Estera 1
1 Bilo je u vrijeme Ahasvera, onoga Ahasvera koji je vladao nad sto dvadeset i sedam pokrajina od Indije do Etiopije.
This is an account of what happened during the time of King Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.
2 U to vrijeme, dok je kralj Ahasver sjedio na prijestolju svoga kraljevstva u tvrđavi grada Suze,
At the time King Xerxes was ruling from his royal throne at the fortress in Susa.
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 organized a feast for his officials and administrators. The army commanders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were all there with him.
4 Punih sto i osamdeset dana pokazivaše on bogatstvo i slavu kraljevstva svoga i veličanstveni sjaj veličine svoje.
He put on display his wealth and the glory of his kingdom, showing how majestic, splendid, and glorious he was, for 180 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.
After that the king gave a feast lasting for seven days for all the people, great and small, who were there in the fortress of Susa in the garden courtyard of the king's pavilion.
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.
It was decorated with white and blue cotton curtains tied with cords of fine linen and purple thread on silver rings, held up by marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were placed on a pavement made of purple porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and expensive stones.
7 Za piće su služili zlatni pehari, sve jedan drugačiji od drugoga, a vina je bilo kraljevski obilno, kako i dolikuje kraljevskoj moći.
Drinks were served in golden goblets of different kinds, and the royal wine flowed freely because of the king's generosity.
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.
The king had ruled that there was to be no limit on how much a guest could drink; he had told his servants to give each guest whatever they wanted.
9 I kraljica Vašti priredi gozbu za žene u kraljevskoj palači kralja Ahasvera.
Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Xerxes.
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 of the feast, the king, feeling happy from drinking wine, ordered the seven eunuchs who were his attendants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas,
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 Queen Vashti to him wearing her royal headdress, so he could show her beauty to the people and officials, for she was very good-looking.
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 when the eunuchs delivered the order from the king, Queen Vashti refused to come. The king became extremely angry—he was absolutely furious.
13 Onda zapita mudrace koji poznaju vremena. Jer svaki se kraljev posao tako proučavao među onima koji su poznavali zakone i pravo.
Then the king spoke with the wise men who would know what to do, for it was the custom for him to ask the opinion of experts in procedures and legal matters.
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.
Those closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had frequent meetings with the king and had the highest positions 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 does the law say should be done with Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She refused to obey the direct order of King Xerxes as delivered by the eunuchs!”
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.
Memucan gave his answer before the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti hasn't just insulted the king but all the nobles and all the people of all the provinces of King Xerxes.
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.'
Once it gets out what the queen has done, all wives will despise their husbands, looking down on them and telling them, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti brought to him but she didn't come!’
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.
By the end of the day, the wives of all the nobles throughout Persia and Media who have heard what the queen did will treat their noble husbands with angry contempt!
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 Your Majesty, issue a royal decree, in accordance with the laws of Persia and Media which cannot be changed, that Vashti is banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that Your Majesty will give her royal position to another, one who is better than her.
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."
When Your Majesty's decree is proclaimed throughout your vast empire, all wives will respect their husbands, highborn or lowborn.”
21 Riječ se svidje i kralju i njegovim knezovima. Stoga on učini kako mu je savjetovao Memukan.
This advice looked good to the king and the nobles, so the king did what Memucan had said.
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.
He sent letters to all provinces in the empire, in each province's script and language, that every man should rule his own home, and use his own mother tongue.
