Ester 1
1 Este es un relato de lo que sucedió durante la época del rey Jerjes, el Jerjes que gobernaba 127 provincias desde la India hasta Etiopía.
Now it came about in the days of Ahasuerus, (that Ahasuerus who was ruler of a hundred and twenty-seven divisions of the kingdom, from India as far as Ethiopia: )
2 En ese momento el rey Jerjes gobernaba desde su trono real en la fortaleza de Susa.
That in those days, when King Ahasuerus was ruling in Shushan, his strong town,
3 En el tercer año de su reinado organizó una fiesta para sus funcionarios y administradores. Los comandantes del ejército de Persia y Media, los nobles y los funcionarios provinciales estaban allí con él.
In the third year of his rule he gave a feast to all his captains and his servants; and the captains of the army of Persia and Media, the great men and the rulers of the divisions of his kingdom, were present before him;
4 Durante ciento ochenta días exhibió sus riquezas y la gloria de su reino, mostrando lo majestuoso, espléndido y glorioso que era.
And for a long time, even a hundred and eighty days, he let them see all the wealth and the glory of his kingdom and the great power and honour which were his.
5 Después de eso, el rey dio un banquete que duró siete días para todo el pueblo, grande y pequeño, que estaba allí en la fortaleza de Susa, en el patio del jardín del pabellón del rey.
And at the end of that time, the king gave a feast for all the people who were present in Shushan, the king's town, small as well as great, for seven days, in the outer square of the garden of the king's house.
6 Estaba decorado con cortinas de algodón blanco y azul atadas con cordones de lino fino e hilo de púrpura sobre anillos de plata, sostenidos por pilares de mármol. Sobre un pavimento de pórfido púrpura, mármol, nácar y piedras costosas se colocaron sofás de oro y plata.
There were fair hangings of white and green and blue, fixed with cords of purple and the best linen to silver rings and pillars of polished stone: the seats were of gold and silver on a floor of red and white and yellow and black stone.
7 Las bebidas se servían en copas de oro de diferentes tipos, y el vino real fluía libremente debido a la generosidad del rey.
And they gave them drink in gold vessels, every vessel being different, and wine of the kingdom, freely given by the king.
8 El rey había ordenado que no se limitara la cantidad de bebida de los invitados; había dicho a sus servidores que dieran a cada uno lo que quisiera.
And the drinking was in keeping with the law; no one was forced: for the king had given orders to all the chief servants of his house to do as was pleasing to every man.
9 La reina Vasti también preparó un banquete para las mujeres del palacio que pertenecía al rey Jerjes.
And Vashti the queen gave a feast for the women in the house of King Ahasuerus.
10 El séptimo día del banquete, el rey, sintiéndose feliz por haber bebido vino, ordenó a los siete eunucos que eran sus asistentes, Mehumán, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zetar y Carcas,
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was glad with wine, he gave orders to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven unsexed servants who were waiting before Ahasuerus the king,
11 que le trajeran a la reina Vasti con su tocado real, para que pudiera mostrar su belleza al pueblo y a los funcionarios, pues era muy atractiva.
That Vashti the queen was to come before him, crowned with her crown, and let the people and the captains see her: for she was very beautiful.
12 Pero cuando los eunucos le entregaron la orden del rey, la reina Vastise negó a venir. El rey se enfadó muchísimo; estaba absolutamente furioso.
But when the servants gave her the king's order, Vashti the queen said she would not come: then the king was very angry, and his heart was burning with wrath.
13 Entonces el rey habló con los sabios que sabrían qué hacer, pues era costumbre que pidiera la opinión de expertos en procedimientos y asuntos legales.
And the king said to the wise men, who had knowledge of the times, (for this was the king's way with all who were expert in law and in the giving of decisions:
14 Los más cercanos a él eran Carsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, y Memucán. Eran los siete nobles de Persia y Media que se reunían frecuentemente con el rey y ocupaban los más altos cargos del reino.
And second only to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media, who were friends of the king, and had the first places in the kingdom: )
15 “¿Qué dice la ley que debe hacerse con la reina Vasti?”, preguntó. “¡Ella se negó a obedecer la orden directa del rey Jerjes dictada por los eunucos!”
What is to be done by law to Vashti the queen, because she has not done what King Ahasuerus, by his servants, gave her orders to do?
16 Memucán dio su respuesta ante el rey y los nobles: “La reina Vasti no sólo ha insultado al rey, sino a todos los nobles y a todo el pueblo de todas las provincias del rey Jerjes.
And before the king and the captains, Memucan gave his answer: Vashti the queen has done wrong, not only to the king, but to all the captains and to all the peoples in all the divisions of the kingdom of King Ahasuerus;
17 Cuando se sepa lo que ha hecho la reina, todas las esposas menospreciarán a sus maridos, los mirarán con desprecio y les dirán: ‘¡El rey Jerjes ordenó que le trajeran a la reina Vasti, pero no vino!’.
For news of what the queen has done will come to the ears of all women, and they will no longer give respect to their husbands when it is said to them, King Ahasuerus gave orders for Vashti the queen to come before him and she came not.
18 ¡Al final del día, las esposas de todos los nobles de toda Persia y de Media que hayan oído lo que hizo la reina, tratarán a sus nobles maridos con airado desprecio!
And the wives of the captains of Persia and Media, hearing what the queen has done, will say the same to all the king's captains. So there will be much shame and wrath.
19 “Si le place a Su Majestad, emita un decreto real, de acuerdo con las leyes de Persia y de Media que no pueden ser cambiadas, para que Vasti sea desterrada de la presencia del rey Jerjes, y para que Su Majestad le dé su posición real a otra, una que sea mejor que ella.
If it is pleasing to the king, let an order go out from him, and let it be recorded among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it may never be changed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her place to another who is better than she.
20 Cuando el decreto de Su Majestad sea proclamado en todo su vasto imperio, todas las esposas respetarán a sus maridos, sean de alta o baja cuna”.
And when this order, given by the king, is made public through all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give honour to their husbands, great as well as small.
21 Este consejo les pareció bien al rey y a los nobles, así que el rey hizo lo que Memucán había dicho.
And this suggestion seemed good to the king and the captains; and the king did as Memucan said;
22 Envió cartas a todas las provincias del imperio, en la escritura y la lengua de cada una de ellas, para que cada hombre gobernara su propia casa y utilizara su propia lengua materna.
And sent letters to all the divisions of the kingdom, to every division in the writing commonly used there, and to every people in the language which was theirs, saying that every man was to be the ruler in his house, and that this order was to be given out in the language of his people.
