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.
2–BOB
Ester malika boʻladi
1 Axashverash gʻazabidan tushgandan keyin, Vashti va uning qilmishi, Vashtining ustidan chiqarilgan hukm esiga tushib qoldi. 2 Shohning aʼyonlari aytdilar: “Shohimiz uchun yosh, chiroyli qizlar qidirilsin. 3 Buning uchun shohimiz qoʻli ostidagi viloyatlarda nazoratchilar tayin qilinsin, ular chiroyli barno qizlarni shohimizning xizmatkori, haram ogʻasi Xegay nazorati ostida Shushan qalʼasidagi haramga toʻplasinlar, qizlarga pardoz bersinlar. 4 Shohimizga yoqqan qiz Vashtining oʻrniga malika boʻlsin.” Bu gap shohga maʼqul keldi va u aytilganlarni qildi.
5 Shushan qalʼasida bir yahudiy yashardi. Uning ismi Yovir oʻgʻli Mardoxay boʻlib, Benyamin qabilasidan edi. Yovir Shimax va Kish nasliga borib taqalardi. 6 Bobil shohi Navuxadnazar Yahudo shohi Yohayixinni asir qilib olib kelganda , Mardoxay ham Quddusdan keltirilgan edi. 7 Ota–onasidan yetim qolgan Hadassani Mardoxay asrab olib tarbiya qildi. Hadassa Mardoxayning jiyani edi. Uning boshqa ismi Ester boʻlib, kelishgan, goʻzal qiz edi.
8 Shohning amru farmoni eʼlon qilingach, Shushan qalʼasiga koʻp qizlarni toʻplab, Xegay nazoratiga topshirishdi. Ester ham shoh saroyiga keltirilib, haram ogʻasi Xegay nazoratiga topshirildi.
9 Xegayga Ester yoqdi, Xegay unga iltifot koʻrsatdi. Xegay darrov: “Bu qizga pardoz berib, parvarishlanglar, unga ulushini berib turinglar, saroydan yettita kanizak tanlab olinib, unga choʻri qilib berilsin”, deb buyurdi. U shoh haramining eng yaxshi boʻlmasiga qizni va uning kanizlarini joylashtirdi. 10 Lekin Ester oʻz xalqi, urugʻ–aymogʻi toʻgʻrisida hech narsa aytmadi. Chunki Mardoxay unga bu toʻgʻrida ogʻiz ochmasligini buyurgan edi.
11 Mardoxay har kuni Esterning sogʻligidan xabar olgani, unga qanday muomala qilishyapti ekan, deb bilgani haram hovlisi atrofida yurardi. 12 Har bir yosh qizga, Axashverash huzuriga kirish uchun navbati kelganda, oʻn ikki oy davomida pardoz berilardi. Ayollar uchun chiqarilgan qoida shunaqa edi. Olti oy mirra moyi bilan, olti oy xushboʻy narsalar va upa–eliklar bilan pardoz qilardilar. 13 Shundan keyin qiz shoh huzuriga kirardi: qiz saroyga kirayotganda, haramdan nima talab qilsa, hammasi berilardi.
14 Kechqurun shoh huzuriga kirgan qiz, ertasiga ertalab shohning mulozimi , kanizaklar soqchisi Shashagaz nazorati ostidagi boshqa haramga qaytardi. Faqat shohga xush yoqqan, shoh nomini aytib chaqirgan qiz qaytadan uning huzuriga kirardi.
15 Mardoxayning asrandisi, uning amakisi Abuhayilning qizi Ester shoh huzuriga kiradigan payt ham keldi. Ester shohning mulozimi, haram ogʻasi Xegay nima taklif qilgan boʻlsa, shuni oldi va boshqa hech narsa soʻramadi. Esterni koʻrganlarning koʻzlarida quvonch porladi.
16 Shunday qilib, Axashverash hukmronligining yettinchi yili oʻninchi oyi — Tabat oyida , Ester shoh Axashverash saroyiga keltirildi. 17 Shoh Esterni hamma qizlardan ortiq sevib qoldi. Ester shohning muruvvatiga va iltifotiga barcha qizlardan koʻproq sazovor boʻldi: Axashverash malikalik tojini Esterning boshiga kiygizib, uni Vashtining oʻrniga malika qildi. 18 Soʻngra shoh hamma aʼyonlari va xizmatkorlari uchun Ester sharafiga ziyofat berdi, hamma viloyatlarda bayram eʼlon qildi. Oliyhimmatlik bilan hadyalar ulashdi.
Mardoxay shohning hayotini saqlab qoladi
19 Barno qizlar keyingi safar haramga toʻplanishganda, Mardoxay saroyda oʻz vazifasini bajarayotgan edi . 20 Ester Mardoxayning buyrugʻiga itoat etib, urugʻ–aymogʻi va xalqi toʻgʻrisida hali gapirmagan edi. Ester Mardoxayning tarbiyasida boʻlgan paytda unga qanday itoat qilgan boʻlsa, hozir ham shunday itoat etardi.
21 Oʻsha kunlarda — Mardoxay saroyda oʻz vazifasini bajarayotganda, shohning Bixtan va Tarash degan ikkita darvozaboni quturib, shoh Axashverashning joniga suiqasd qilishni rejalashtirdilar. 22 Mardoxay bu fitnani bilib qolib, malika Esterni ogohlantirdi. Ester esa fitna toʻgʻrisidagi xabarni Mardoxay nomidan shohga yetkazdi.
23 Bu voqea tekshirilgach, toʻgʻri deb topildi va ikkala xizmatkor dorga osildi . Bu voqea shohning “Kundalik xotiralar kitobi”ga yozib qoʻyildi.
