Estera 1
1 Ary tamin’ ny andro nanjakan’ i Ahasoerosy (ity Ahasoerosy ity ilay nanjaka hatrany India ka hatrany Etiopia, ka nizarazara ho fito amby roa-polo amby zato toko ny fanjakany),
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 dia tamin’ izany andro izany, raha nipetraka teo ambonin’ ny seza fiandrianan’ ny fanjakany, izay tany Sosana renivohitra, Ahasoerosy mpanjaka,
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 tamin’ ny taona fahatelo nanjakany, dia nanao fanasana ho an’ ny mpanapaka sy ny mpanompony rehetra izy; ary teo anatrehany koa ny lehiben’ ny miaramilan’ i Persia sy Media sy ny mpanapaka mbamin’ ireo komandin’ ny isan-tokony amin’ ny fanjakany;
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 ary nasehony andro maro, dia valo-polo amby zato andro, ny harena amam-boninahitry ny fanjakany ary ny tabiha sy rehareha momba ny fahalehibiazany.
[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 Ary rehefa tapitra izany andro izany, ny olona rehetra izay tany Sosana renivohitra, na lehibe na kely, dia nanaovan’ ny mpanjaka fanasana naharitra hafitoana teo amin’ ny kianjan’ ny tanimbolin’ ny tranon’ ny mpanjaka;
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 ary nisy lamba fotsy sy misoratsoratra sy manga nifehy tamin’ ny kofehy rongony fotsy sy volomparasy tamin’ ny masom-bolafotsy sy tsangantsangany vato marmora fotsy; ary nisy farafara volamena sy volafotsy teo amin’ ny lampivato alabastara sy marmora fotsy sy hara ary marmora mainty.
[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 Ary ny olona dia nampisotroina tamin’ ny kapoaka volamena (samy hafa avokoa ny kapoaka, ) ary betsaka ny divain’ andriana araka ny fanomen’ ny mpanjaka.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Ary ny nisotroan’ ny olona dia araka ny tenin’ andriana, ka tsy nisy nanery; fa toy izany no nandidian’ ny mpanjaka ny mpitandrina ny tranony rehetra mba hanaovan’ ny olona araka izay sitrapony avy.
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 Ary Vasty, vadin’ ny mpanjaka, dia mba nanao fanasana ho an’ ny vehivavy koa tao amin’ ny tranom-panjakana, izay an’ i Ahasoerosy mpanjaka.
[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 Ary tamin’ ny andro fahafito, nony faly ny fon’ ny mpanjaka azon’ ny divay, dia nomeny teny Mehomana sy Bizta sy Harbona sy Bigta sy Abagta sy Zetara ry Karkasa, tsindranolahy fito izay nanompo teo anatrehan’ i Ahasoerosy mpanjaka,
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 ba hitondra an’ i Vasty, vadin’ ny mpanjaka, ho eo anatrehan’ ny mpanjaka, misatroka ny satro-boninahitry ny fanjakana, mba haseho amin’ ny olona sy ny mpanapaka ny hatsaran-tarehiny; fa maha-te-hizaha izy.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Fa Vasty, vadin’ ny mpanjaka, nandà ny tenin’ ny mpanjaka nentin’ ny tsindranolahy ka tsy nety nankany. Dia tezitra loatra ny mpanjaka, ka nirehitra tao am-pony ny fahatezerany.
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 Dia hoy ny mpanjaka tamin’ ny olon-kendry izay mpanandro (toy izany no nanaovana ny raharahan’ ny mpanjaka teo anatrehan’ izay rehetra nahalala lalàna sy fitsarana;
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 ary ny teo akaikiny dia Rarsena, Setara, Admata, Tarsisy, Maresa, Marsena, Memokana, mpanapaka fito tamin’ i Persia sy Media, izay nahita ny tarehin’ ny mpanjaka ka nipetraka tamin’ ny fitoerana aloha teo amin’ ny fanjakana):
15 Ahoana no hanaovana an’ i Vasty, vadin’ ny mpanjaka, raha araka ny lalàna, satria tsy nankato ny didiko, izaho Ahasoerosy mpanjaka, nentin’ ny tsindranolahy izy?
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 Dia namaly Memokana teo anatrehan’ ny mpanjaka sy ny mpanapaka ka nanao hoe: Tsy tamin’ ny mpanjaka ihany no nanaovan’ i Vasty, vadin’ ny mpanjaka, izao ratsy izao, fa tamin’ ny mpanapaka rehetra koa sy ny vahoaka rehetra isan-tokony eran’ ny fanjakan’ i Ahasoerosy mpanjaka;
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 fa hiely any amin’ ny vehivavy rehetra izao zavatra nataon’ ny vadin’ ny mpanjaka izao, ka hanaovany ny vadiny ho tsinontsinona eo imasony, fa samy hanao hoe: Ahasoerosy mpanjaka aza nandidy an’ i Vasty vadiny ho entina eo anatrehany, nefa tsy nety izy.
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 Ary na dia amin’ izao andro izao aza ny andriambavin’ i Persia sy Media, izay mandre ny nataon’ ny vadin’ ny mpanjaka, dia samy hilaza izany amin’ ny mpanapaka rehetra voatendrin’ ny mpanjaka; ka dia ho loza loatra ny famingavingana sy ny faniratsirana.
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 Koa raha sitraky ny mpanjaka, dia aoka hisy didim-panjakana hivoaka avy eto amin’ ny mpanjaka ka hosoratana ao amin’ ny lalàn’ i Persia sy Media ka dia tsy hovana, fa tsy hahazo hankeo anatrehan’ i Ahasoerosy mpanjaka intsony Vasty; ary ny voninahitr’ i Vasty dia aoka homen’ ny mpanjaka ho an’ izay vehivavy hafa tsara noho izy.
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 Ary raha torina eran’ ny fanjakany rehetra (fa lehibe izany) ny lalàn’ ny mpanjaka izay hataony, dia samy hanome voninahitra ny vadiny avy na lehibe na kely, ny vehivavy rehetra.
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 Dia sitraky ny mpanjaka sy ny mpanapaka izany teny izany; ka dia nanao araka ny tenin’ i Memokana ny mpanjaka,
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 ka nampitondra taratasy izy ho any amin’ ny isan-tokony amin’ ny fanjakan’ ny mpanjaka, dia isan-tokony araka ny sorany avy, ary isam-pirenena araka ny fiteniny avy, mba hahatapaka ny ao an-tranony avy ny lehilahy rehetra, ary samy hiteny araka ny fiteniny avy isam-pirenena.
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.
