Ester 1

I Ahasverus's Dage - den Ahasverus, der herskede over Landene fra Indien til Ætiopien, 127 Lande -

i hine Dage, da Kong Ahasverus sad på sin Kongetrone i Borgen Susan, tildrog der sig følgende.

I sit tredje Regeringsår gjorde han et Gæstebud for alle sine Fyrster og sine Folk; Persiens og Mediens ypperste Hærførere og Landsdelenes Fyrster var hans Gæster,

og han udfoldede sin kongelige Herligheds Rigdom og sin Magts Glans og Pragt for dem i mange Dage, 180 Dage.

Og da disse Dage var omme, gjorde Kongen for hele Folket i Borgen Susan, fra den højeste til den laveste, et syv Dages Gæstebud på den åbne Plads foran Parken ved Kongeborgen.

Hvidt Linned og violet Purpur var med Snore af fint Linned og rødt Purpur hængt op på Sølvstænger og Marmorsøjler, og Guld- og Sølvdivaner stod på et Gulv, der var indlagt med broget og hvidt Marmor, Perlemor og sorte Sten.

Drikkene skænkedes i Guldbægre, alle forskellige, og der var kongelig Vin i store Måder på ægte Fyrstevis;

og ved Drikkelaget gjaldt den Regel, at man ikke nødte nogen; thi Kongen havde pålagt alle sine Hovmestre at lade enhver om, hvor meget han vilde have.

Også Dronning Vasjti gjorde et Gæstebud for Kvinderne i Kong Ahasverus's Kongeborg.

Da Kongen den syvende Dag var oprømt af Vinen, bød han Mehuman, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zetar og Karkas, de syv Hofmænd, som stod i Kong Ahasverus's Tjeneste,

at føre Dronning Vasjti, prydet med det kongelige Diadem, frem for Kongen, for at han kunde vise Folkene og Fyrsterne hendes Dejlighed. Thi hun var meget smuk.

Men bronning Vasjti vægrede sig ved at komme på Kongens Bud, som Hofmændene overbragte. Da blev Kongen harmfuld, og Vreden blussede op i ham.

Og Kongen spurgte de vise, som kendte til Tidernes Tydning - thi Kongens Ord blev efter Skik og Brug forelagt alle de lov- og retskyndige,

og de, der stod ham nærmest, var Karsjena, Sjetar, Admata, Tarsjisj, Meres, Marsena og Memukan, de syv persiske og mediske Fyrster, som så Kongens Åsyn og havde den øverste Magt i Riget:

Hvad skal der efter Loven gøres ved Dronning Vasjti, fordi hun ikke adlød den Befaling, Kong Ahasverus gav hende ved Hofmændene?

thi Dronningens Opførsel vil rygtes blandt alle Kvinderne, og Følgen bliver, at de viser deres Mænd Ringeagt, når det hedder sig: Kong Ahasverus bød, at man skulde føre Dronning Vasjti til ham, men hun kom ikke!

Og så snart de hører om Dronningens Adfærd, lader Persiens og Mediens Fyrstinder alle Kongens Fyrster det høre; deraf kan der kun komme Ringeagt og Vrede.

Hvis Kongen synes, så lade han udgå et kongeligt Bud, som skal optegnes i Persiens og Mediens Love og være uigenkaldeligt, om at Vasjti aldrig mere må vise sig for Kong Ahasverus; og Kongen skal give hendes kongelige Værdighed til en anden, som er bedre end hun.

Når så den Forordning, kongen lader udgå, bliver kendt i hele hans Rige - thi det er stort - da vil alle Kvinderne, både høje og lave, vise deres Mænd Agtelse.

Det Forslag var godt i Kongens og Fyrsternes Øjne, og Kongen fulgte Memukans Forslag.

Han sendte Skrivelser til alle Kongens Lande, til hver Landsdel med dens egen Skrift og til hvert Folk på dets eget Sprog, om at hver Mand skulde være Herre i sit eget Hus og tale sit Folks Sprog.

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this {is} Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, {over} an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)

{That} in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which {was} in Shushan the palace,

In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, {being} before him:

When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, {even} an hundred and fourscore days.

And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace; {present: Heb. found}

{Where were} white, green, and blue, {hangings}, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds {were of} gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble. {blue, hangings: or, violet, etc} {of red...: or, of porphyre, and marble and alabaster, and stone of blue colour}

And they gave {them} drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king. {royal...: Heb. wine of the kingdom} {state: Heb. hand}

And the drinking {was} according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women {in} the royal house which {belonged} to king Ahasuerus.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, {chamberlains: or, eunuchs}

To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she {was} fair to look on. {fair...: Heb. good of countenance}

But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by {his} chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. {by his...: Heb. which was by the hand of his eunuchs}

Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so {was} the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:

And the next unto him {was} Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, {and} Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, {and} which sat the first in the kingdom;)

What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? {What...: Heb. What to do}

And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that {are} in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.

For {this} deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.

{Likewise} shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus {shall there arise} too much contempt and wrath.

If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she. {If it...: Heb. If it be good with the king} {unto...: Heb. unto her companion} {from him: Heb. from before him} {be not...: Heb. pass not away}

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.

And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: {pleased...: Heb. was good in the eyes of the king}

For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that {it} should be published according to the language of every people. {that it...: Heb. that one should publish it according to the language of his people}