Esters 1
1 I Ahasverus' tid - det var den Ahasverus som regjerte fra India like til Etiopia over hundre og syv og tyve landskaper -
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 i de dager da kong Ahasverus satt på sin kongetrone i borgen Susan,
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 i hans regjerings tredje år hendte det at han gjorde et gjestebud for alle sine fyrster og tjenere; Persias og Medias hærførere og hans fornemste menn og landskapenes fyrster var samlet hos ham.
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 I mange dager - hundre og åtti dager - viste han dem sin kongelige herlighet og rikdom og sin storhets glans og prakt.
[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 Da de dager var til ende, gjorde kongen et gjestebud i syv dager for alt folket som fantes i borgen Susan, både store og små, i forgården til haven ved kongens slott.
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 Tepper av hvitt linnet, bomullstøi og blått purpur var festet med snorer av hvit bomull og rødt purpur i sølvringer og til marmorsøiler; benker av gull og sølv stod på et gulv av alabast og hvitt marmor og perlemor og sort marmor.
[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 Drikkene blev skjenket i skåler av gull, og skålene var alle ulik hverandre, og kongelig vin var det i mengde, som det høvde hos en konge.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Og for drikningen gjaldt den forskrift at ingen skulde nødes; for kongen hadde befalt alle sine hushovmestere å la enhver få så meget han selv ønsket.
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 Samtidig gjorde dronning Vasti et gjestebud for kvinner i kong Ahasverus kongelige hus.
[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 På den syvende dag, da kongen var blitt vel til mote av vinen, sa han til Mehuman, Bista, Harbona, Bigta og Abagta, Setar og Karkas, de syv hoffmenn som gjorde tjeneste hos kong Ahasverus,
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 at de skulde føre dronning Vasti frem for kongen, med kongelig krone på, så han kunde la folkene og fyrstene få se hennes skjønnhet; for hun var meget fager.
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 dronning Vasti nektet å komme efter den befaling kongen hadde sendt henne gjennem hoffmennene. Da blev kongen harmfull, og hans vrede optendtes.
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 Og kongen sa til vismennene, som forstod sig på tidene - således blev kongens saker fremlagt for alle som forstod sig på lov og rett,
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 og de som stod ham nærmest, var Karsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, Memukan, persernes og medernes syv fyrster, som alltid hadde adgang til kongen og inntok de øverste seter i riket -:
15 Hvad er det efter loven å gjøre med dronning Vasti, fordi hun ikke har gjort hvad kong Ahasverus befalte henne gjennem hoffmennene?
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 Da tok Memukan til orde for kongen og fyrstene: Dronning Vasti har ikke bare forbrutt sig mot kongen, men mot alle fyrster og alle folk i alle kong Ahasverus' landskaper.
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 For dronningens adferd vil komme ut blandt alle kvinnene og få dem til å forakte sine ektemenn; de vil si: Kong Ahasverus bød at dronning Vasti skulde føres frem for ham, men hun kom ikke.
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 Ja, allerede idag vil persernes og medernes fyrstinner når de får høre om dronningens adferd, si så til alle kongens fyrster, og der vil bli nok av forakt og vrede.
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 Dersom det tykkes kongen godt, så la det utgå en kongelig befaling, og la den bli opskrevet blandt persernes og medernes lover, så den står urokkelig fast, at Vasti aldri mere skal komme for kong Ahasverus' øine, og kongen skal gi hennes kongelige verdighet til en annen kvinne, som er bedre enn hun!
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 Når da det påbud som kongen utsteder, blir kjent i hele hans rike, så stort som det er, så vil alle kvinner vise sine ektemenn ære, både store og små.
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 Disse ord syntes kongen og fyrstene godt om, og kongen gjorde som Memukan hadde sagt.
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 Han sendte skrivelser til alle kongens landskaper, til hvert landskap i dets skrift og til hvert folk på dets tungemål, at hver mann skulde være herre i sitt hus og tale sitt folks tungemål.
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.
