Ester 1
1 Og det skete i Ahasverus's Dage (det er den Ahasverus, som regerede fra Indien og indtil Morland over hundrede og syv og tyve Landskaber),
And it came to pass in the days of Achashverosh, of the same Achashverosh who reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces,
2 i de samme Dage, da Kong Ahasverus sad paa sit Riges Trone, som var i Borgen Susan,
In those days, when this king Achashverosh was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the capital,
3 i sin Regerings tredje Aar, gjorde han alle sine Fyrster og sine Tjenere et Gæstebud; Persiens og Mediens Hær, de fornemste og Fyrsterne i Landskaberne vare for hans Ansigt,
That, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants, the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces who were near him:
4 der han lod se sit Kongedømmes herlige Rigdom og sin Majestæts prægtige Glans mange Dage, hundrede og firsindstyve Dage.
When he showed the riches and the glory of his kingdom, and the brilliance [and] the splendor of his greatness, during many days, a hundred and eighty days.
5 Og der disse Dage vare forløbne, gjorde Kongen alt Folket, som fandtes i Borgen Susan, baade store og smaa, et Gæstebud i syv Dage i Forgaarden til Haven ved Kongens Palads.
And when these days were completed, the king made unto all the people that were found in Shushan the capital, unto every one, from the great even to the small, a feast of seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
6 Der hang hvide, grønne og blaa Tæpper, hæftede ved Snorer af kosteligt Lin og Purpur til Sølvringe og til Marmorstøtter; der var Bænke af Guld og Sølv paa et Gulv, der var indlagt med Porfyr og hvidt Marmor og Perlemor og sort Marmor.
[Where were] white, green, and blue [hangings], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple, on rollers of silver and pillars of marble; couches of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and yellow, and black marble.
7 Og man gav dem at drikke i Guldkar, og Karrene vare af forskellig Slags; og der var megen kongelig Vin, saaledes som Kongen formaaede.
And they gave them to drink in vessels of gold, —the vessels being diverse one from the other, —and the royal wine was in abundance, according to the ability of the king.
8 Og man drak, som det var foreskrevet: Ingen nødte; thi saa havde Kongen befalet alle sine Hushovmestre, at enhver kunde gøre efter sin frie Villie.
And the drinking was, according to the [king's] order, without compulsion; for so had the king enjoined on all the officers of his house, to do according to the pleasure of every man.
9 Vasthi, Dronningen, gjorde og et Gæstebud for Kvinderne i Kong Ahasverus's kongelige Hus.
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the royal house which belonged to king Achashverosh.
10 Paa den syvende Dag, der Kongens Hjerte var vel til Mode af Vinen, sagde han til Mehuman, Bistha, Harbona, Bigtha og Abagtha, Sethar og Karkas, de syv Kammertjenere, de som tjente for Kong Ahasverus's Ansigt,
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Charbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Achashverosh,
11 at de skulde føre Dronning Vasthi frem for Kongens Ansigt med kongelig Krone for at lade Folket og Fyrsterne se hendes Dejlighed; thi hun var dejlig af Anseelse.
To bring Vashti the queen before the king [ornamented] with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was handsome in appearance.
12 Men Dronning Vasthi vægrede sig ved at komme efter Kongens Ord ved Kammertjenerne; da blev Kongen saare vred, og hans Harme optændtes i ham.
But queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king brought by the hand of the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burnt in him.
13 Og Kongen sagde til de vise, som forstode sig paa Tiderne — thi saaledes blev en Sag fra Kongen forhandlet for alle, som forstode sig paa Lov og Ret;
Then said the king to the wise men, who knew [the occurrences of] the times; for so [came] every affair of the king before all acquainted with law and state institutions;
14 og de næste hos ham vare: Karsena, Sethar, Admatha, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, Memukan, de syv Fyrster af Persien og Medien, som saa Kongens Ansigt og som sade øverst i Riget —:
And those next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tharshish, Meress, Marsena, and Memuchan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who could see [at all times] the king's face, who sat in the first rank in the kingdom:
15 Hvad skal man efter Loven gøre ved Dronning Vasthi, fordi hun ikke har gjort efter Kong Ahasverus's Ord ved Kammertjenerne?
What should according to law be done with queen Vashti; because she had not fulfilled the order of king Achashverosh by the hand of the chamberlains?
16 Og Memukan sagde for Kongens og Fyrsternes Ansigt: Dronning Vasthi har ikke alene forbrudt sig imod Kongen, men imod alle Fyrsterne og imod alle Folkene, som ere i alle Kong Ahasverus's Landskaber.
Then said Memuchan before the king and the princes, Not against the king alone hath Vashti the queen done wrong, but also against all the princes, and against all the people that are in all the provinces of king Achashverosh.
17 Thi Dronningens Ord vil komme ud til alle Kvinderne, saa at de foragte deres Mænd for deres Øjne, naar de sige: Kongen, Ahasverus, sagde, at man skulde føre Dronning Vasthi frem for hans Ansigt, og hun kom ikke.
For the conduct of the queen will go abroad unto all the women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, King Achashverosh ordered Vashti the queen to be brought into his presence, but she came not.
18 Og paa denne Dag ville Fyrstinderne i Persien og Medien sige ligesaa til alle Kongens Fyrster, naar de have hørt Dronningens Ord; og saa vil der komme nok af Foragt og Vrede.
And even this day will the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the conduct of the queen, say this unto all the princes of the king; and there will arise too much contempt and quarrel.
19 Dersom det synes Kongen godt, saa udgaa et kongeligt Bud fra ham, og det vorde opskrevet iblandt Persers og Meders Love, saa at det ikke gaar tabt: At Vasthi ikke skal komme for Kong Ahasverus's Ansigt, og hendes kongelige Værdighed give Kongen til hendes Næste, som er bedre end hun.
If it please the king, let there go forth a royal order from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that no one transgress it, That Vashti come no more before king Achashverosh: and let the king give her royal dignity unto another that is better than she.
20 Naar Kongens Befaling høres, som han udsteder i sit ganske Rige — thi det er stort — da skulle alle Kvinderne holde deres Mænd i Ære, baade store og smaa.
And when the king's decree which he will make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, however great it is: all the wives will show respect to their husbands, unto every one, from the great even to the small.
21 Og det Ord syntes godt for Kongens og Fyrsternes Øjne, og Kongen gjorde efter Memukans Ord.
And the speech was pleasing in the eyes of the king and of the princes; and the king did according to the speech of Memuchan.
22 Og han udsendte Breve til alle Kongens Landskaber, til hvert Landskab efter dets Skrift, og til hvert Folk efter dets Tungemaal; at hver Mand skal have Herredømmet i sit Hus og tale efter sit Folks Tungemaal.
And he sent letters unto all the provinces of the king, unto every province according to its writing, and to every people according to its language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, however he may speak according to the language of his people.
