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].
亚哈随鲁作王，从印度直到古实，统管一百二十七省。
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
亚哈随鲁王在书珊城的宫登基；
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.
在位第三年，为他一切首领臣仆设摆筵席，有波斯和米底亚的权贵，就是各省的贵胄与首领，在他面前。
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).
他把他荣耀之国的丰富和他美好威严的尊贵给他们看了许多日，就是一百八十日。
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.
这日子满了，又为所有住书珊城的大小人民在御园的院子里设摆筵席七日。
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.
有白色、绿色、蓝色的帐子，用细麻绳、紫色绳从银环内系在白玉石柱上；有金银的床榻摆在红、白、黄、黑玉石的铺石地上。
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
用金器皿赐酒，器皿各有不同。御酒甚多，足显王的厚意。
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.
喝酒有例，不准勉强人，因王吩咐宫里的一切臣宰，让人各随己意。
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].
王后瓦实提在亚哈随鲁王的宫内也为妇女设摆筵席。
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.
第七日，亚哈随鲁王饮酒，心中快乐，就吩咐在他面前侍立的七个太监米户幔、比斯他、哈波拿、比革他、亚拔他、西达、甲迦，
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
请王后瓦实提头戴王后的冠冕到王面前，使各等臣民看她的美貌，因为她容貌甚美。
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.
王后瓦实提却不肯遵太监所传的王命而来，所以王甚发怒，心如火烧。
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.
那时，在王左右常见王面、国中坐高位的，有波斯和米底亚的七个大臣，就是甲示拿、示达、押玛他、他施斯、米力、玛西拿、米母干，都是达时务的明哲人。按王的常规，办事必先询问知例明法的人。王问他们说：
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]?”
“王后瓦实提不遵太监所传的王命，照例应当怎样办理呢？”
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).
米母干在王和众首领面前回答说：“王后瓦实提这事，不但得罪王，并且有害于王各省的臣民；
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.
因为王后这事必传到众妇人的耳中，说：‘亚哈随鲁王吩咐王后瓦实提到王面前，她却不来’，她们就藐视自己的丈夫。
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.
今日波斯和米底亚的众夫人听见王后这事，必向王的大臣照样行；从此必大开藐视和忿怒之端。
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.
王若以为美，就降旨写在波斯和米底亚人的例中，永不更改，不准瓦实提再到王面前，将她王后的位分赐给比她还好的人。
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.”
所降的旨意传遍通国（国度本来广大），所有的妇人，无论丈夫贵贱都必尊敬他。”
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
王和众首领都以米母干的话为美，王就照这话去行，
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.
发诏书，用各省的文字、各族的方言通知各省，使为丈夫的在家中作主，各说本地的方言。
