ester 2:1-23
2 is sabke baad raja ahash-verosh+ ka gussa thanda ho gaya. usne yaad kiya ki vashti ne kya kiya tha+ aur iske liye use kya saza sunayi gayi thi.+
2 tab raja ke khaas sevkon ne usse kaha, “raja ke liye sundar, kunvari ladkiyaan dhoondhi jaayen.
3 raja is kaam ke liye apne sabhi zilon mein adhikari thehraye.+ woh khoobsoorat kunvari ladkiyon ko ikattha karein aur unhein shooshan* naam ke kile* mein aurton ke bhavan* mein laayen. unhein raja ke khoje aur aurton ke rakhvale hege+ ki dekhrekh mein rakha jaaye aur khushboodar tel se unka rang-roop nikhara jaaye.*
4 unmein se jo ladki raja ke man ko bhaa jaaye, use vashti ki jagah raani banaya jaaye.”+ raja ko yah sujhav pasand aaya aur usne aisa hi kiya.
5 un dinon shooshan*+ naam ke kile* mein mordakai+ naam ka ek yahoodi aadmi tha. woh yaair ka beta tha, yaair shimi ka aur shimi keesh ka beta tha jo binyameen gotra+ se tha
6 aur jise* baibilon ka raja nabookadnessar, yahooda ke raja yakonyah*+ ke saath yarooshalem se bandi banakar laaya tha.
7 mordakai ne apni chacheri behen hadassa* yaani ester ki parvarish ki thi+ kyonki woh anath thi. uske maata-pita ki maut ke baad mordakai ne use apni beti ki tarah paal-poskar bada kiya tha. woh bahot khoobsoorat thi aur uska rang-roop dekhte hi banta tha.
8 jab raja ke hukm aur uske kaanoon ka ailan kiya gaya aur kai javan ladkiyon ko shooshan* naam ke kile* mein ikattha kiya gaya, to ester bhi vahaan laayi gayi. aur baaki ladkiyon ke saath use shaahi bhavan* mein aurton ke rakhvale hege ki nigrani mein rakha gaya.+
9 hege ko ester itni achhi lagi ki usne ester par meharbani* ki. usne fauran hukm diya ki ester ki khoobsoorti nikharne* ka intazam kiya jaaye+ aur uske khaane-peene ka khaas dhyan rakha jaaye. usne shaahi bhavan se saat sevikaon ko ester ki seva ke liye thehraya. itna hi nahin, usne ester aur uski sevikaon ko aurton ke bhavan* mein sabse badhiya jagah di.
10 ester ne apne logon ya apne rishtedaron ke baare mein kisi ko nahin bataya+ kyonki mordakai+ ne usse kaha tha ki woh kisi se kuch na kahe.+
11 mordakai har din aurton ke bhavan* ke aangan ke aas-paas ghoomta tha taaki ester ka haal-chaal jaan sake aur yah bhi ki uske saath kya ho raha hai.
12 sabhi ladkiyon ko baari-baari raja ahash-verosh ke saamne jaana tha. magar isse pehale 12 maheene tak unka rang-roop nikhara gaya.* chhe: maheene gandhras ke tel se+ aur agle chhe: maheene balsan ke tel se+ aur tarah-tarah ki cheezon se unki maalish ki gayi.
13 aur jab kisi ladki ki baari aati ki woh aurton ke bhavan* se shaahi bhavan mein raja ke saamne haazir ho, tab woh jo kuch maangti, use diya jaata.
14 woh shaam ko bhavan mein jaati thi aur subah use aurton ke doosre bhavan* mein bhej diya jaata. is bhavan ki dekhrekh raja ka khoja shaashgaj karta tha,+ jo raja ki up-patniyon ka rakhvala bhi tha. bhavan se lautne ke baad woh ladki dobara raja ke saamne tab tak nahin jaa sakti thi, jab tak ki raja khush hokar khud use nahin bulata tha.+
15 ab abeehail ki beti aur mordakai ki chacheri behen ester ki baari aayi, jise mordakai ne apni beti ki tarah paala tha.+ raja ke saamne jaane ke liye ladkiyon ke rakhvale, khoje hege ne ester ko jo kuch diya, usse zyada ester ne kuch nahin maanga. (jis-jis ne ester ko dekha, un sabko woh bhaa gayi.)
16 raja ahash-verosh ke raaj ke saatvein saal mein+ tebet* naam ke dasvein maheene mein, ester ko raja ke saamne uske shaahi bhavan mein laaya gaya.
17 raja ko ester bhaa gayi. woh usse bahot khush hua aur baaki sabhi kunvariyon se zyada ester ko chahne* laga. usne ester ko shaahi odhni pehankar vashti ki jagah apni raani bana liya.+
18 raja ne ester ki shaan mein ek badi daavat rakhi aur apne sabhi haakimon aur sevkon ko bulaya. is mauke par usne ailan kiya ki sabhi zilon ke kaidiyon ko riha kiya jaaye.* iske alava, woh apni shaahi thaat-baat ke mutabik tohfe deta raha.
19 jab sabhi kunvariyon+ ko doosri baar ikattha kiya gaya, tab mordakai raja ke mahal ke faatak par baitha hua tha.
20 ester ne apne rishtedaron aur apne logon ke baare mein kisi ko kuch nahin bataya,+ theek jaisa mordakai ne usse kaha tha. woh usi tarah mordakai ki baat maanti rahi, jis tarah woh uski dekhrekh mein rehkar maanti thi.+
21 un dinon jab mordakai raja ke mahal ke faatak par baitha karta tha,* tab raja ahash-verosh ke darbaariyon mein se do pehredar, bigtan aur teresh gusse se bhadak uthe aur unhonne raja ko jaan se maarne* ki saazish rachi.
22 lekin mordakai ko unki saazish ka pata chal gaya aur usne fauran raani ester ko iski khabar di. tab ester ne mordakai ki taraf se* raja ko sabkuch bata diya.
23 maamle ki jaanch ki gayi aur khabar pakki nikli. bigtan aur teresh ko kaath par latka diya gaya. ye saari baatein us zamane ke itihas ki kitab mein raja ke saamne likhi gayin.+
kai footnote
^ ya “soosa.”
^ ya “mahal.”
^ ya “janankhane.”
^ ya “unki maalish ki jaaye.”
^ ya “mahal.”
^ ya “soosa.”
^ yah ya to keesh ho sakta hai ya mordakai.
^ matlab “meinhadi.”
^ ya “soosa.”
^ ya “mahal.”
^ ya “mahal.”
^ ya “janankhane.”
^ ya “atal pyar.”
^ ya “ki maalish karne.”
^ ya “janankhane.”
^ ya “unki maalish ki gayi.”
^ ya “janankhane.”
^ ya “doosre janankhane.”
^ ati. kha15 dekhein.
^ ya “se atal pyar karne.”
^ ya “zilon ka mahsool maaf kiya jaaye.” in shabdon ka theek-theek matlab nahin pata.
^ ya “mahal mein darbaari tha.”
^ shaa., “raja par haath chalane.”
^ shaa., “ke naam se.”
