< Esther 1 >

1 In the days of Artaxerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces,
E succedeu nos dias de Assuero (este é aquelle Assuero que reinou desde a India até Ethiopia, sobre cento e vinte e sete provincias):
2 when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city of Susa was the root of his kingdom.
N'aquelles dias, assentando-se o rei Assuero sobre o throno do seu reino, que está na fortaleza de Susan,
3 And so, in the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for all the leaders and his servants, for the most powerful among the Persians and the distinguished among the Medes, and for the rulers of the provinces before him,
No terceiro anno do seu reinado, fez um convite a todos os seus principes e seus servos (o poder da Persia e Media e os maiores senhores das provincias estavam perante elle),
4 so that he might show the glorious riches of his kingdom, as well as its greatness, and so boast of his power, for a long time, namely, one hundred and eighty days.
Para mostrar as riquezas da gloria do seu reino, e o esplendor da sua excellente grandeza, por muitos dias, a saber: cento e oitenta dias.
5 And when the days of the feast were nearly completed, he invited all the people, who had been found in Susa, from the greatest even to the least, and he commanded a feast to be prepared, for seven days, in the court of the garden and the arboretum, which had been planted by the care and by the hand of the king.
E, acabados aquelles dias, fez o rei um convite a todo o povo que se achou na fortaleza de Susan, desde o maior até ao menor, por sete dias, no pateo do jardim do palacio real.
6 And, in every direction, tents the color of the sky and of flax as well as hyacinth were hung up, suspended by cords of linen and even purple, which had been placed through rings of ivory and were held up with marble columns. The couches also, of gold and silver, had been arranged over a pavement of emerald-green, bearing scattered jewels, which was decorated with a wonderful variety of images.
As tapeçarias eram de branco, verde, e azul celeste, pendentes de cordões de linho fino e purpura, e argolas de prata, e columnas de marmore: os leitos d'oiro e de prata, sobre um pavimento de porphyro, e de marmore, e d'alabastro, e de pedras preciosas.
7 Moreover, those who had been invited drank from golden cups, and dishes of foods were brought in one after another. Likewise, choice wine was presented in abundance, as was worthy of royal magnificence.
E dava-se de beber em vasos d'oiro, e os vasos eram differentes uns dos outros; e havia muito vinho real, segundo o estado do rei.
8 Nor was anyone compelled to drink who was unwilling, but, just as the king had appointed, one of his nobles was set over each table, so that each one might select what he wanted.
E o beber era por lei, que ninguem forçasse a outro: porque assim o tinha ordenado o rei expressamente a todos os grandes da sua casa, que fizessem conforme á vontade de cada um.
9 Likewise, Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the palace where king Artaxerxes was accustomed to stay the night.
Tambem a rainha Vasthi fez um convite ás mulheres, na casa real, que tinha o rei Assuero.
10 And so, on the seventh day, when the king was more cheerful, and, after excessive drinking, had become warmed with wine, he ordered Mehuman, and Biztha, and Harbona, and Bigtha, and Abagtha, and Zethar, and Charkas, seven eunuchs who served in his presence,
E ao setimo dia, estando já o coração do rei alegre do vinho, mandou a Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, e Abagtha, Zethar, e a Carchas, os sete eunuchos que serviam na presença do rei Assuero,
11 to bring in queen Vashti before the king, with the crown set upon her head, to show her beauty to the whole people and to the leaders, for she was very beautiful.
Que introduzissem na presença do rei a rainha Vasthi, com a corôa real, para mostrar aos povos e aos principes a sua formosura, porque era formosa á vista.
12 She refused, and she showed contempt towards the king’s command, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs. Whereupon the king, being angry and inflamed with a very great fury,
Porém a rainha Vasthi recusou vir conforme á palavra do rei, pela mão dos eunuchos; pelo que o rei muito se enfureceu, e ardeu n'elle a sua ira.
13 questioned the wise men, who, according to royal custom were always near him and all he did was by their counsel, who knew the laws as well as the judgments of their ancestors,
Então disse o rei aos sabios que entendiam dos tempos (porque assim se tratavam os negocios do rei na presença de todos os que sabiam a lei e o direito;
14 (but first and foremost were Carshena, and Shethar, and Admatha, and Tarshish, and Meres, and Marsena, and Memucan, seven rulers of the Persians as well as the Medes, who saw the face of the king and who were accustomed to sitting down first after him, )
E os mais chegados a elle eram: Carsena, Sethar, Admatha, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, Memuchan, os sete principes dos persas e dos medos, que viam a face do rei, e se assentavam os primeiros no reino)
15 as to what sentence should fall upon Vashti the queen, who had refused to do the commandment of king Artaxerxes, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs.
Que, segundo a lei, se devia fazer da rainha Vasthi, por não haver feito o mandado do rei Assuero, pela mão dos eunuchos?
16 And Memucan answered, in the hearing of the king as well as the rulers, “Queen Vashti has wounded not only the king, but also all the people and the leaders, who are in all the provinces of king Artaxerxes.
Então disse Memuchan na presença do rei e dos principes: Não sómente peccou contra o rei a rainha Vasthi, porém tambem contra todos os principes, e contra todos os povos que ha em todas as provincias do rei Assuero.
17 For word about the queen will go out to all the women, so that they will show contempt for their husbands, and they will say, ‘King Artaxerxes ordered that queen Vashti should enter before him, and she would not.’
Porque a noticia d'este feito da rainha sairá a todas as mulheres, de modo que desprezarão a seus maridos aos seus olhos quando se disser: Mandou o rei Assuero que introduzissem á sua presença a rainha Vasthi, porém ella não veiu.
18 And so, by this example all the wives of the leaders of the Persians and the Medes will belittle the authority of their husbands; therefore, the indignation of the king is just.
E n'este mesmo dia as princezas da Persia e da Media dirão o mesmo a todos os principes do rei, ouvindo o feito da rainha: e assim haverá assaz desprezo e indignação.
19 If it pleases you, let an edict be sent out from your presence, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and the Medes, which it is forbidden to disregard, that Vashti shall no longer enter before the king, but let another, who is better than her, receive her queenship.
Se bem parecer ao rei, saia da sua parte um edicto real, e escreva-se nas leis dos persas e dos medos, e não se quebrante, a saber: que Vasthi não entre mais na presença do rei Assuero, e o rei dê o reino d'ella á sua companheira que seja melhor do que ella
20 And let this be published in all the provinces of your empire, (which is very wide, ) and let all wives, the greater as much as the lesser, give honor to their husbands.”
E, ouvindo-se o mandado, que o rei mandar em todo o seu reino (ainda que é grande), todas as mulheres darão honra a seus maridos, desde a maior até á menor.
21 His counsel pleased the king and the rulers, and the king acted according to the counsel of Memucan,
E pareceram bem estas palavras aos olhos do rei e dos principes: e fez o rei conforme á palavra de Memuchan.
22 and he sent letters to all the provinces of his kingdom, so that every nation was able to hear and to read, in various languages and letters, that husbands are to be the greater rulers in their own houses, and that this should be published to every people.
Então enviou cartas a todas as provincias do rei, a cada provincia segundo a sua escriptura, e a cada povo segundo a sua lingua: que cada homem fosse senhor em sua casa, e que se publicasse conforme á lingua do seu povo.

< Esther 1 >