Esther 1
1 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),
亞哈隨魯作王，從印度直到古實，統管一百二十七省。
2 in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the fortress,
亞哈隨魯王在書珊城的宮登基；
3 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;
在位第三年，為他一切首領臣僕設擺筵席，有波斯和米底亞的權貴，就是各省的貴冑與首領，在他面前。
4 when he shewed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the splendid magnificence of his grandeur many days, a hundred and eighty days.
他把他榮耀之國的豐富和他美好威嚴的尊貴給他們看了許多日，就是一百八十日。
5 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.
這日子滿了，又為所有住書珊城的大小人民在御園的院子裏設擺筵席七日。
6 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.
有白色、綠色、藍色的帳子，用細麻繩、紫色繩從銀環內繫在白玉石柱上；有金銀的床榻擺在紅、白、黃、黑玉石的鋪石地上。
7 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.
用金器皿賜酒，器皿各有不同。御酒甚多，足顯王的厚意。
8 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.
喝酒有例，不准勉強人，因王吩咐宮裏的一切臣宰，讓人各隨己意。
9 Also the queen Vashti made a feast for the women of the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
王后瓦實提在亞哈隨魯王的宮內也為婦女設擺筵席。
10 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,
第七日，亞哈隨魯王飲酒，心中快樂，就吩咐在他面前侍立的七個太監米戶幔、比斯他、哈波拿、比革他、亞拔他、西達、甲迦，
11 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.
請王后瓦實提頭戴王后的冠冕到王面前，使各等臣民看她的美貌，因為她容貌甚美。
12 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.
王后瓦實提卻不肯遵太監所傳的王命而來，所以王甚發怒，心如火燒。
13 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;
那時，在王左右常見王面、國中坐高位的，有波斯和米底亞的七個大臣，就是甲示拿、示達、押瑪他、他施斯、米力、瑪西拿、米母干，都是達時務的明哲人。按王的常規，辦事必先詢問知例明法的人。王問他們說：
14 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 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?
「王后瓦實提不遵太監所傳的王命，照例應當怎樣辦理呢？」
16 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.
米母干在王和眾首領面前回答說：「王后瓦實提這事，不但得罪王，並且有害於王各省的臣民；
17 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!
因為王后這事必傳到眾婦人的耳中，說：『亞哈隨魯王吩咐王后瓦實提到王面前，她卻不來』，她們就藐視自己的丈夫。
18 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.
今日波斯和米底亞的眾夫人聽見王后這事，必向王的大臣照樣行；從此必大開藐視和忿怒之端。
19 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;
王若以為美，就降旨寫在波斯和米底亞人的例中，永不更改，不准瓦實提再到王面前，將她王后的位分賜給比她還好的人。
20 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.
所降的旨意傳遍通國（國度本來廣大），所有的婦人，無論丈夫貴賤都必尊敬他。」
21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan.
王和眾首領都以米母干的話為美，王就照這話去行，
22 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.
發詔書，用各省的文字、各族的方言通知各省，使為丈夫的在家中作主，各說本地的方言。
