Esther 1
1 King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
アハシュエロスすなわちインドからエチオピヤまで百二十七州を治めたアハシュエロスの世、
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
アハシュエロス王が首都スサで、その国の位に座していたころ、
3 During the third year that he ruled his empire, he invited all his administrators and [other] officials to a big banquet/feast. He invited all the commanders of the armies of Persia and Media to come to the banquet. He also invited the governors and other leaders of the provinces.
その治世の第三年に、彼はその大臣および侍臣たちのために酒宴を設けた。ペルシャとメデアの将軍および貴族ならびに諸州の大臣たちがその前にいた。
4 [The celebration] lasted for six months. During that time the king showed his guests all his wealth and other things that showed how great his kingdom was (OR, how great a king he was).
その時、王はその盛んな国の富と、その王威の輝きと、はなやかさを示して多くの日を重ね、百八十日に及んだ。
5 At the end of those six months, the king invited people to another banquet. He invited to the banquet all the men who worked in the palace, including those who had important jobs and those who had unimportant jobs. [This celebration] lasted for seven days. It was in the courtyard of the palace in Susa.
これらの日が終った時、王は王の宮殿の園の庭で、首都スサにいる大小のすべての民のために七日の間、酒宴を設けた。
6 [In the courtyard] were beautiful blue and white curtains that were fastened by white and purple cords/ribbons to rings that were on pillars made from [expensive white stone called] marble. [The guests sat on] gold and silver couches. The couches were on a pavement/floor which had on top of it designs made from various kinds of expensive stones.
そこには白綿布の垂幕と青色のとばりとがあって、紫色の細布のひもで銀の輪および大理石の柱につながれていた。また長いすは金銀で作られ、石膏と大理石と真珠貝および宝石の切りはめ細工の床の上に置かれていた。
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
酒は金の杯で賜わり、その杯はそれぞれ違ったもので、王の大きな度量にふさわしく、王の用いる酒を惜しみなく賜わった。
8 There was a lot of wine, because the king wanted the guests to drink as much as they wanted. But the king told the servants that they should not force anyone to drink more than he wanted.
その飲むことは法にかない、だれもしいられることはなかった。これは王が人々におのおの自分の好むようにさせよと宮廷のすべての役人に命じておいたからである。
9 [At the same time, the king’s wife, ] Queen Vashti, invited the wives of the men who worked in the palace to a banquet [in another room in the palace].
王妃ワシテもまたアハシュエロス王に属する王宮の内で女たちのために酒宴を設けた。
10 On the last/seventh day of those banquets, when King Xerxes was partially drunk from drinking wine, he [summoned] seven of his personal servants. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas.
七日目にアハシュエロス王は酒のために心が楽しくなり、王の前に仕える七人の侍従メホマン、ビズタ、ハルボナ、ビグタ、アバグタ、ゼタルおよびカルカスに命じて、
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
王妃ワシテに王妃の冠をかぶらせて王の前にこさせよと言った。これは彼女が美しかったので、その美しさを民らと大臣たちに見せるためであった。
12 But when those servants told Vashti what the king wanted, she refused to go to the king [because she did not want to display her beauty in front of a group of half-drunk men]. So that caused the king to become very angry.
ところが、王妃ワシテは侍従が伝えた王の命令に従って来ることを拒んだので、王は大いに憤り、その怒りが彼の内に燃えた。
13 Immediately he had a meeting with the seven men who were the most important officials in Persia and Media. They were the men whom he often asked (for their advice/what he should do). And they were men who knew all the customs and laws [of Persia]. Their names were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan.
そこで王は時を知っている知者に言った、王はすべて法律と審判に通じている者に相談するのを常とした。
時に王の次にいた人々はペルシャおよびメデアの七人の大臣カルシナ、セタル、アデマタ、タルシシ、メレス、マルセナ、メムカンであった。彼らは皆王の顔を見る者で、国の首位に座する人々であった
15 The king said to them, “Queen Vashti has refused to obey me when I sent my servants [to tell her to come here]. What do our laws say that we should do to someone who [acts/behaves like that]?”
「王妃ワシテは、アハシュエロス王が侍従をもって伝えた命令を行わないゆえ、法律に従って彼女にどうしたらよかろうか」。
16 While the other officials were present, Memucan told the king, [“Your majesty], Queen Vashti has (insulted/done wrong against) you, but she has also insulted all your officials and everyone else (in your empire/that you rule over).
メムカンは王と大臣たちの前で言った、「王妃ワシテはただ王にむかって悪い事をしたばかりでなく、すべての大臣およびアハシュエロス王の各州のすべての民にむかってもしたのです。
17 All the women [throughout the empire] will hear what she has done, and they will say, ‘The king commanded Queen Vashti to come to him, and she refused.’ [So they will not obey their husbands. Instead, ] they will begin to not respect their husbands.
王妃のこの行いはあまねくすべての女たちに聞えて、彼らはついにその目に夫を卑しめ、『アハシュエロス王は王妃ワシテに、彼の前に来るように命じたがこなかった』と言うでしょう。
18 Before this day ends, the wives of all us officials in Persia and Media will hear what the queen did, and they also will refuse to obey their husbands. They will not respect us, and they will cause us to become very angry.
王妃のこの行いを聞いたペルシャとメデアの大臣の夫人たちもまた、今日、王のすべての大臣たちにこのように言うでしょう。そうすれば必ず卑しめと怒りが多く起ります。
19 So if it pleases you, O king, you should write a law. Like all the other laws of Persia and Media, it will be a law that (no one can change/cannot be changed.) Write a law that states that Queen Vashti will never be allowed to see you again [and will not continue to be the queen]. Then you can choose another woman to be queen, a woman who deserves to be queen more than Vashti does.
もし王がよしとされるならば、ワシテはこの後、再びアハシュエロス王の前にきてはならないという王の命令を下し、これをペルシャとメデアの法律の中に書きいれて変ることのないようにし、そして王妃の位を彼女にまさる他の者に与えなさい。
20 Then, when everyone in your empire hears what you have commanded, all the women, including those who are important and those who are not important, will respect and obey their husbands.”
王の下される詔がこの大きな国にあまねく告げ示されるとき、妻たる者はことごとく、その夫を高下の別なく共に敬うようになるでしょう」。
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
王と大臣たちはこの言葉をよしとしたので、王はメムカンの言葉のとおりに行った。
22 Then he sent letters to all the provinces, stating that all men should have complete authority over their wives and their children. He wrote the letters in every language and type of writing/alphabet that was used in each province.
王は王の諸州にあまねく書を送り、各州にはその文字にしたがい、各民族にはその言語にしたがって書き送り、すべて男子たる者はその家の主となるべきこと、また自分の民の言語を用いて語るべきことをさとした。
