Esther 1

وَحَدَثَ فِي أَيَّامِ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ، هُوَ أَحَشْوِيرُوشُ الَّذِي مَلَكَ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ إِلَى كُوشٍ عَلَى مِئَةٍ وَسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ كُورَةً،

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:)

أَنَّهُ فِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ حِينَ جَلَسَ الْمَلِكُ أَحَشْوِيرُوشُ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّ مُلْكِهِ الَّذِي فِي شُوشَنَ الْقَصْرِ،

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

فِي السَّنَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ مِنْ مُلْكِهِ، عَمِلَ وَلِيمَةً لِجَمِيعِ رُؤَسَائِهِ وَعَبِيدِهِ جَيْشِ فَارِسَ وَمَادِي، وَأَمَامَهُ شُرَفَاءُ الْبُلْدَانِ وَرُؤَسَاؤُهَا،

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:

حِينَ أَظْهَرَ غِنَى مَجْدِ مُلْكِهِ وَوَقَارَ جَلاَلِ عَظَمَتِهِ أَيَّامًا كَثِيرَةً، مِئَةً وَثَمَانِينَ يَوْمًا.

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

وَعِنْدَ انْقِضَاءِ هذِهِ الأَيَّامِ، عَمِلَ الْمَلِكُ لِجَمِيعِ الشَّعْبِ الْمَوْجُودِينَ فِي شُوشَنَ الْقَصْرِ، مِنَ الْكَبِيرِ إِلَى الصَّغِيرِ، وَلِيمَةً سَبْعَةَ أَيَّامٍ فِي دَارِ جَنَّةِ قَصْرِ الْمَلِكِ.

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;

بِأَنْسِجَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ وَخَضْرَاءَ وَأَسْمَانْجُونِيَّةٍ مُعَلَّقَةٍ بِحِبَال مِنْ بَزّ وَأُرْجُوانٍ، فِي حَلَقَاتٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ، وَأَعْمِدَةٍ مِنْ رُخَامٍ، وَأَسِرَّةٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَفِضَّةٍ، عَلَى مُجَزَّعٍ مِنْ بَهْتٍ وَمَرْمَرٍ وَدُرّ وَرُخَامٍ أَسْوَدَ.

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.

وَكَانَ السِّقَاءُ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، وَالآنِيَةُ مُخْتَلِفَةُ الأَشْكَالِ، وَالْخَمْرُ الْمَلِكِيُّ بِكَثْرَةٍ حَسَبَ كَرَمِ الْمَلِكِ.

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.

وَكَانَ الشُّرْبُ حَسَبَ الأَمْرِ. لَمْ يَكُنْ غَاصِبٌ، لأَنَّهُ هكَذَا رَسَمَ الْمَلِكُ عَلَى كُلِّ عَظِيمٍ فِي بَيْتِهِ أَنْ يَعْمَلُوا حَسَبَ رِضَا كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ.

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.

وَوَشْتِي الْمَلِكَةُ عَمِلَتْ أَيْضًا وَلِيمَةً لِلنِّسَاءِ فِي بَيْتِ الْمُلْكِ الَّذِي لِلْمَلِكِ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ.

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

فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابعِ لَمَّا طَابَ قَلْبُ الْمَلِكِ بِالْخَمْرِ، قَالَ لِمَهُومَانَ وَبِزْثَا وَحَرْبُونَا وَبِغْثَا وَأَبَغْثَا وَزِيثَارَ وَكَرْكَسَ، الْخِصْيَانِ السَّبْعَةِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَخْدِمُونَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمَلِكِ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ،

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,

أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِوَشْتِي الْمَلِكَةِ إِلَى أَمَامِ الْمَلِكِ بِتَاجِ الْمُلْكِ، لِيُرِيَ الشُّعُوبَ وَالرُّؤَسَاءَ جَمَالَهَا، لأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ حَسَنَةَ الْمَنْظَرِ.

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.

فَأَبَتِ الْمَلِكَةُ وَشْتِي أَنْ تَأْتِيَ حَسَبَ أَمْرِ الْمَلِكِ عَنْ يَدِ الْخِصْيَانِ، فَاغْتَاظَ الْمَلِكُ جِدًّا وَاشْتَعَلَ غَضَبُهُ فِيهِ.

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.

وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِلْحُكَمَاءِ الْعَارِفِينَ بِالأَزْمِنَةِ، لأَنَّهُ هكَذَا كَانَ أَمْرُ الْمَلِكِ نَحْوَ جَمِيعِ الْعَارِفِينَ بِالسُّنَّةِ وَالْقَضَاءِ،

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:

وَكَانَ الْمُقَرِّبُونَ إِلَيْهِ كَرْشَنَا وَشِيثَارَ وَأَدْمَاثَا وَتَرْشِيشَ وَمَرَسَ وَمَرْسَنَا وَمَمُوكَانَ، سَبْعَةَ رُؤَسَاءِ فَارِسَ وَمَادِي الَّذِينَ يَرَوْنَ وَجْهَ الْمَلِكِ وَيَجْلِسُونَ أَوَّلاً فِي الْمُلْكِ:

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;)

«حَسَبَ السُّنَّةِ، مَاذَا يُعْمَلُ بِالْمَلِكَةِ وَشْتِي لأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ كَقَوْلِ الْمَلِكِ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ عَنْ يَدِ الْخِصْيَانِ؟»

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?

فَقَالَ مَمُوكَانُ أَمَامَ الْمَلِكِ وَالرُّؤَسَاءِ: «لَيْسَ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ وَحْدَهُ أَذْنَبَتْ وَشْتِي الْمَلِكَةُ، بَلْ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الرُّؤَسَاءِ وَجَمِيعِ الشُّعُوبِ الَّذِينَ فِي كُلِّ بُلْدَانِ الْمَلِكِ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ.

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.

لأَنَّهُ سَوْفَ يَبْلُغُ خَبَرُ الْمَلِكَةِ إِلَى جَمِيعِ النِّسَاءِ، حَتَّى يُحْتَقَرَ أَزْوَاجُهُنَّ فِي أَعْيُنِهِنَّ عِنْدَمَا يُقَالُ: إِنَّ الْمَلِكَ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُؤْتَى بِوَشْتِي الْمَلِكَةِ إِلَى أَمَامِهِ فَلَمْ تَأْتِ.

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.

وَفِي هذَا الْيَوْمِ تَقُولُهُ رَئِيسَاتُ فَارِسَ وَمَادِي اللَّوَاتِي سَمِعْنَ خَبَرَ الْمَلِكَةِ لِجَمِيعِ رُؤَسَاءِ الْمَلِكِ. وَمِثْلُ ذلِكَ احْتِقَارٌ وَغَضَبٌ.

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.

فَإِذَا حَسُنَ عِنْدَ الْمَلِكِ، فَلْيَخْرُجْ أَمْرٌ مَلِكِيٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، وَلْيُكْتَبْ فِي سُنَنِ فَارِسَ وَمَادِي فَلاَ يَتَغَيَّرَ، أَنْ لاَ تَأْتِ وَشْتِي إِلَى أَمَامِ الْمَلِكِ أَحَشْوِيرُوشَ، وَلْيُعْطِ الْمَلِكُ مُلْكَهَا لِمَنْ هِيَ أَحْسَنُ مِنْهَا.

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.

فَيُسْمَعُ أَمْرُ الْمَلِكِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُهُ فِي كُلِّ مَمْلَكَتِهِ لأَنَّهَا عَظِيمَةٌ، فَتُعْطِي جَمِيعُ النِّسَاءِ الْوَقَارَ لأَزْوَاجِهِنَّ مِنَ الْكَبِيرِ إِلَى الصَّغِيرِ».

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.

فَحَسُنَ الْكَلاَمُ فِي أَعْيُنِ الْمَلِكِ وَالرُّؤَسَاءِ، وَعَمِلَ الْمَلِكُ حَسَبَ قَوْلِ مَمُوكَانَ.

And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:

وَأَرْسَلَ كُتُبًا إِلَى كُلِّ بُلْدَانِ الْمَلِكِ، إِلَى كُلِّ بِلاَدٍ حَسَبَ كِتَابَتِهَا، وَإِلَى كُلِّ شَعْبٍ حَسَبَ لِسَانِهِ، لِيَكُونَ كُلُّ رَجُل مُتَسَلِّطًا فِي بَيْتِهِ، وَيُتَكَلَّمَ بِذلِكَ بِلِسَانِ شَعْبِهِ.

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.