Esther 1
1 King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
Este es un relato de lo que sucedió durante la época del rey Jerjes, el Jerjes que gobernaba 127 provincias desde la India hasta Etiopía.
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
En ese momento el rey Jerjes gobernaba desde su trono real en la fortaleza de Susa.
3 During the third year that he ruled his empire, he invited all his administrators and [other] officials to a big banquet/feast. He invited all the commanders of the armies of Persia and Media to come to the banquet. He also invited the governors and other leaders of the provinces.
En el tercer año de su reinado organizó una fiesta para sus funcionarios y administradores. Los comandantes del ejército de Persia y Media, los nobles y los funcionarios provinciales estaban allí con él.
4 [The celebration] lasted for six months. During that time the king showed his guests all his wealth and other things that showed how great his kingdom was (OR, how great a king he was).
Durante ciento ochenta días exhibió sus riquezas y la gloria de su reino, mostrando lo majestuoso, espléndido y glorioso que era.
5 At the end of those six months, the king invited people to another banquet. He invited to the banquet all the men who worked in the palace, including those who had important jobs and those who had unimportant jobs. [This celebration] lasted for seven days. It was in the courtyard of the palace in Susa.
Después de eso, el rey dio un banquete que duró siete días para todo el pueblo, grande y pequeño, que estaba allí en la fortaleza de Susa, en el patio del jardín del pabellón del rey.
6 [In the courtyard] were beautiful blue and white curtains that were fastened by white and purple cords/ribbons to rings that were on pillars made from [expensive white stone called] marble. [The guests sat on] gold and silver couches. The couches were on a pavement/floor which had on top of it designs made from various kinds of expensive stones.
Estaba decorado con cortinas de algodón blanco y azul atadas con cordones de lino fino e hilo de púrpura sobre anillos de plata, sostenidos por pilares de mármol. Sobre un pavimento de pórfido púrpura, mármol, nácar y piedras costosas se colocaron sofás de oro y plata.
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
Las bebidas se servían en copas de oro de diferentes tipos, y el vino real fluía libremente debido a la generosidad del rey.
8 There was a lot of wine, because the king wanted the guests to drink as much as they wanted. But the king told the servants that they should not force anyone to drink more than he wanted.
El rey había ordenado que no se limitara la cantidad de bebida de los invitados; había dicho a sus servidores que dieran a cada uno lo que quisiera.
9 [At the same time, the king’s wife, ] Queen Vashti, invited the wives of the men who worked in the palace to a banquet [in another room in the palace].
La reina Vasti también preparó un banquete para las mujeres del palacio que pertenecía al rey Jerjes.
10 On the last/seventh day of those banquets, when King Xerxes was partially drunk from drinking wine, he [summoned] seven of his personal servants. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas.
El séptimo día del banquete, el rey, sintiéndose feliz por haber bebido vino, ordenó a los siete eunucos que eran sus asistentes, Mehumán, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zetar y Carcas,
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
que le trajeran a la reina Vasti con su tocado real, para que pudiera mostrar su belleza al pueblo y a los funcionarios, pues era muy atractiva.
12 But when those servants told Vashti what the king wanted, she refused to go to the king [because she did not want to display her beauty in front of a group of half-drunk men]. So that caused the king to become very angry.
Pero cuando los eunucos le entregaron la orden del rey, la reina Vastise negó a venir. El rey se enfadó muchísimo; estaba absolutamente furioso.
13 Immediately he had a meeting with the seven men who were the most important officials in Persia and Media. They were the men whom he often asked (for their advice/what he should do). And they were men who knew all the customs and laws [of Persia]. Their names were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan.
Entonces el rey habló con los sabios que sabrían qué hacer, pues era costumbre que pidiera la opinión de expertos en procedimientos y asuntos legales.
Los más cercanos a él eran Carsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, y Memucán. Eran los siete nobles de Persia y Media que se reunían frecuentemente con el rey y ocupaban los más altos cargos del reino.
15 The king said to them, “Queen Vashti has refused to obey me when I sent my servants [to tell her to come here]. What do our laws say that we should do to someone who [acts/behaves like that]?”
“¿Qué dice la ley que debe hacerse con la reina Vasti?”, preguntó. “¡Ella se negó a obedecer la orden directa del rey Jerjes dictada por los eunucos!”
16 While the other officials were present, Memucan told the king, [“Your majesty], Queen Vashti has (insulted/done wrong against) you, but she has also insulted all your officials and everyone else (in your empire/that you rule over).
Memucán dio su respuesta ante el rey y los nobles: “La reina Vasti no sólo ha insultado al rey, sino a todos los nobles y a todo el pueblo de todas las provincias del rey Jerjes.
17 All the women [throughout the empire] will hear what she has done, and they will say, ‘The king commanded Queen Vashti to come to him, and she refused.’ [So they will not obey their husbands. Instead, ] they will begin to not respect their husbands.
Cuando se sepa lo que ha hecho la reina, todas las esposas menospreciarán a sus maridos, los mirarán con desprecio y les dirán: ‘¡El rey Jerjes ordenó que le trajeran a la reina Vasti, pero no vino!’.
18 Before this day ends, the wives of all us officials in Persia and Media will hear what the queen did, and they also will refuse to obey their husbands. They will not respect us, and they will cause us to become very angry.
¡Al final del día, las esposas de todos los nobles de toda Persia y de Media que hayan oído lo que hizo la reina, tratarán a sus nobles maridos con airado desprecio!
19 So if it pleases you, O king, you should write a law. Like all the other laws of Persia and Media, it will be a law that (no one can change/cannot be changed.) Write a law that states that Queen Vashti will never be allowed to see you again [and will not continue to be the queen]. Then you can choose another woman to be queen, a woman who deserves to be queen more than Vashti does.
“Si le place a Su Majestad, emita un decreto real, de acuerdo con las leyes de Persia y de Media que no pueden ser cambiadas, para que Vasti sea desterrada de la presencia del rey Jerjes, y para que Su Majestad le dé su posición real a otra, una que sea mejor que ella.
20 Then, when everyone in your empire hears what you have commanded, all the women, including those who are important and those who are not important, will respect and obey their husbands.”
Cuando el decreto de Su Majestad sea proclamado en todo su vasto imperio, todas las esposas respetarán a sus maridos, sean de alta o baja cuna”.
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
Este consejo les pareció bien al rey y a los nobles, así que el rey hizo lo que Memucán había dicho.
22 Then he sent letters to all the provinces, stating that all men should have complete authority over their wives and their children. He wrote the letters in every language and type of writing/alphabet that was used in each province.
Envió cartas a todas las provincias del imperio, en la escritura y la lengua de cada una de ellas, para que cada hombre gobernara su propia casa y utilizara su propia lengua materna.
