Ester 1
1 En los días de Asuero (éste es Asuero, que reinó desde la India hasta Etiopía, sobre ciento veintisiete provincias),
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 en aquellos días, cuando el rey Asuero se sentó en el trono de su reino, que estaba en el palacio de Susa,
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 en el tercer año de su reinado, hizo una fiesta para todos sus príncipes y sus servidores; el ejército de Persia y de Media, los nobles y los príncipes de las provincias estaban delante de él.
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 Exhibió las riquezas de su glorioso reino y el honor de su excelente majestad muchos días, hasta ciento ochenta días.
[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 Cuando se cumplieron estos días, el rey hizo una fiesta de siete días para todo el pueblo presente en el palacio de Susa, tanto el grande como el pequeño, en el patio del jardín del palacio real.
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 Había colgaduras de material blanco y azul, sujetas con cordones de lino fino y púrpura a anillos de plata y a columnas de mármol. Los divanes eran de oro y plata, sobre un pavimento de mármol rojo, blanco, amarillo y negro.
[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 Les daban de beber en vasos de oro de diversas clases, incluso vino real en abundancia, según la generosidad del rey.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 De acuerdo con la ley, la bebida no era obligatoria, pues así lo había ordenado el rey a todos los funcionarios de su casa, para que hicieran lo que cada uno quisiera.
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 También la reina Vasti hizo un banquete para las mujeres de la casa real que pertenecía al rey Asuero.
[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 El séptimo día, cuando el corazón del rey estaba alegre por el vino, ordenó a Mehumán, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha y Abagtha, Zethar y Carcass, los siete eunucos que servían en presencia del rey Asuero,
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 que trajeran a la reina Vasti ante el rey con la corona real, para mostrar al pueblo y a los príncipes su belleza, pues era hermosa.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Pero la reina Vasti se negó a presentarse a la orden del rey por medio de los eunucos. Por eso el rey se enojó mucho, y su ira ardía en él.
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 Entonces el rey dijo a los sabios, que conocían los tiempos (pues era costumbre del rey consultar a los que conocían la ley y el juicio;
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 y junto a él estaban Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena y Memucan, los siete príncipes de Persia y de Media, que veían la cara del rey y se sentaban los primeros en el reino),
15 “¿Qué haremos con la reina Vasti según la ley, porque no ha cumplido la orden del rey Asuero por los eunucos?”
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 Memucán respondió ante el rey y los príncipes: “La reina Vasti no ha hecho mal sólo al rey, sino también a todos los príncipes y a todo el pueblo que está en todas las provincias del rey Asuero.
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 Porque esta acción de la reina será conocida por todas las mujeres, haciéndolas despreciar a sus maridos cuando se diga: ‘El rey Asuero mandó traer a la reina Vasti ante él, pero ella no vino’.
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 Hoy, las princesas de Persia y de Media que se han enterado de la acción de la reina lo contarán a todos los príncipes del rey. Esto causará mucho desprecio e ira.
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 “Si al rey le parece bien, que salga de él un mandamiento real y que se escriba entre las leyes de los persas y de los medos, para que no pueda ser alterado, a fin de que Vasti no vuelva a presentarse ante el rey Asuero; y que el rey dé su patrimonio real a otra que sea mejor que ella.
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 Cuando se publique en todo el reino el decreto del rey que él hará (porque es grande), todas las mujeres darán honor a sus maridos, tanto a los grandes como a los pequeños.”
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 Este consejo agradó al rey y a los príncipes, y el rey hizo conforme a la palabra de Memucán:
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 pues envió cartas a todas las provincias del rey, a cada provincia según su escritura, y a cada pueblo en su lengua, para que cada uno gobernara su casa, hablando en la lengua de su pueblo.
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.
