Estera 1
1 Bilo je u vrijeme Ahasvera, onoga Ahasvera koji je vladao nad sto dvadeset i sedam pokrajina od Indije do Etiopije.
And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (that is, the Ahasuerus that reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces),
2 U to vrijeme, dok je kralj Ahasver sjedio na prijestolju svoga kraljevstva u tvrđavi grada Suze,
in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the fortress,
3 treće godine svoga kraljevanja, priredi on gozbu za sve svoje knezove i službenike. Našli su se tako pred njim zapovjednici perzijske i medijske vojske, odličnici i pokrajinski upravitelji.
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces being before him;
4 Punih sto i osamdeset dana pokazivaše on bogatstvo i slavu kraljevstva svoga i veličanstveni sjaj veličine svoje.
when he shewed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the splendid magnificence of his grandeur many days, a hundred and eighty days.
5 Kad je prošlo to vrijeme, priredi kralj u vrtnom trijemu svoje palače sedmodnevnu gozbu za sav narod koji se nalazio u tvrđavi grada Suze, od najvišega pa do najnižega.
And when these days were expired, the king made a feast to all the people that were present in Shushan the fortress, both to great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
6 Zavjese od najfinijeg lana, vune, ljubičasta skrleta bile su pričvršćene vrpcama od beza i crvena grimiza o srebrne prstenove na stupovima od bijela mramora. Na podu od zelenog i bijelog mramora, sedefa i skupocjenog kamenja, nalazile se postelje od srebra i zlata.
White, green, and blue [hangings] were fastened with cords of byssus and purple to silver rings and pillars of white marble; couches of gold and silver [lay] upon a pavement of red and white marble, and alabaster, and black marble.
7 Za piće su služili zlatni pehari, sve jedan drugačiji od drugoga, a vina je bilo kraljevski obilno, kako i dolikuje kraljevskoj moći.
And they gave drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the king's bounty.
8 Pilo se po nekom pravilu, ali ne prisilno, jer je kralj bio naredio svim nadzirateljima svoga dvora da sa svakim postupaju prema njegovoj želji.
And the drinking was, according to commandment, without constraint; for so the king had appointed to all the magnates of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
9 I kraljica Vašti priredi gozbu za žene u kraljevskoj palači kralja Ahasvera.
Also the queen Vashti made a feast for the women of the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
10 Sedmoga dana, kad srce kraljevo bijaše veselo od vina, naredi Mehumanu, Bizeti, Harboni, Bigti, Abagti, Zetaru i Karkasu, sedmorici eunuha koji su mu služili,
On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Ahasuerus,
11 da dovedu preda nj kraljicu Vašti s kraljevskom krunom, da bi pokazao narodu i knezovima ljepotu njezinu. Ona je uistinu bila privlačna.
to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown to shew the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was of beautiful countenance.
12 Ali se kraljica Vašti ne htjede odazvati kraljevu pozivu što joj ga prenesoše dvorani. Kralj se tada veoma razbjesni i njegova se srdžba rasplamsa.
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king which was [sent] by the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burned in him.
13 Onda zapita mudrace koji poznaju vremena. Jer svaki se kraljev posao tako proučavao među onima koji su poznavali zakone i pravo.
And the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for so was the king's business [conducted] before all that knew law and judgment;
14 Najbliži su mu bili Karsena, Šetar, Admata, Taršiš, Mares, Marsena i Memukan, sedam knezova Perzije i Medije. Oni su smjeli gledati kraljevo lice i zauzimali su najistaknutija mjesta u kraljevstvu.
and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and who sat first in the kingdom),
15 Upita ih: "Što treba prema zakonu poduzeti protiv kraljice Vašti, koja se nije pokorila zapovijedi kralja Ahasvera koju su joj saopćili dvorani?"
What shall be done to the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not performed the word of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16 Memukan tada odgovori pred kraljem i knezovima: "Kraljica je Vašti skrivila ne samo kralju nego i svim poglavarima i svem narodu koji prebiva u svim pokrajinama kralja Ahasvera.
Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, The queen Vashti has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17 Jer će za držanje kraljičino doznati sve žene pa će prezirati svoje muževe govoreći: 'Kralj je Ahasver naredio da dovedu preda nj kraljicu Vašti, ali ona ne htjede doći.'
For the act of the queen will come abroad to all women, so as to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when they shall say, The king Ahasuerus commanded the queen Vashti to be brought in before him, and she came not!
18 I žene će knezova perzijskih i medijskih, pošto doznaju za kraljičino ponašanje, još danas pripovijedati svim poglavarima kraljevim, pa će biti prkosa i prezira u izobilju.
And the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's act, will say it this day to all the king's princes, and there will be contempt and anger enough.
19 Stoga, svidi li se kralju, neka se objavi kraljevska naredba i umetne među zakone Perzije i Medije, tako da se više ne može opozvati, da se Vašti ne smije više pojaviti pred kraljem Ahasverom, a kralj neka preda kraljevsku čast drugoj ženi, boljoj od nje.
If it please the king, let a royal order go forth from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it may not pass, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another that is better than she;
20 Kad se ta naredba koju će kralj učiniti pročuje po svem kraljevstvu, koje je zaista veliko, sve će žene iskazivati poštovanje svojim muževima, od najvišega pa do najnižega."
and when the king's edict which he shall make shall be heard throughout his realm — for it is great — all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, from the greatest to the least.
21 Riječ se svidje i kralju i njegovim knezovima. Stoga on učini kako mu je savjetovao Memukan.
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan.
22 Uputi pisma u sve kraljevske pokrajine, svakoj pokrajini pismom kojim se ona služila, a svakom narodu njegovim jezikom, da svaki muž bude gospodar u svojoj kući.
And he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, That every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.
