Ester 1
1 Uti Ahasveros tid, hvilken rådandes var, allt ifrån Indien intill Ethiopien, öfver hundrade sju och tjugu land;
In the days of Artaxerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces,
2 Då han satt på sinom Konungsliga stol, i den staden Susan;
when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city of Susa was the root of his kingdom.
3 I tredje årena hans rikes, gjorde han ett gästabåd när sig, åt alla sina Förstar och tjenare; nämliga dem väldigom i Persien och Meden, landshöfdingom och öfverstom i sin land;
And so, in the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for all the leaders and his servants, for the most powerful among the Persians and the distinguished among the Medes, and for the rulers of the provinces before him,
4 På det han skulle låta se sins rikes härliga rikedomar och det kosteliga prål af sitt majestät, i många dagar, nämliga i hundrade och åttatio dagar.
so that he might show the glorious riches of his kingdom, as well as its greatness, and so boast of his power, for a long time, namely, one hundred and eighty days.
5 Då de dagar ute voro, gjorde Konungen ett gästabåd allo folkena, som i stadenom Susan var, både stora och små, i sju dagar, uti en sal i trägårdenom invid Konungshuset.
And when the days of the feast were nearly completed, he invited all the people, who had been found in Susa, from the greatest even to the least, and he commanded a feast to be prepared, for seven days, in the court of the garden and the arboretum, which had been planted by the care and by the hand of the king.
6 Der voro upphängd hvit, röd och gul tapeter, fattad med linnen och skarlakanståg, uti silfringar på marmorstodar. Bänkerna voro af guld och silfver, på golfvena, som lagdt var med grön, hvit, gul och svart marmorsten.
And, in every direction, tents the color of the sky and of flax as well as hyacinth were hung up, suspended by cords of linen and even purple, which had been placed through rings of ivory and were held up with marble columns. The couches also, of gold and silver, had been arranged over a pavement of emerald-green, bearing scattered jewels, which was decorated with a wonderful variety of images.
7 Och dryckerna bar man in uti gyldene kar, och ju annor och annor kar, och Konungsligit vin tillfyllest, såsom Konungen det väl förmådde.
Moreover, those who had been invited drank from golden cups, and dishes of foods were brought in one after another. Likewise, choice wine was presented in abundance, as was worthy of royal magnificence.
8 Och man lade ingom före hvad han dricka skulle; ty Konungen hade befallt alla föreståndarena i sitt hus, att hvar och en skulle göra såsom honom lyste.
Nor was anyone compelled to drink who was unwilling, but, just as the king had appointed, one of his nobles was set over each table, so that each one might select what he wanted.
9 Och Drottningen Vasthi gjorde också ett gästabåd för qvinnorna uti Konungshusena, der Konung Ahasveros plägade vistas.
Likewise, Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the palace where king Artaxerxes was accustomed to stay the night.
10 Och på sjunde dagen, då Konungen vardt lustig af vinet, sade han till Mehuman, Bistha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Sethar och Charcas, de sju kamererare, som för Konung Ahasveros tjente,
And so, on the seventh day, when the king was more cheerful, and, after excessive drinking, had become warmed with wine, he ordered Mehuman, and Biztha, and Harbona, and Bigtha, and Abagtha, and Zethar, and Charkas, seven eunuchs who served in his presence,
11 Att de skulle hafva Drottning Vasthi in för Konungen, med Drottningakrono, på det han skulle låta folket och Förstarna se hennes dägelighet; ty hon var dägelig.
to bring in queen Vashti before the king, with the crown set upon her head, to show her beauty to the whole people and to the leaders, for she was very beautiful.
12 Men Drottning Vasthi ville icke komma efter Konungens ord, genom hans kamererare. Då vardt Konungen ganska vred, och upptänd i grymhet.
She refused, and she showed contempt towards the king’s command, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs. Whereupon the king, being angry and inflamed with a very great fury,
13 Och Konungen sade till de visa, som i landsseder förfarne voro; ty Konungens ärende måste hafvas inför alla förståndiga i lag och rätt;
questioned the wise men, who, according to royal custom were always near him and all he did was by their counsel, who knew the laws as well as the judgments of their ancestors,
14 Men de näste, som när honom voro, voro Charsena, Sethar, Admatha, Tharsis, Meres, Marsena och Memuchan, de sju Förstar af Persien och Meden, som sågo på Konungens ansigte, och såto främst i rikena;
(but first and foremost were Carshena, and Shethar, and Admatha, and Tarshish, and Meres, and Marsena, and Memucan, seven rulers of the Persians as well as the Medes, who saw the face of the king and who were accustomed to sitting down first after him, )
15 Hvad man göra skulle Drottning Vasthi för en rätt, derföre, att hon icke gjort hade efter Konungens ord, genom hans kamererare.
as to what sentence should fall upon Vashti the queen, who had refused to do the commandment of king Artaxerxes, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs.
16 Då sade Memuchan inför Konungenom och Förstarna: Drottning Vasthi hafver icke allenast illa gjort emot Konungen, utan ock emot alla Förstar, och allt folk uti Konung Ahasveros landom.
And Memucan answered, in the hearing of the king as well as the rulers, “Queen Vashti has wounded not only the king, but also all the people and the leaders, who are in all the provinces of king Artaxerxes.
17 Förty detta stycket af Drottningen kommer väl ut till alla qvinnor, så att de skola förakta sina män för sin ögon, och skola säga: Konung Ahasveros böd Drottningene Vasthi komma inför sig, men hon ville icke.
For word about the queen will go out to all the women, so that they will show contempt for their husbands, and they will say, ‘King Artaxerxes ordered that queen Vashti should enter before him, and she would not.’
18 Så varda nu de Förstinnor i Persien och Meden sammalunda sägande till alla Konungens Förstar, när de få detta Drottningenes stycke höra; så skall föraktelse och vrede nog upphäfva sig.
And so, by this example all the wives of the leaders of the Persians and the Medes will belittle the authority of their husbands; therefore, the indignation of the king is just.
19 Om Konungenom så täckes, så låte han ett Konungsligit bud af sig utgå, och skrifva efter de Persers och Meders lag, hvilken man icke öfverträda tör, att Vasthi icke mer skall komma inför Konung Ahasveros; och Konungen gifve hennes rike hennes nästo, den bättre är än hon.
If it pleases you, let an edict be sent out from your presence, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and the Medes, which it is forbidden to disregard, that Vashti shall no longer enter before the king, but let another, who is better than her, receive her queenship.
20 Och att detta Konungens bref, som göras skall, må förkunnadt varda i hela rikena, det väl stort är, att alla qvinnor måga hålla sina män för ögon, ibland både små och stora.
And let this be published in all the provinces of your empire, (which is very wide, ) and let all wives, the greater as much as the lesser, give honor to their husbands.”
21 Detta täcktes Konungenom och Förstarna; och Konungen gjorde efter Memuchans ord.
His counsel pleased the king and the rulers, and the king acted according to the counsel of Memucan,
22 Då vordo bref utsänd i all Konungens land, i hvart landet efter dess skrift, och till hvart folk efter dess tungomål, att hvar och en man skulle vara husbonde i sitt hus; och lät tala efter sins folks tungomål.
and he sent letters to all the provinces of his kingdom, so that every nation was able to hear and to read, in various languages and letters, that husbands are to be the greater rulers in their own houses, and that this should be published to every people.
