Esther 1
1 in diebus Asueri qui regnavit ab India usque Aethiopiam super centum viginti septem provincias
And it comes to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus—he [is] Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even to Cush, one hundred twenty-seven provinces—
2 quando sedit in solio regni sui Susa civitas regni eius exordium fuit
in those days, at the sitting of King Ahasuerus on the throne of his kingdom, that [is] in Shushan the palace,
3 tertio igitur anno imperii sui fecit grande convivium cunctis principibus et pueris suis fortissimis Persarum et Medorum inclitis et praefectis provinciarum coram se
in the third year of his reign, he has made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force of Persia and Media, the chiefs and heads of the provinces [are] before him,
4 ut ostenderet divitias gloriae regni sui ac magnitudinem atque iactantiam potentiae suae multo tempore centum videlicet et octoginta diebus
in his showing the wealth of the glory of his kingdom, and the glory of the beauty of his greatness, many days—one hundred eighty days.
5 cumque implerentur dies convivii invitavit omnem populum qui inventus est Susis a maximo usque ad minimum et septem diebus iussit convivium praeparari in vestibulo horti et nemoris quod regio cultu et manu consitum erat
And at the fullness of these days the king has made a banquet to all the people who are found in Shushan the palace, from great even to small, [for] seven days, in the court of the garden of the house of the king—
6 et pendebant ex omni parte tentoria aerii coloris et carpasini et hyacinthini sustentata funibus byssinis atque purpureis qui eburneis circulis inserti erant et columnis marmoreis fulciebantur lectuli quoque aurei et argentei super pavimentum zmaragdino et pario stratum lapide dispositi erant quod mira varietate pictura decorabat
white linen, white cotton, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on rings of silver, and pillars of marble, couches of gold, and of silver, on a pavement of smaragdus, and white marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black marble—
7 bibebant autem qui invitati erant aureis poculis et aliis atque aliis vasis cibi inferebantur vinum quoque ut magnificentia regia dignum erat abundans et praecipuum ponebatur
and the giving of drink in vessels of gold, and the vessels [are] various vessels, and the royal wine [is] abundant, as a memorial of the king.
8 nec erat qui nolentes cogeret ad bibendum sed sic rex statuerat praeponens mensis singulos de principibus suis ut sumeret unusquisque quod vellet
And the drinking [is] according to law, none is pressing, for so the king has appointed for every chief one of his house, to do according to the pleasure of man and man.
9 Vasthi quoque regina fecit convivium feminarum in palatio ubi rex Asuerus manere consueverat
Also Vashti the queen has made a banquet for women, in the royal house that King Ahasuerus has.
10 itaque die septimo cum rex esset hilarior et post nimiam potionem incaluisset mero praecepit Mauman et Bazatha et Arbona et Bagatha et Abgatha et Zarath et Charchas septem eunuchis qui in conspectu eius ministrabant
On the seventh day, as the heart of the king is glad with wine, he has commanded to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who are ministering in the presence of King Ahasuerus,
11 ut introducerent reginam Vasthi coram rege posito super caput eius diademate et ostenderet cunctis populis et principibus illius pulchritudinem erat enim pulchra valde
to bring in Vashti the queen before the king, with a royal crown, to show the peoples and the heads her beauty, for she [is] of good appearance,
12 quae rennuit et ad regis imperium quod per eunuchos mandaverat venire contempsit unde iratus rex et nimio furore succensus
and the queen Vashti refuses to come in at the word of the king that [is] by the hand of the eunuchs, and the king is very angry, and his fury has burned in him.
13 interrogavit sapientes qui ex more regio semper ei aderant et illorum faciebat cuncta consilio scientium leges ac iura maiorum
And the king says to wise men, knowing the times—for so [is] the word of the king before all knowing law and judgment,
14 erant autem primi et proximi Charsena et Sethar et Admatha et Tharsis et Mares et Marsana et Mamucha septem duces Persarum atque Medorum qui videbant faciem regis et primi post eum residere soliti erant
and he who is near to him [is] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, seven heads of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king, who are sitting first in the kingdom—
15 cui sententiae Vasthi regina subiaceret quae Asueri regis imperium quod per eunuchos mandaverat facere noluisset
“According to law, what should [I] do with Queen Vashti, because that she has not done the saying of King Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?”
16 responditque Mamuchan audiente rege atque principibus non solum regem laesit regina Vasthi sed omnes principes et populos qui sunt in cunctis provinciis regis Asueri
And Memucan says before the king and the heads, “Queen Vashti has not done perversely against the king by himself, but against all the heads, and against all the peoples that [are] in all provinces of King Ahasuerus;
17 egredietur enim sermo reginae ad omnes mulieres ut contemnant viros suos et dicant rex Asuerus iussit ut regina Vasthi intraret ad eum et illa noluit
for the word of the queen goes forth to all the women, to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, in their saying, King Ahasuerus commanded to bring in Vashti the queen before him, and she did not come;
18 atque hoc exemplo omnes principum coniuges Persarum atque Medorum parvipendent imperia maritorum unde regis iusta est indignatio
indeed, this day princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard the word of the queen, say [so] to all heads of the king, even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.
19 et si tibi placet egrediatur edictum a facie tua et scribatur iuxta legem Persarum atque Medorum quam praeteriri inlicitum est ut nequaquam ultra Vasthi ingrediatur ad regem sed regnum illius altera quae melior illa est accipiat
If to the king [it be] good, there goes forth a royal word from before him, and it is written with the laws of Persia and Media, and does not pass away, that Vashti does not come in before King Ahasuerus, and the king gives her royalty to her companion who [is] better than she;
20 et hoc in omne quod latissimum est provinciarum tuarum divulgetur imperium et cunctae uxores tam maiorum quam minorum deferant maritis suis
and the sentence of the king that he makes has been heard in all his kingdom—for it [is] great—and all the wives give honor to their husbands, from great even to small.”
21 placuit consilium eius regi et principibus fecitque rex iuxta consultum Mamuchan
And the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and of the princes, and the king does according to the word of Memucan,
22 et misit epistulas ad universas provincias regni sui ut quaeque gens audire et legere poterat diversis linguis et litteris esse viros principes ac maiores in domibus suis et hoc per cunctos populos divulgari
and sends letters to all provinces of the king, to province and province according to its writing, and to people and people according to its tongue, for every man being head in his own house—and speaking according to the language of his people.
