Esther 1
1 This is an account of what happened during the time of King Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.
アハシユエロスすなはち印度よりエテオピヤまで百二十七州を治めたるアハシユエロスの世
2 At the time King Xerxes was ruling from his royal throne at the fortress in Susa.
アハシユエロス王シユシヤンの城にてその國の祚に坐しをりける当時
3 In the third year of his reign he organized a feast for his officials and administrators. The army commanders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were all there with him.
その治世の第三年にその牧伯等および臣僕等のために酒宴を設けたり ペルシヤとメデアの武士および貴族と諸州の牧伯等その前にありき
4 He put on display his wealth and the glory of his kingdom, showing how majestic, splendid, and glorious he was, for 180 days.
時に王その盛なる國の富有とその大なる威光の榮を示して衆多の日をわたり百八十日に及びぬ
5 After that the king gave a feast lasting for seven days for all the people, great and small, who were there in the fortress of Susa in the garden courtyard of the king's pavilion.
これらの日のをはりし時王また王の宮の園の庭にてシユシヤンに居る大小のすべての民のために七日の間酒宴を設けたり
6 It was decorated with white and blue cotton curtains tied with cords of fine linen and purple thread on silver rings, held up by marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were placed on a pavement made of purple porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and expensive stones.
白緑靑の帳幔ありて細布と紫色の紐にて銀の環および蝋石の柱に繋がるまた牀榻は金銀にして赤白黄黑の蝋石の上に居らる
7 Drinks were served in golden goblets of different kinds, and the royal wine flowed freely because of the king's generosity.
金の酒盃にて酒を賜ふその酒盃は此と彼おのおの異なり王の用ゐる酒をたまふこと夥だし王の富有に適へり
8 The king had ruled that there was to be no limit on how much a guest could drink; he had told his servants to give each guest whatever they wanted.
その飮むことは法にかなひて誰も強ることを爲ず 其は王人として各々おのれの好むごとく爲しむべしとその宮内のすべての有司に命じたればなり
9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Xerxes.
后ワシテもまたアハシユエロス王に屬する王宮の内にて婦女のために酒宴をまうけたり
10 On the seventh day of the feast, the king, feeling happy from drinking wine, ordered the seven eunuchs who were his attendants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas,
第七日にアハシユエロス王酒のために心樂み王の前に事ふる七人の侍從メホマン、ビスタ、ハルボナ、ビグタ、アバグタ、セタルおよびカルカスに命じ
11 to bring Queen Vashti to him wearing her royal headdress, so he could show her beauty to the people and officials, for she was very good-looking.
后ワシテをして后の冠冕をかぶりて王の前に來らしめよと言り 是は彼觀に美しければその美麗を民等と牧伯等に見さんとてなりき
12 But when the eunuchs delivered the order from the king, Queen Vashti refused to come. The king became extremely angry—he was absolutely furious.
しかるに后ワシテ侍從が傳へし王の命に從ひて來ることを肯はざりしかば王おほいに憤ほりて震怒その衷に燃ゆ
13 Then the king spoke with the wise men who would know what to do, for it was the custom for him to ask the opinion of experts in procedures and legal matters.
是において王時を知る智者にむかひて言ふ(王はすべて法律と審理に明かなる者にむかひて是の如くするを常とせり
14 Those closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had frequent meetings with the king and had the highest positions in the kingdom.
時に彼の次にをりし者はペルシヤおよびメデアの七人の牧伯カルシナ、セタル、アデマタ、タルシシ、メレス、マルセナ、メムカンなりき 是みな王の面を見る者にして國の第一に位せり)
15 “What does the law say should be done with Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She refused to obey the direct order of King Xerxes as delivered by the eunuchs!”
后ワシテ、アハシユエロス王が侍從をもて傳へし命を爲ざれば法律にしたがひて如何に彼になすべきや
16 Memucan gave his answer before the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti hasn't just insulted the king but all the nobles and all the people of all the provinces of King Xerxes.
メムカン王と牧伯たちの前に答へて曰ふ 后ワシテは唯王にむかひて惡き事をなしたる而已ならず一切の牧伯たちおよびアハシユエロス王の各州のもろもろの民にむかひてもまた之を爲るなり
17 Once it gets out what the queen has done, all wives will despise their husbands, looking down on them and telling them, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti brought to him but she didn't come!’
后のこの事あまねく一切の婦女に聞えて彼らつひにその夫を藐め觀て言ん アハシユエロス王后ワシテに己のまへに來れと命じたりしに來らざりしと
18 By the end of the day, the wives of all the nobles throughout Persia and Media who have heard what the queen did will treat their noble husbands with angry contempt!
而して后の此所行を聞るペルシヤとメデアの諸夫人もまた今日王のすべての牧伯等に是のごとく言ん然すれば必らず藐視と忿怒多く起るべし
19 If it please Your Majesty, issue a royal decree, in accordance with the laws of Persia and Media which cannot be changed, that Vashti is banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that Your Majesty will give her royal position to another, one who is better than her.
王もし之を善としたまはばワシテは此後ふたたびアハシユエロス王の前に來るべからずといふ王命を下し之をペルシヤとメデアの律法の中に書いれて更ること無らしめ而してその后の位を彼に勝れる他の者に與へたまへ
20 When Your Majesty's decree is proclaimed throughout your vast empire, all wives will respect their husbands, highborn or lowborn.”
王の下したまはん御詔この大なる御國に徧ねく聞えわたる時は妻たる者ことごとくその夫を大小となく共に敬まふべしと
21 This advice looked good to the king and the nobles, so the king did what Memucan had said.
王と牧伯等この言を善としければ王メムカンの言のごとく爲たり
22 He sent letters to all provinces in the empire, in each province's script and language, that every man should rule his own home, and use his own mother tongue.
かくて王の諸州に徧ねく書をおくりもろもろの州にその文字にしたがひて書おくりもろもろの民にその言語にしたがひて書おくり凡て男子たる者はその家の主となるべくまたおのれの民の言を用ひてものいふべしと諭しぬ
