1 A fter these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been 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 attendants, who served 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 L et the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics 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 T hen let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

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

5 N ow there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the 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 taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.

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 was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. Esther Finds Favor

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 it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge 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 N ow the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place 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 did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.

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

11 E very day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

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 young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for 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 he young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to 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 would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 N ow when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes 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 to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Esther Becomes Queen

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 T he king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, 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 banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.

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 W hen the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

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

20 E sther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care. Mordecai Saves the King

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 was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became 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 B ut the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed 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 N ow when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written 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.