< एस्तर 1 >

1 अहासूरसको राजकाजको दिनमा तिनले भारतदेखि कूशसम्म १२७ प्रान्तमाथि राज्य गरे ।
And it came to pass after these things in the days of Artaxerxes, —(this Artaxerxes ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India)—
2 ती दिनमा राजा अहासूरस शूशनको किल्लामा अवस्‍थित आफ्नो राजकीय सिंहासनमा बसे ।
in those days, when king Artaxerxes was on the throne in the city of Susa,
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 to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps.
4 तिनले एक सय असी दिनसम्म आफ्नो राज्यको वैभवशाली धनदौलत र आफ्नो महान्‌ताको महिमाको रवाफ देखाए ।
And after this, after he had shown to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during a hundred and eighty 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 ।
when, [I say], the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet to the nations who were present in the city six days, in the court of the king's house,
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 ।
[which was] adorned with [hangings] of fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of Parian marble and stone: [there were] golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, [having] roses worked round about;
7 सुनका कचौराहरूमा दाखमद्य बाँडियो । प्रत्येक कचौरा विशिष्‍ट थियो र राजाको उदारताको कारणले धेरै राजकीय दाखमद्य बाँडिएको थियो ।
gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank.
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 this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.
9 रानी वश्तीले पनि राजा अहासूरसको दरबारमा स्‍त्रीहरूलाई एउटा भोज दिइन् ।
Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes [lived].
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,
Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Tharrha, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes,
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 in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to show her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful.
12 तर अधिकारीहरूद्वारा ल्‍याइएको राजाको आदेश मानेर आउनलाई रानी वश्तीले इन्कार गरिन् । तब राजा सार्‍है रिसाए । आफूभित्रै तिनी रिसले क्रुद्ध भए ।
But queen Astin listened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered.
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) ।
And he said to his friends, Thus have Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this [case] law and judgement.
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 ।
So Arkesaeus, and Sarsathaeus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief [in rank] by the king, drew near to him,
15 राजाले सोधे, “अधिकारीहरूद्वारा रानी वश्तीकहाँ लगिएको राजा अहासूरसको आदेशलाई नमानेकी हुनाले कानुनको आदेशअनुसार उनलाई के गरिनुपर्छ?”
and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king 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 Muchaeus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king's rulers and princes:
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 he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, [said he], she refused [to obey] king Artaxerxes,
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 ।
so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands.
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 then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter [it]: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she.
20 जब राजाको विशाल राज्यभरि उहाँको आदेशको घोषणा गरिन्छ, तब ठुलादेखि साना सबै जनाको पत्‍नीले आ-आफ्ना पतिलाई आदर गर्नेछन् ।”
And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.
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 as Muchaeus had said,
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 ।
and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, in order that men might be feared in their own houses.

< एस्तर 1 >