1 A fter these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, 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 servants who attended 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, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations 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 woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing 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 I n Shushan the citadel there was a certain 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 K ish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

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 A nd Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. 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 it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian 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 woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.

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 revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it.

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

11 A nd every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to 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 E ach young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying 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 hus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters 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 went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

15 N ow when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained 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, which is 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 T he king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon 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 made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king. Mordecai Discovers a Plot

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 virgins were gathered together a second time, Mordecai sat within 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 revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was 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 within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious 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 S o the matter became known to Mordecai, who 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 A nd when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

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