Ester é feita rainha
1 Mais tarde a raiva do rei já havia passado, mas mesmo assim ele continuava a pensar no que Vasti havia feito e no decreto que ele havia assinado contra ela. 2 Aí alguns dos seus servidores mais íntimos lhe disseram:
— Ó rei, mande buscar as mais lindas virgens do reino. 3 Escolha funcionários em todas as províncias e ordene que tragam as moças mais bonitas para o seu harém aqui em Susã, a capital. Hegai, o eunuco responsável pelo harém real, tomará conta delas e fará com que recebam um tratamento de beleza. 4 E então, ó rei, que a moça que mais lhe agradar seja a rainha no lugar de Vasti.
O rei gostou da ideia e fez o que lhe sugeriram.
5 Em Susã morava um judeu chamado Mordecai, filho de Jair e descendente de Simei e de Quis, da tribo de Benjamim. 6 Quando o rei Nabucodonosor, da Babilônia, levou de Jerusalém como prisioneiro o rei Joaquim, de Judá, Mordecai estava entre os prisioneiros que foram levados com Joaquim. 7 Mordecai levou consigo a sua prima Hadassa, isto é, Ester, uma moça bonita e formosa. Os pais dela tinham morrido, e Mordecai havia adotado a menina e a tinha criado como se ela fosse sua filha.
8 Quando o rei mandou anunciar a ordem, muitas moças foram levadas para Susã, a capital, e entregues aos cuidados de Hegai, o chefe do harém do palácio. Uma dessas moças era Ester. 9 Hegai gostou dela, e ela conquistou a simpatia dele. Imediatamente ele começou a providenciar para ela o tratamento de beleza e a comida especial. Arranjou sete das melhores empregadas do palácio para cuidarem dela e colocou Ester e as empregadas nos melhores quartos do harém.
10 Ester fez conforme Mordecai tinha mandado e não disse nada a ninguém a respeito da sua raça e dos seus parentes. 11 Todos os dias Mordecai passeava em frente do pátio do harém para saber como Ester estava passando e o que ia acontecer com ela.
12 O tratamento de beleza das moças durava um ano; durante seis meses eram usados perfumes de mirra e, no resto do ano, outros perfumes e produtos de beleza. Terminado o tratamento, cada moça era levada ao rei Xerxes. 13 Quando chegava a sua vez de ir do harém até o palácio, cada moça tinha o direito de levar tudo o que quisesse. 14 À tarde, ela ia ao palácio, e na manhã seguinte ia para outro harém, e era entregue aos cuidados de Saasgaz, o eunuco responsável pelas concubinas do rei. Ela não voltava a se encontrar com o rei, a não ser que ele gostasse dela e mandasse chamá-la pelo nome.
15 Chegou a vez de Ester, filha de Abiail e prima de Mordecai, a moça que Mordecai tinha criado, a moça que conquistava a simpatia de todos os que a conheciam. Quando chegou a sua vez de se encontrar com o rei, ela levou somente aquilo que Hegai, o eunuco responsável pelo harém, havia recomendado. 16 Ester foi levada ao palácio para apresentar-se ao rei Xerxes no mês de tebete, o décimo mês do sétimo ano do seu reinado. 17 Ele gostou dela mais do que de qualquer outra moça, e ela conquistou a simpatia e a admiração dele como nenhuma outra moça havia feito. Ele colocou a coroa na cabeça dela e a fez rainha no lugar de Vasti. 18 Depois ele deu um grande banquete em honra de Ester e convidou todos os oficiais e servidores. Ele decretou que aquele dia fosse feriado no reino inteiro e distribuiu presentes que só um rei poderia oferecer.
Mordecai salva a vida do rei
19 Durante o tempo em que as moças estavam sendo transferidas para o outro harém, Mordecai tinha sido nomeado pelo rei para ocupar um cargo no governo. 20 Seguindo o conselho de Mordecai, Ester ainda não tinha dito a ninguém que era judia. Ela continuava a obedecer a Mordecai, como tinha feito nos tempos de menina, quando ele a estava criando.
21 Naqueles dias Mordecai, fazendo o seu serviço no palácio, ficou sabendo que Bigtã e Teres, dois eunucos que eram guardas no palácio, estavam zangados com o rei e planejavam matá-lo. 22 Aí Mordecai contou isso à rainha Ester, e ela disse ao rei o que Mordecai havia descoberto. 23 Houve uma investigação, e descobriu-se que era verdade; então os dois eunucos foram enforcados. E o rei ordenou que fosse registrado um relatório sobre isso no livro em que se escrevia a história do reino.
1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. 2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: 4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 ¶ Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; 6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. 7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is , Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8 ¶ So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. 10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it . 11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 ¶ Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit , six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;) 13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. 14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
15 ¶ Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. 16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king. 19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate. 20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
21 ¶ In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. 22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name. 23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.