< Esther 1 >

1 In the days of Artaxerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces,
E sucedeu nos dias de Assuero (este é aquele Assuero que reinou desde a Índia até Ethiopia, sobre cento e vinte e sete províncias):
2 when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city of Susa was the root of his kingdom.
Naqueles dias, assentando-se o rei Assuero sobre o trono 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 ano do seu reinado, fez um convite a todos os seus príncipes e seus servos (o poder da Pérsia e Media e os maiores senhores das províncias estavam perante ele),
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 glória do seu reino, e o esplendor da sua excelente 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 aqueles 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 pátio do jardim do palácio 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 púrpura, e argolas de prata, e colunas de mármore: os leitos de ouro e de prata, sobre um pavimento de porphyro, e de mármore, e de 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 de ouro, e os vasos eram diferentes 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 ninguém forçasse a outro: porque assim o tinha ordenado o rei expressamente a todos os grandes da sua casa, que fizessem conforme à 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.
Também a rainha Vasthi fez um convite às 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 sétimo dia, estando já o coração do rei alegre do vinho, mandou a Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, e Abagtha, Zethar, e a Carchas, os sete eunucos 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 coroa real, para mostrar aos povos e aos príncipes a sua formosura, porque era formosa à 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 à palavra do rei, pela mão dos eunucos; pelo que o rei muito se enfureceu, e ardeu nele 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 sábios que entendiam dos tempos (porque assim se tratavam os negócios 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 ele eram: Carsena, Sethar, Admatha, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, Memuchan, os sete príncipes 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 eunucos?
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 príncipes: Não somente pecou contra o rei a rainha Vasthi, porém também contra todos os príncipes, e contra todos os povos que há em todas as províncias 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 notícia deste 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 à sua presença a rainha Vasthi, porém ela não veio.
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 neste mesmo dia as princezas da Pérsia e da Media dirão o mesmo a todos os príncipes 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 edito 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 dela à sua companheira que seja melhor do que ela
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 à 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 príncipes: e fez o rei conforme à 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 províncias do rei, a cada província segundo a sua escritura, e a cada povo segundo a sua língua: que cada homem fosse senhor em sua casa, e que se publicasse conforme à língua do seu povo.

< Esther 1 >