Ester 1
1 Y aconteció en los días de Asuero (el Asuero que reinó desde la India hasta la Etiopía sobre ciento veinte y siete 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 que en aquellos días, cuando se asentó el rey Asuero sobre el trono de su reino, el cual estaba en Susa capital del reino,
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 en el tercer año de su reinado hizo banquete a todos sus príncipes y siervos, teniendo delante de él la fuerza de Persia y de Media, gobernadores y príncipes de provincias,
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 para mostrar él las riquezas de la gloria de su reino, y la honra de la hermosura de su grandeza, por muchos días, 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 Y cumplidos estos días, hizo el rey banquete por siete días en el patio del huerto del palacio real a todo el pueblo, desde el mayor hasta el menor que se halló en Susa capital del reino.
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 El pabellón era de blanco, verde, y cárdeno, tendido sobre cuerdas de lino y púrpura en anillos de plata y columnas de mármol; los reclinatorios de oro y de plata, sobre losado de pórfido y de mármol, y de alabastro y de cárdeno.
[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 Y daban a beber en vasos de oro ( los vasos eran diferentes unos de otros), y mucho vino real, conforme a la facultad del rey.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Y la bebida fue según esta ley: Que nadie se constriñese; porque así lo había mandado el rey a todos los mayordomos de su casa; que se hiciese según la voluntad de cada uno.
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 Asimismo la reina Vasti hizo banquete de mujeres, en la casa real del 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, estando el corazón del rey alegre del vino, mandó a Mehumán, y a Bizta, y a Harbona, y a Bigta, y a Abagta, y a Zetar, y a Carcas, siete eunucos que servían delante 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 trajesen a la reina Vasti delante del rey con la corona del reino, para mostrar a los pueblos y a los príncipes su hermosura; porque era hermosa de parecer.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Y la reina Vasti no quiso venir a la orden del rey, enviada por mano de los eunucos; y se enojó el rey mucho, y se encendió en él su ira.
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 Preguntó entonces el rey a los sabios que sabían los tiempos (porque así era la costumbre del rey para con todos los que sabían la ley y el derecho;
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 estaban junto a él, Carsena, y Setar, y Admata, y Tarsis, y Meres, y Marsena, y Memucán, siete príncipes de Persia y de Media que veían el rostro del rey, y se sentaban los primeros en el reino):
15 ¿Qué se debe de hacer según la ley con la reina Vasti, por cuanto no ha cumplido la orden del rey Asuero, enviada por mano de 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 Y dijo Memucán delante del rey y de los príncipes: No solamente contra el rey ha pecado la reina Vasti, sino contra todos los príncipes, y contra todos los pueblos que hay 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 este hecho de la reina pasará a noticia de todas las mujeres, para hacerles tener en poca estima a sus maridos, diciendo: El rey Asuero mandó traer delante de sí a la reina Vasti, y 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 Y entonces dirán esto las señoras de Persia y de Media que oyeren el hecho de la reina, a todos los príncipes del rey; y habrá mucho menosprecio y enojo.
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 parece bien al rey, salga mandamiento real delante de él, y se escriba entre las leyes de Persia y de Media, y no sea traspasado: Que no venga más Vasti delante del rey Asuero; y dé el rey su reino a su compañera 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 Y el hecho que hará el rey será oído en todo su reino, aunque es grande, y todas las mujeres darán honra a sus maridos, desde el mayor hasta el menor.
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 Y agradó esta palabra en ojos del rey y de los príncipes, e hizo el rey conforme al dicho 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 conforme a su escribir, y a cada pueblo conforme a su lenguaje, diciendo: Que todo varón sea señor en su casa; y que se publica esto 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.
