a custódia de Hegai, levaram também Ester ao palácio do rei, ã custódia de Hegai, guarda das mulheres.

9 A nd the maiden pleased and obtained his favor. And he speedily gave her the things for her purification and her portion of food and the seven chosen maids to be given her from the king’s palace; and he removed her and her maids to the best in the harem.

E a donzela gradou-lhe, e alcançou o favor dele; pelo que ele se apressou em dar-lhe os cosméticos e os devidos alimentos, como também sete donzelas escolhidas do palácio do rei; e a fez passar com as suas donzelas ao melhor lugar na casa das mulheres.

10 E sther had not made known her nationality or her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her not to do so.

Ester, porém, não tinha declarado o seu povo nem a sua parentela, pois Mardoqueu lhe tinha ordenado que não o declarasse.

11 A nd Mordecai '> attendant in the king’s court] walked every day before the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what would become of her.

E cada dia Mardoqueu passeava diante do pátio da casa das mulheres, para lhe informar como Ester passava e do que lhe sucedia.

12 N ow when the turn of each maiden came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the regulations for the women had been carried out for twelve months—since this was the regular period for their beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet spices and perfumes and the things for the purifying of the women—

Ora, quando chegava a vez de cada donzela vir ao Rei Assuero, depois que fora feito a cada uma segundo prescrito para as mulheres, por doze meses (pois assim se cumpriam os dias de seus preparativos, a saber, seis meses com óleo de mirra, e seis meses com especiarias e ungüentos em uso entre as mulheres);

13 T hen in this way the maiden came to the king: whatever she desired was given her to take with her from the harem into the king’s palace.

desta maneira vinha a donzela ao rei: dava-lhe tudo quanto ela quisesse para levar consigo da casa das mulheres para o palácio do rei;

14 I n the evening she went and next day she returned into the second harem in the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She came to the king no more unless the king delighted in her and she was called for by name.

15 N ow when the turn for Esther the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his own daughter, had come to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s attendant, the keeper of the women, suggested. And Esther won favor in the sight of all who saw her.

Ora, quando chegou a vez de Ester, filha de Abiail, tio de mardoqueu, que a tomara por sua filha, para ir ao rei, coisa nenhuma pediu senão o que indicou Hegai, eunuco do rei, guarda das mulheres. Mas Ester alcançava graça aos olhos de todos quantos a viam.

16 S o Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Ester foi levada ao rei Assuero, ao palácio real, no décimo mês, que é o mês de tebete, no sétimo ano de seu reinado.

17 A nd the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the maidens, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

E o rei amou a Ester mais do que a todas mulheres, e ela alcançou graça e favor diante dele mais do que todas as virgens; de sorte que lhe pôs sobre a cabeça a coroa real, e afez rainha em lugar de Vasti.

18 T hen the king gave a great feast for all his princes and his servants, Esther’s feast; and he gave a holiday to the provinces and gave gifts in keeping with the generosity of the king.

Então o rei deu um grande banquete a todos os seus príncipes e aos seus servos; era um banquete em honra de Ester; e concedeu alívio

19 A nd when the maidens were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

Quando pela segunda vez se ajuntavam as virgens, Mardoqueu estava sentado ã porta do rei.

20 N ow Esther had not yet revealed her nationality or her people, for she obeyed Mordecai’s command to her '> to fear God and execute His commands] just as when she was being brought up by him.

Ester, porém, como Mardoqueu lhe ordenara, não tinha declarado a sua parentela nem o seu povo: porque obedecia as ordens de Mardoqueu como quando estava sendo criada em casa dele.

21 I n those days, while Mordecai sat at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who guarded the door, were angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

Naqueles dias, estando Mardoqueu sentado ã porta do rei, dois eunucos do rei, os guardas da porta, Bigtã e Teres, se indignaram e procuravam tirar a vida ao rei Assuero.

22 A nd this was known to Mordecai, who told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name.

E veio isto ao conhecimento de Mardoqueu, que revelou ã rainha Ester; e Ester o disse ao rei em nome de Mardoqueu.

23 W hen it was investigated and found to be true, both men were hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Quando se investigou o negócio e se achou ser verdade, ambos foram enforcados; e isso foi escrito no livro das crônicas perante o rei.