Esther 2

2 ¹Later, wen King Xerxes im vex don cool down, e remember Vashti, wetin she do, and wetin dem don decide against am. ²Di king im servant-dem talk say, "Make dem find fine young virgin-dem for di king. ³Di king suppose put officer-dem for evri province of im kingdom make dem gada evri fine young virgin come di fortress for Susa, come di harem wey dey under Hegai, di king im eunuch wey dey guard di women, and make dem give dem beauty treatment. ⁴Make di young woman wey please di king rule for Vashti place." Dis one please di king, and e do am so.

⁵For di fortress of Susa, one Jew wey im name na Mordecai dey live, di pikin of Jair, wey be pikin of Shimei, wey be pikin of Kish, from di tribe of Benjamin, ⁶wey dem carry comot from Jerusalem among di captive-dem wey dem take go wit Jeconiah di king of Judah, wey Nebuchadnezzar di king of Babylon carry go. ⁷E dey raise Hadassah—wey be Esther—im uncle im pikin, wey no get papa or mama. Di young woman fine well-well for body and sweet to look; wen her papa and mama die, Mordecai take am as im own pikin.

⁸Wen dem hear di king im command and decree, and plenty young woman gada come Susa im fortress under Hegai im care, dem take Esther too go di king palace, under Hegai im care, wey dey keep di women. ⁹Di young woman please am and win im favour, so e quick give her beauty treatment and food portion, plus seven special young woman from di king palace, and e move am wit her maid-dem go di best part of di harem. ¹⁰Esther no tell dem im people or im family, bicos Mordecai tell am make e no talk. ¹¹Evriday Mordecai dey waka up and down for front of di harem courtyard make e sabi how Esther dey and wetin dey happen to am.

¹²Each young woman turn to go meet King Xerxes come after twelve months of beauty treatment wey dem must do: six months wit oil of myrrh, six months wit perfume and cosmetic. ¹³Na dis way each young woman dey go meet di king: wetin-so-eva she ask, dem go give am make she take am comot from di harem go di king palace. ¹⁴For evening she go enter; for morning she go return go anoda harem under Shaashgaz, di king im eunuch wey dey keep di concubine-dem. She no go return go di king unless e take joy for her and call her by name.

¹⁵Wen Esther turn reach—she wey be di pikin of Abihail, Mordecai im uncle, wey don take am as im own pikin—to go meet di king, she no ask for anytin except wetin Hegai, di king im eunuch wey dey guard di women, tell am. Esther win favour wit evribody wey see am.

¹⁶Dem take Esther go meet King Xerxes for im royal palace for di tenth month, wey be Tebeth, for di seventh year of im reign. ^a a v16 Tebeth na di tenth month of di Hebrew calendar, around December–January.

¹⁷Di king love Esther pass all di oda women; she win im favour and approval pass all di virgin-dem. So e put di royal crown for her head and make am queen for Vashti place.

¹⁸Di king hold big banquet for all im official and servant-dem—na Esther banquet. E announce holiday for di province-dem and give gift wit royal open-hand.

¹⁹Now wen dem gada di virgin-dem di second time, Mordecai bin dey sidon for di king gate. ²⁰Esther neva tell dem im people or im family, jus as Mordecai direct am; she obey am jus like wen e dey raise am.

Mordecai Discover Plan Wey Dem Get Against di King

²¹For dose days, as Mordecai sidon for di king gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two royal eunuch wey dey guard di doorway, vex and plan to kill King Xerxes. ²²But Mordecai hear about di plan and tell Queen Esther, wey report am to di king for Mordecai name. ²³Dem investigate di matter, confirm say na true, and dem hang di two men for pole. Dem write am down for di book of chronicle-dem for di king front.