Estè 1
1 Alò li te vin rive nan tan Wa Assuréus la, menm Assuréus ki te renye soti Inde jis rive Éthiopie sou san-venn-sèt pwovens yo,
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 nan jou sa yo, pandan wa Assuréus te chita sou twòn wayal li a ki te nan sitadèl Suse la,
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 nan twazyèm ane pouvwa li a, li te fè yon gran fèt pou tout chèf li yo avèk asistan li yo, chèf lame Perse avèk Mèdes yo, moun prensipal lavil yo, avèk chèf pwovens li yo, tout moun ki te nan prezans li.
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.
4 Konsa li te montre tout richès avèk glwa wayal li yo, avèk mayifisans a gran majeste li pandan anpil jou, san-katre-ven jou.
[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).
5 Lè jou sa yo te fin acheve, wa a te bay yon gwo bankè ki te dire pandan sèt jou pou tout moun ki te prezan nan sitadèl Suse la, soti nan sila ki pi pwisan an jis rive nan sila ki pi piti a, nan lakou jaden a palè wa a.
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.
6 Te gen bagay pann ki fèt an len fen blan e vyolèt ki te kenbe pa kòd fèt an len fen mov, wondèl an ajan avèk pilye an mèb. Devan yo te fèt an lò avèk ajan te plase sou yon pave mozayik ki fèt ak mab wouj, mab blan, gwo pèl klere avèk pyè presye.
[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.
7 Bwason yo te sèvi nan veso an lò a plizyè kalite, e diven wayal la te anpil, selon bonte a wa a.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Jan yo te bwè se te selon lalwa, san fòse moun, paske wa a te pase lòd a chak ofisye a chak kay ke li ta dwe fè sa selon dezi a chak moun.
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.
9 Anplis, Larenn Vasthi te bay yon bankè pou fanm nan palè ki te pou Wa Assuérus la.
[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].
10 Nan setyèm jou a, lè kè a wa a te kontan ak diven, li te bay lòd a Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zéthar, avèk Carcas, sèt enik ki te sèvi wa Assuérus,
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.
11 pou mennen fè parèt nan prezans li, rèn nan, Vasthi, avèk kouwòn wayal la, pou montre bèlte li a pèp la e a moun pwisan yo, paske li te tèlman bèl.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Men rèn Vasthi te refize vini sou lòd a wa a, ki te livre pa enik yo. Konsa, wa a te vin byen fache e lakòlè te brile anndan l.
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.
13 Alò, wa a te mande a mesye saj ki te konprann tan yo—paske se te koutim a wa a pou pale devan tout sila ki te konprann lalwa a avèk jistis;
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.
14 epi te gen toupre li: Carschena, Schéthar, Admatha, Tarsis, Mérés, Marsena, Memucan, sèt chèf de Perse avèk Médie yo, ki te gen abitid antre nan prezans a wa a, e te chita nan premye plas nan wayòm nan—
15 “Selon lalwa a, se kisa ki ta dwe fèt avèk rèn Vasthi, akoz li pa t obeyi lòd a Wa Assuérus ki te livre pa enik yo?”
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]?”
16 Nan prezans a wa a avèk chèf yo, Memucan te di: “Rèn Vasthi te fè tò a wa a, men anplis tout moun nan pwovens a Wa Assuérus yo.
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).
17 Paske, si kondwit a rèn nan vin rekonèt a tout fanm yo pou fè yo vin gade mari yo avèk mepriz, epi vin di: ‘Wa Assuérus te kòmande rèn Vasthi pou parèt devan l, men li pa t vini.’
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.
18 Nan jou sa a, fanm a Perse avèk Médie ki te tande afè kondwit rèn nan, va pale tout chèf a wa a nan menm fason an, e va genyen anpil mepriz avèk mekontantman.
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.
19 “Si sa fè wa a kontan, kite yon dekrè wayal sòti nan li, e kite li ekri nan lalwa a Perse avèk Médie a, pou l pa kab ranvèse, ke Vasthi p ap kab ankò antre nan prezans a Wa Assuérus la. E konsa, kite wa a bay pozisyon wayal pa li a yon lòt moun ki pi merite l pase li.
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.
20 Lè dekrè ke a wa a va fè a tande nan tout wayòm li an, ki tèlman gran, alò tout fanm va gen respè a mari yo, kit gran, kit piti.”
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.”
21 Pawòl sa a te fè wa a kontan, avèk chèf yo, epi wa a te fè kon Memucan te pwopoze a.
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 Konsa, li te voye lèt a tout pwovens a wa yo, a chak pwovens selon ekriti pa li, e a chak pèp selon langaj pa yo, ke tout mesye yo ta dwe mèt nan pwòp kay pa yo, e sila te pale nan lang a pwòp pèp li.
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.
