Jestira 1
1 U vrijeme Asvirovo, a taj Asvir carovaše od Indije do Etiopije u sto i dvadeset i sedam zemalja,
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 U to vrijeme, kad sjeðaše car Asvir na prijestolu carstva svojega u Susanu carskom gradu,
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 Treæe godine carovanja svojega uèini gozbu svijem knezovima svojim i slugama svojim, te bijaše kod njega sila Persijska i Midska, vlastelji i upravitelji zemaljski;
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 on pokazivaše bogatstvo i slavu carstva svojega i diku i krasotu velièine svoje mnogo dana, sto i osamdeset dana.
[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 I poslije tih dana uèini car svemu narodu što ga bijaše u Susanu carskom gradu od maloga do velikoga gozbu za sedam dana u trijemu u vrtu od carskoga dvora.
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 Zavjesi bijeli, zeleni i ljubièasti bijahu obješeni vrvcama bijelijem, lanenijem i skerletnijem o bioèuzima srebrnijem na stupovima mramornijem; odri bijahu zlatni i srebrni po podu od zelenoga, bijeloga, žutoga i crvenoga mramora.
[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 A piæe davahu u sudovima zlatnijem, i to u sudovima drugim i drugim, a vina carskoga bješe izobila, kako može biti u cara.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 I piæem niko ne navaljivaše po naredbi, jer car bješe zapovjedio svijem pristavima doma svojega da èine kako ko hoæe.
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 I carica Astina uèini gozbu ženama u carskom dvoru cara Asvira.
[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 Sedmi dan kad se car razveseli od vina reèe Meumanu, Visati, Arvoni, Vikti, Avakti, Zetaru i Harkasu, sedmorici dvorana koji dvorahu pred carem Asvirom,
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 Da dovedu caricu Astinu pred cara pod carskim vijencem, da pokaže narodima i knezovima ljepotu njezinu, jer bijaše lijepa.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Ali carica Astina ne htje doæi na rijeè carevu, koju joj poruèi po dvoranima; zato se car vrlo razgnjevi i gnjev se njegov raspali u njemu.
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 I reèe car mudarcima koji razumijevahu vremena jer tako car iznošaše stvari pred sve koji razumijevahu zakon i pravdu,
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 A najbliži do njega bijahu Karsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena i Memukan, sedam knezova Persijskih i Midskih, koji gledahu lice carevo i sjeðahu na prvijem mjestima u carstvu):
15 Što treba po zakonu èiniti s caricom Astinom što nije uèinila što je zapovjedio car Asvir preko dvorana?
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 Tada reèe Memukan pred carem i knezovima: nije samo caru skrivila carica Astina nego i svijem knezovima i svijem narodima po svijem zemljama cara Asvira.
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 Jer æe se djelo carièino raziæi meðu sve žene, pa æe prezirati muževe svoje govoreæi: car Asvir zapovjedi da dovedu preda nj caricu Astinu, a ona ne doðe.
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 I od danas æe kneginje Persijske i Midske koje èuju šta je uèinila carica tako govoriti svijem knezovima carevijem; te æe biti mnogo prkosa i svaðe.
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 Ako je ugodno caru, da izide carska zapovijest od njega i da se upiše meðu zakone Persijske i Midske da je nepromjenito, da Astina ne izlazi više pred cara Asvira i da æe car dati njezino carstvo drugoj boljoj od nje.
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 I kad se zapovijest careva koju uèini èuje po carstvu njegovu svemu kolikome, sve æe žene poštovati svoje muževe od velikoga do maloga.
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 I ovo bi po volji caru i knezovima, i uèini car kako reèe Memukan.
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 I razasla knjige po svijem zemljama carskim, u svaku zemlju njezinijem pismom i svakomu narodu njegovijem jezikom, da bi svaki muž bio gospodar u svojoj kuæi; i bi proglašeno jezikom svakoga naroda.
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.
