以斯帖記 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
亞哈隨魯王大宴群臣
1 亞哈隨魯在位期間，統治從印度到古實的一百二十七個省。 2 亞哈隨魯王在書珊城登基， 3 他在執政第三年大宴群臣，波斯和瑪代的將領、各省的貴族和大臣都在場。 4 整整一百八十天，他展示自己帝國的財富和王權的威榮。 5 之後，他又一連七天在御花園宴請書珊城裡所有的居民，無論尊卑。 6 御花園裡有白色的棉帳和藍色的彩帳，用細麻繩和紫色繩繫在大理石柱的銀環上。有金銀製成的床榻擺在各色斑岩、大理石、珍珠貝殼及其他貴重石頭鋪成的地上。 7 飲酒用的是各式各樣的金器皿，御酒大量供應，足顯王的慷慨。 8 喝酒有個規矩，不許勉強人，因為王吩咐過宮裡所有的侍從，招待各人要隨其所願。 9 瓦實提王后也在亞哈隨魯王的宮裡設宴招待女賓。
瓦實提王后被廢
10 第七天，亞哈隨魯王喝得心中暢快，就吩咐在王身邊服侍的米戶幔、比斯他、哈波拿、比革他、亞拔他、西達和甲迦七位太監， 11 去請瓦實提王后戴著后冠到王面前，向百姓和官員展現她的美貌，因為她非常美麗。 12 但瓦實提王后違抗太監所傳的諭旨，拒絕前來，王非常生氣，怒火中燒。
13 王有事習慣徵求通曉律例和法則之人的意見，於是他去問精通時務的哲士。 14 那時，靠近王的有甲示拿、示達、押瑪他、他施斯、米力、瑪西拿和米姆干七位波斯和瑪代的大臣，他們常見王的面，在國中身居高位。 15 王問他們：「瓦實提王后違抗太監所傳的諭旨，按律該如何處置她？」
16 米姆干當著王和大臣們的面說：「瓦實提王后不但冒犯了王，而且有害於舉國的臣民。 17 因為王后的事必傳到所有婦女的耳中，致使她們藐視自己的丈夫，因為她們會說，『亞哈隨魯王請瓦實提王后到他面前，她卻不去。』 18 今天，波斯和瑪代的貴婦聽到王后這事，也會如此對待王的大臣，藐視和惱怒之事必層出不窮。 19 王若願意，就請降旨不准瓦實提再到王面前，把她王后的位分賜給比她更好的女子，並將此諭旨寫入波斯和瑪代的律法，永不更改。 20 王的諭旨傳遍王遼闊的國境後，所有的婦女，無論丈夫貴賤，都必尊重他們。」
21 王和大臣們都贊同米姆干的建議，王便依照他的建議， 22 用各省的文字和各族的語言寫諭旨，通告各省，丈夫要做一家之主，說話有權柄。
Esther 1
New Catholic Bible
Esther Chosen as Queen
Chapter 1
A Great Banquet.[a] 1 This took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the king who ruled over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.[b] 2 At that time, King Ahasuerus was reigning from the royal throne of the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign, he threw a great banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military commanders of Persia and Media were present, and so were the princes and the nobles of the provinces.
4 For a full one hundred and eighty days the king showcased the wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, he threw a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of his palace, for all the people, from the least to the greatest, who lived in the citadel of Susa.
6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were on the pavement, which was of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in golden goblets, each different from one another, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s beneficence. 8 By the order of the king, there were no limits on the drinks. For he instructed all the wine stewards to give everyone whatever was requested.
Queen Vashti Deposed. 9 Meanwhile, in the king’s royal palace, Queen Vashti[c] was giving a banquet for the women.
10 On the seventh day, when King Ahasuerus was merry with wine, he summoned the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants—Mehuman, Biztha, Har-bona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas. 11 He ordered them to bring the queen into his presence, wearing the royal crown, so he could show her off to the officials and all his guests, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the official command issued through the eunuchs. This embarrassed the king and made him furious.
13 Since it was his custom to consult experts in matters of law and justice, the king consulted with the wise men who understood the laws. 14 He summoned Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven Persian and Median officials who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 The king asked, “What does the law say must be done about Queen Vashti, who disobeyed the command of King Ahasuerus issued through the eunuchs?”
16 It was Memucan, then, who replied in the presence of the king and the nobles: “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the nobles and peoples throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For this behavior of the queen will become known to all the women, and they will disrespect their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded that Queen Vashti enter his presence, but she refused to come.’ 18 So this very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have learned about the queen’s behavior will react against the king’s nobles in like manner, resulting in no end of rancor and discord.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree inscribed in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed,[d] to the effect that Vashti is nevermore to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus and that her position be given to someone more worthy than she is. 20 Then when the edict is published throughout his vast domain, all the women will respect their husbands, from the greatest to the least.”
21 The king and his nobles found this advice very acceptable, so the king acted upon Memucan’s words. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom—to every province in its own script and to each people in its own language—proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be the master of his own house.[e]
Footnotes
- Esther 1:1 The extension of the power, luxuriousness of the palace, and weakness of morals correspond well with the reign of Ahasuerus, that is, Xerxes I (485–465 B.C.), the famous king defeated by Greece, of whom Herodotus says that he subsequently gave himself up to every type of debauchery. Liberal in the sphere of religion, he revised the ceremony to respect the customs of those invited (v. 8)—e.g., the Persian custom required guests to drink a certain amount of glasses of wine. However, St. Jerome thought Ahasuerus to be Artaxerxes II (405–362 B.C.), because the Greek text speaks constantly about “Artaxerxes,” and Plutarch tells us that this monarch kept in his harem a number of women corresponding to the days of a year.
- Esther 1:1 From India to Ethiopia: this phrase indicates the greatest extent of the Persian empire—that is, from western India to Upper Egypt—achieved under Darius the Great, who was the father of Ahasuerus.
- Esther 1:9 Queen Vashti: according to Herodotus, the wife of Ahasuerus was Amestris, a Persian woman.
- Esther 1:19 Laws . . . which cannot be repealed: according to the historian Siculus, the idea of irrevocable laws existed at the time of Darius III (335–331 B.C.), the last king of Persia (see Est 8:8).
- Esther 1:22 Among the many languages spoken in the Persian Empire, the principal ones were Persian, Aramaic, Babylonian, Egyptian, Elaite, Greek, and Phoenician, each of which had its own script.
Esther 1
New King James Version
The King Dethrones Queen Vashti
1 Now it came to pass in the days of (A)Ahasuerus[a] (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned (B)over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, (C)from India to Ethiopia), 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus (D)sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in (E)Shushan[b] the [c]citadel, 3 that in the third year of his reign he (F)made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him— 4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all.
5 And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in [d]Shushan the [e]citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the (G)couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. 7 And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, (H)according to the [f]generosity of the king. 8 In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure.
9 Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, (I)Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.
13 Then the king said to the (J)wise men (K)who understood the times (for this was the king’s manner toward all who knew law and justice, 14 those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the (L)seven princes of Persia and Media, (M)who had access to the king’s presence, and who [g]ranked highest in the kingdom): 15 “What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?”
16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: “Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will (N)despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king’s officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath. 19 If it pleases the king, let a royal [h]decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will (O)not [i]be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 When the king’s decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will (P)honor their husbands, both great and small.”
21 And the reply pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. 22 Then he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, (Q)to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should (R)be master in his own house, and speak in the language of his own people.
Footnotes
- Esther 1:1 Generally identified with Xerxes I (485–464 b.c.)
- Esther 1:2 Or Susa
- Esther 1:2 Or fortified palace, and so elsewhere in the book
- Esther 1:5 Or Susa
- Esther 1:5 palace
- Esther 1:7 Lit. hand
- Esther 1:14 Lit. sat in first place
- Esther 1:19 Lit. word
- Esther 1:19 pass away
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
