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),
I Ahasverus's Dage - den Ahasverus, der herskede over Landene fra Indien til Ætiopien, 127 Lande -
2 in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the fortress,
i hine Dage, da Kong Ahasverus sad på sin Kongetrone i Borgen Susan, tildrog der sig følgende.
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;
I sit tredje Regeringsår gjorde han et Gæstebud for alle sine Fyrster og sine Folk; Persiens og Mediens ypperste Hærførere og Landsdelenes Fyrster var hans Gæster,
4 when he shewed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the splendid magnificence of his grandeur many days, a hundred and eighty days.
og han udfoldede sin kongelige Herligheds Rigdom og sin Magts Glans og Pragt for dem i mange Dage, 180 Dage.
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.
Og da disse Dage var omme, gjorde Kongen for hele Folket i Borgen Susan, fra den højeste til den laveste, et syv Dages Gæstebud på den åbne Plads foran Parken ved Kongeborgen.
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.
Hvidt Linned og violet Purpur var med Snore af fint Linned og rødt Purpur hængt op på Sølvstænger og Marmorsøjler, og Guld- og Sølvdivaner stod på et Gulv, der var indlagt med broget og hvidt Marmor, Perlemor og sorte Sten.
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.
Drikkene skænkedes i Guldbægre, alle forskellige, og der var kongelig Vin i store Måder på ægte Fyrstevis;
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.
og ved Drikkelaget gjaldt den Regel, at man ikke nødte nogen; thi Kongen havde pålagt alle sine Hovmestre at lade enhver om, hvor meget han vilde have.
9 Also the queen Vashti made a feast for the women of the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
Også Dronning Vasjti gjorde et Gæstebud for Kvinderne i Kong Ahasverus's Kongeborg.
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,
Da Kongen den syvende Dag var oprømt af Vinen, bød han Mehuman, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zetar og Karkas, de syv Hofmænd, som stod i Kong Ahasverus's Tjeneste,
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.
at føre Dronning Vasjti, prydet med det kongelige Diadem, frem for Kongen, for at han kunde vise Folkene og Fyrsterne hendes Dejlighed. Thi hun var meget smuk.
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.
Men bronning Vasjti vægrede sig ved at komme på Kongens Bud, som Hofmændene overbragte. Da blev Kongen harmfuld, og Vreden blussede op i ham.
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;
Og Kongen spurgte de vise, som kendte til Tidernes Tydning - thi Kongens Ord blev efter Skik og Brug forelagt alle de lov- og retskyndige,
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),
og de, der stod ham nærmest, var Karsjena, Sjetar, Admata, Tarsjisj, Meres, Marsena og Memukan, de syv persiske og mediske Fyrster, som så Kongens Åsyn og havde den øverste Magt i Riget:
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?
Hvad skal der efter Loven gøres ved Dronning Vasjti, fordi hun ikke adlød den Befaling, Kong Ahasverus gav hende ved Hofmændene?
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.
Da sagde Memukan i Kongens og Fyrsternes Påhør: "Dronning Vasjti har ikke alene forbrudt sig imod Kongen, men også imod alle Fyrster og alle Folk i alle Kong Ahasverus's Lande;
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!
thi Dronningens Opførsel vil rygtes blandt alle Kvinderne, og Følgen bliver, at de viser deres Mænd Ringeagt, når det hedder sig: Kong Ahasverus bød, at man skulde føre Dronning Vasjti til ham, men hun kom ikke!
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.
Og så snart de hører om Dronningens Adfærd, lader Persiens og Mediens Fyrstinder alle Kongens Fyrster det høre; deraf kan der kun komme Ringeagt og Vrede.
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;
Hvis Kongen synes, så lade han udgå et kongeligt Bud, som skal optegnes i Persiens og Mediens Love og være uigenkaldeligt, om at Vasjti aldrig mere må vise sig for Kong Ahasverus; og Kongen skal give hendes kongelige Værdighed til en anden, som er bedre end hun.
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.
Når så den Forordning, kongen lader udgå, bliver kendt i hele hans Rige - thi det er stort - da vil alle Kvinderne, både høje og lave, vise deres Mænd Agtelse.
21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan.
Det Forslag var godt i Kongens og Fyrsternes Øjne, og Kongen fulgte Memukans Forslag.
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.
Han sendte Skrivelser til alle Kongens Lande, til hver Landsdel med dens egen Skrift og til hvert Folk på dets eget Sprog, om at hver Mand skulde være Herre i sit eget Hus og tale sit Folks Sprog.
