Ἐσθήρ 1
1 ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἀρταξέρξου οὗτος ὁ Ἀρταξέρξης ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰνδικῆς ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἑπτὰ χωρῶν ἐκράτησεν
NOW IT came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus — this is Ahasuerus who reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces —
2 ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἡμέραις ὅτε ἐθρονίσθη ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀρταξέρξης ἐν Σούσοις τῇ πόλει
that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the castle,
3 ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ ἔτει βασιλεύοντος αὐτοῦ δοχὴν ἐποίησεν τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ τοῖς Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων ἐνδόξοις καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν τῶν σατραπῶν
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;
4 καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μετὰ τὸ δεῖξαι αὐτοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δόξαν τῆς εὐφροσύνης τοῦ πλούτου αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα
when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty, many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.
5 ὅτε δὲ ἀνεπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ γάμου ἐποίησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πότον τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τοῖς εὑρεθεῖσιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἓξ ἐν αὐλῇ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως
And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the castle, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
6 κεκοσμημένῃ βυσσίνοις καὶ καρπασίνοις τεταμένοις ἐπὶ σχοινίοις βυσσίνοις καὶ πορφυροῖς ἐπὶ κύβοις χρυσοῖς καὶ ἀργυροῖς ἐπὶ στύλοις παρίνοις καὶ λιθίνοις κλῖναι χρυσαῖ καὶ ἀργυραῖ ἐπὶ λιθοστρώτου σμαραγδίτου λίθου καὶ πιννίνου καὶ παρίνου λίθου καὶ στρωμναὶ διαφανεῖς ποικίλως διηνθισμέναι κύκλῳ ῥόδα πεπασμένα
there were hangings of white, fine cotton, and blue, bordered with cords of fine linen and purple, upon silver rods and pillars of marble; the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and shell, and onyx marble.
7 ποτήρια χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ ἀνθράκινον κυλίκιον προκείμενον ἀπὸ ταλάντων τρισμυρίων οἶνος πολὺς καὶ ἡδύς ὃν αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔπινεν
And they gave them drink in vessels of gold — the vessels being diverse one from another — and royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king.
8 ὁ δὲ πότος οὗτος οὐ κατὰ προκείμενον νόμον ἐγένετο οὕτως δὲ ἠθέλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐπέταξεν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων
And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel; for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
9 καὶ Αστιν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐποίησε πότον ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ὅπου ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀρταξέρξης
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
10 ἐν δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἡδέως γενόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν τῷ Αμαν καὶ Βαζαν καὶ Θαρρα καὶ Βωραζη καὶ Ζαθολθα καὶ Αβαταζα καὶ Θαραβα τοῖς ἑπτὰ εὐνούχοις τοῖς διακόνοις τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀρταξέρξου
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11 εἰσαγαγεῖν τὴν βασίλισσαν πρὸς αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν αὐτὴν καὶ περιθεῖναι αὐτῇ τὸ διάδημα καὶ δεῖξαι αὐτὴν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς ὅτι καλὴ ἦν
to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on.
12 καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ Αστιν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐλθεῖν μετὰ τῶν εὐνούχων καὶ ἐλυπήθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὠργίσθη
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by the chamberlains; therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
13 καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς φίλοις αὐτοῦ κατὰ ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Αστιν ποιήσατε οὖν περὶ τούτου νόμον καὶ κρίσιν
Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times — for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment;
14 καὶ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ Αρκεσαιος καὶ Σαρσαθαιος καὶ Μαλησεαρ οἱ ἄρχοντες Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων οἱ ἐγγὺς τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ πρῶτοι παρακαθήμενοι τῷ βασιλεῖ
and the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat the first in the kingdom:
15 καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ὡς δεῖ ποιῆσαι Αστιν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ ὅτι οὐκ ἐποίησεν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως προσταχθέντα διὰ τῶν εὐνούχων
'What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, forasmuch as she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?'
16 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Μουχαιος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας οὐ τὸν βασιλέα μόνον ἠδίκησεν Αστιν ἡ βασίλισσα ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους τοῦ βασιλέως
And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: 'Vashti the queen hath 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.
17 καὶ γὰρ διηγήσατο αὐτοῖς τὰ ῥήματα τῆς βασιλίσσης καὶ ὡς ἀντεῖπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ ὡς οὖν ἀντεῖπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἀρταξέρξῃ
For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it will be said: The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18 οὕτως σήμερον αἱ τυραννίδες αἱ λοιπαὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων ἀκούσασαι τὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ λεχθέντα ὑπ’ αὐτῆς τολμήσουσιν ὁμοίως ἀτιμάσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτῶν
And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king's princes. So will there arise enough contempt and wrath.
19 εἰ οὖν δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ προσταξάτω βασιλικόν καὶ γραφήτω κατὰ τοὺς νόμους Μήδων καὶ Περσῶν καὶ μὴ ἄλλως χρησάσθω μηδὲ εἰσελθάτω ἔτι ἡ βασίλισσα πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτῆς δότω ὁ βασιλεὺς γυναικὶ κρείττονι αὐτῆς
If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus, and that the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
20 καὶ ἀκουσθήτω ὁ νόμος ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ὃν ἐὰν ποιῇ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὕτως πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες περιθήσουσιν τιμὴν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἑαυτῶν ἀπὸ πτωχοῦ ἕως πλουσίου
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, great though it be, all the wives will give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.'
21 καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καθὰ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Μουχαιος
And the word pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan;
22 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν βασιλείαν κατὰ χώραν κατὰ τὴν λέξιν αὐτῶν ὥστε εἶναι φόβον αὐτοῖς ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις αὐτῶν
for he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and speak according to the language of his people.
