< एस्तर 1 >

1 अहासूरसको राजकाजको दिनमा तिनले भारतदेखि कूशसम्म १२७ प्रान्तमाथि राज्य गरे ।
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 ती दिनमा राजा अहासूरस शूशनको किल्लामा अवस्‍थित आफ्नो राजकीय सिंहासनमा बसे ।
that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
3 आफ्नो शासनकालको तेस्रो वर्षमा तिनले आफ्ना सबै अधिकारी र सेवकहरूलाई एउटा भोज दिए । फारसी तथा मादी सेना, कुलीनहरू र प्रान्‍तका गभर्नरहरू तिनको उपस्थितिमा थिए ।
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;
4 तिनले एक सय असी दिनसम्म आफ्नो राज्यको वैभवशाली धनदौलत र आफ्नो महान्‌ताको महिमाको रवाफ देखाए ।
when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.
5 यी दिन समाप्‍त भएपछि राजाले सात दिनसम्म अर्को भोज दिए । यो शूशनको किल्लामा भएका सबैभन्दा ठुलादेखि सानासम्म सबै मानिसका लागि थियो । यो भोज राजदरबारको बगैँचाको चोकमा दिइएको थियो ।
And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.
6 बगैँचाको चोकलाई सुती कपडाका सेता र निला, राम्ररी बाटेका सुती र बैजनीका डोरीहरूले सिङ्गारिएको थियो र ती सिङ्गमरमरका खम्बाहरूमा भएका चाँदीका गोलचक्रहरूमा बाँधिएका थिए । त्यहाँ बुट्टा बनाइएका राता, सेता, सिङ्गमरमर र अन्य मूल्यवान् पत्थरहरू छापिएको रङ्गीचङ्गी अग्रपेटीमा सुन र चाँदीका बस्‍ने सोफहरू थिए ।
[There were hangings of] white [cloth], [of] green, and [of] blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and white, and yellow, and black marble.
7 सुनका कचौराहरूमा दाखमद्य बाँडियो । प्रत्येक कचौरा विशिष्‍ट थियो र राजाको उदारताको कारणले धेरै राजकीय दाखमद्य बाँडिएको थियो ।
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 “जबरजस्ती गरिनुहुँदैन” भन्‍ने आदेशको ख्याल गर्दै दाखमद्य बाँडिएको थियो, किनकि यसरी नै राजाले हरेक मानिसको इच्छामुताबिक गर्न आफ्नो दरबारका सबै अधिकारीलाई आदेश दिएका थिए ।
And the drinking was according to the law; none could 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 रानी वश्तीले पनि राजा अहासूरसको दरबारमा स्‍त्रीहरूलाई एउटा भोज दिइन् ।
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
10 सातौँ दिनमा जब राजाको हृदय दाखमद्यको कारणले प्रसन्‍न भएको थियो, तब तिनले महूमान, बिज्था, हर्बोना, बिग्ता, अबगथा, जेथेर र कर्कास (यी सात जना अधिकारीहरूले राजाको सामु सेवा गर्थे) लाई,
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11 रानी वश्तीलाई उनको राजकीय शिरपेच पहिरेर आफ्‍नो सामु ल्याउने हुकुम गरे । तिनले मानिसहरू र अधिकारीहरूलाई उनको सौन्दर्य देखाउन चाहन्थे, किनकि उनको चेहरा असाध्य सुन्दर थियो ।
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 तर अधिकारीहरूद्वारा ल्‍याइएको राजाको आदेश मानेर आउनलाई रानी वश्तीले इन्कार गरिन् । तब राजा सार्‍है रिसाए । आफूभित्रै तिनी रिसले क्रुद्ध भए ।
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 त्यसैले राजाले बुद्धिमानी भनी चिनिएका मानिसहरू जसले परिस्थितिलाई बुझेका थिए, तिनीहरूसित सल्लाह लिए (किनकि कानुन र न्यायमा पोख्तहरू सबैसित सल्लाह लिने राजाको प्रचलन थियो) ।
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 फारस र मादीका सात जना राजकुमार अर्थात् कर्शेना, शेथार, अद्‌माथा, तर्शीश, मेरेस, मर्सेना र ममूकान राजाका नजिकका मानिसहरू थिए । तिनीहरू राजाकहाँ जान सक्थे, र तिनीहरू राज्यमा उच्‍चतम पदहरूमा थिए ।
and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom),
15 राजाले सोधे, “अधिकारीहरूद्वारा रानी वश्तीकहाँ लगिएको राजा अहासूरसको आदेशलाई नमानेकी हुनाले कानुनको आदेशअनुसार उनलाई के गरिनुपर्छ?”
What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16 राजा र अधिकारीहरूका सामु ममूकानले भने, “रानी वश्तीले राजाको विरुद्धमा मात्र होइन तर राजा अहासूरसका सबै प्रान्तका सारा अधिकारीहरू र सारा मानिसहरूको विरुद्धमा पनि गलत गर्नुभएको छ ।
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 रानीको यो विषय सारा स्‍त्रीहरूलाई थाहा हुनेछ । यस कुराले तिनीहरूलाई आ-आफ्ना पतिलाई तुच्छ व्‍यवहार गर्ने बनाउनेछ । तिनीहरूले भन्‍नेछन्, 'राजा अहासूरसले रानी वश्तीलाई उहाँको सामु ल्याइयोस् भनी हुकुम गर्नुभयो, तर उनले इन्कार गरिन् ।'
For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18 आजको दिन समाप्‍त नहुँदै रानीको यस विषयलाई सुन्‍ने फारस र मादीका कुलीन स्‍त्रीहरूले राजाका सबै अधिकारीलाई उही कुरा भन्‍नेछन् । धेरै अनादर र क्रोध पैदा हुनेछ ।
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] much contempt and wrath.
19 राजालाई यस कुराले खुसी लाग्‍छ भने, वश्ती अबदेखि उहाँको सामु नआऊन् भनी उहाँबाट एउटा राजकीय आदेश होस्, र यसलाई रद्द गर्न नसकिने फारसी र मादीहरूको कानुनमा लेखियोस् । राजाले उनीभन्दा अझै असल स्‍त्रीलाई उनको स्‍थानमा रानीको दर्जा दिइयोस् ।
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 let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
20 जब राजाको विशाल राज्यभरि उहाँको आदेशको घोषणा गरिन्छ, तब ठुलादेखि साना सबै जनाको पत्‍नीले आ-आफ्ना पतिलाई आदर गर्नेछन् ।”
And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
21 यस सल्लाहबाट राजा र तिनका कुलिनहरू खुसी भए, र ममूकानले प्रस्ताव गरेझैँ राजाले गरे ।
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
22 तिनले सारा राजकीय प्रान्तमा हरेक प्रदेशमा आ-आफ्नो लिपिअनुसार र हरेक जातिको आ-आफ्नो भाषाअनुसार तिनीहरूलाई चिट्ठीहरू पठाए । हरेक पुरुष आफ्नो घरानाको मालिक हुनुपर्छ भनी तिनले आज्ञा दिए । साम्राज्यको हरेक जातिको भाषामा यो आदेश दिइएको थियो ।
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 should speak according to the language of his people.

< एस्तर 1 >