Estè 1
1 Vwala se te sou rèy wa Asyeris. Li t'ap gouvènen sanvennsèt (127) pwovens depi peyi Lend rive peyi Letiopi.
And it came to pass after these things in the days of Artaxerxes, —(this Artaxerxes ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India)—
2 Lè sa a, wa a te rete lavil Souz, kapital la, ki te tankou yon sitadèl.
in those days, when king Artaxerxes was on the throne in the city of Susa,
3 Li te gen twazan depi li te wa. Yon jou, li bay yon gwo fèt babako pou tout chèf li yo ak pou tout moun k'ap sèvi avè l' nan gouvènman an. Tout lame peyi Pès ak peyi Medi a te la tou ansanm ak tout gouvènè ak tout gwo zotobre pwovens yo.
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps.
4 Pandan sis mwa, wa a t'ap fè yo wè jan palè l' la te rich, jan li te grannèg anpil, ak kantite bèl bagay li te genyen.
And after this, after he had shewn to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during a hundred and eighty days,
5 Apre tout jou sa yo, wa a fè yon gwo fèt pou tout moun, rich kou pòv, ki te rete lavil Souz, kapital la. Pandan sèt jou, li resevwa mesye yo nan lakou jaden palè l' la.
when, [I say], the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet to the nations who were present in the city six days, in the court of the king’s house,
6 Lakou palè a te dekore ak bèl rido koulè blan ak ble. Yo te mare rido yo ak bèl ti kòdon koulè violèt nan bag fèt an ajan moute sou gwo poto fèt an mab. Yo te ranje bèl ti kabann fèt an lò ak an ajan nan tout lakou a. Lakou a te pave ak mab blan, mab wouj, mab nwa, gwo pèl klere, ak bèl pye ble.
[which was] adorned with [hangings] of fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of Parian marble and stone: [there were] golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, [having] roses worked round about;
7 Yo te sèvi bweson nan gwo gode lò. Chak gode te gen yon fòm apa. Yo te bay diven wa a an kantite, jan wa a te vle l' la.
gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank.
8 Tout moun t'ap bwè san pesonn pa kontwole bouch yo, paske wa a te bay kanbizye li yo lòd pou chak moun te jwenn mezi yo vle.
And this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.
9 Larenn Vachti bò pa l' t'ap resevwa medam yo anndan palè wa Asyeris la.
Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes [dwelt].
10 Dènye jou fèt la, wa a t'ap bwè, kè l' te kontan. Li fè rele sèt nan nèg konfyans pa l' yo: Se te Mayouman, Bizta, Abona, Bigta, Obagta, Zeta ak Kakas.
Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Tharrha, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes,
11 Li ba yo lòd pou y' al chache larenn Vachti ak tout kouwòn li sou tèt li. Larenn lan te yon bèl fanm. Wa a te vle fè pèp la ak tout chèf li yo wè jan li bèl.
to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to shew her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful.
12 Men lè nèg konfyans yo al di larenn Vachti lòd wa a te ba yo a, li derefize vini. Sa te fè wa a fache. Li te move anpil.
But queen Astin hearkened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered.
13 Se te koutim lan lè sa a chak fwa wa a te gen yon bagay pou l' regle, li toujou pran konsèy nan men moun ki konnen sa ki dwat ak sa lalwa mande. Se konsa, wa a fè chache konseye l' yo pou yo di l' sa pou l' fè.
And he said to his friends, Thus has Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this [case] law and judgment.
14 Men konseye ki te pi pre l' yo se te Kachna, Cheta, Admata, Tachich, Meris, Masena ak Mimoukan, sèt gwo chèf ki te soti nan peyi Pès ak nan peyi Medi ki te gen dwa wè wa a lè yo vle. Lèfini, se yo ki te gen premye plas nan gouvènman an.
So Arkesæus, and Sarsathæus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief [in rank] by the king, drew near to him,
15 Wa a di yo konsa: -Dapre lalwa, kisa pou m' fè larenn Vachti? Mwen voye nèg konfyans mwen yo al ba li yon lòd, li derefize obeyi m'.
and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king by the chamberlains.
16 Lè sa a Mimoukan pran lapawòl devan wa a ak tout lòt chèf yo, li di konsa: -Se pa sèlman wa a larenn Vachti manke dega. Se tout chèf ak tout gason k'ap viv nan tout peyi ki sou lòd wa a li manke dega.
And Muchæus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king’s rulers and princes:
17 Lè medam yo va konnen sa larenn Vachti fè a, yo tout yo pral pran mari yo pou bòbòy. Y'ap di: Wa Asyeris ki wa Asyeris, li te bay larenn Vachti lòd pou vin bò kote l', larenn lan te derefize!
for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, [said he], she refused [to obey] king Artaxerxes,
18 Lè madanm chèf peyi Pès ak peyi Medi yo va konnen sa larenn lan fè la a, se sa ase yo pral pale nan zòrèy mari yo depi jòdi a menm. Lè sa a, toupatou medam yo p'ap respekte mari yo ankò. Mari yo menm pral fè kòlè sou madanm yo.
so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands.
19 Si wa a dakò, se pou l' fè yon deklarasyon pou l' fè tout moun konnen larenn Vachti pa janm gen dwa parèt devan l' ankò. Li pral chwazi yon lòt madanm pi bon pase l' mete larenn nan plas li. Lèfini, l'a fè ekri lòd sa a nan liv lalwa peyi Pès ak peyi Medi a, pou yo pa janm chanje l'.
If then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter [it]: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she.
20 Y'a pibliye lòd wa a nan tout gwo peyi ou la pou tout moun konnen. Lè sa a, mesye yo te mèt grannèg, yo te mèt ti nèg, madanm yo va gen respè pou yo.
And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.
21 Wa a ansanm ak chèf yo te renmen lide Mimoukan te bay la. Se konsa wa a fè sa Mimoukan te di fè a.
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Muchæus had said,
22 Li voye mesaj nan tout peyi ki te anba baton kòmandman l' lan. Mesaj la te ekri nan lang chak peyi, jan yo ekri lang lan nan peyi a. Li voye di se pou chak gason chèf lakay yo: Lè yo pale, se fini!
and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, in order that men might be feared in their own houses.
