< Esther 1 >

1 In the days of Artaxerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces,
Vwala se te sou rèy wa Asyeris. Li t'ap gouvènen sanvennsèt (127) pwovens depi peyi Lend rive peyi Letiopi.
2 when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city of Susa was the root of his kingdom.
Lè sa a, wa a te rete lavil Souz, kapital la, ki te tankou yon sitadèl.
3 And so, in the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for all the leaders and his servants, for the most powerful among the Persians and the distinguished among the Medes, and for the rulers of the provinces before him,
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.
4 so that he might show the glorious riches of his kingdom, as well as its greatness, and so boast of his power, for a long time, namely, one hundred and eighty days.
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.
5 And when the days of the feast were nearly completed, he invited all the people, who had been found in Susa, from the greatest even to the least, and he commanded a feast to be prepared, for seven days, in the court of the garden and the arboretum, which had been planted by the care and by the hand of the king.
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.
6 And, in every direction, tents the color of the sky and of flax as well as hyacinth were hung up, suspended by cords of linen and even purple, which had been placed through rings of ivory and were held up with marble columns. The couches also, of gold and silver, had been arranged over a pavement of emerald-green, bearing scattered jewels, which was decorated with a wonderful variety of images.
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.
7 Moreover, those who had been invited drank from golden cups, and dishes of foods were brought in one after another. Likewise, choice wine was presented in abundance, as was worthy of royal magnificence.
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.
8 Nor was anyone compelled to drink who was unwilling, but, just as the king had appointed, one of his nobles was set over each table, so that each one might select what he wanted.
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.
9 Likewise, Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the palace where king Artaxerxes was accustomed to stay the night.
Larenn Vachti bò pa l' t'ap resevwa medam yo anndan palè wa Asyeris la.
10 And so, on the seventh day, when the king was more cheerful, and, after excessive drinking, had become warmed with wine, he ordered Mehuman, and Biztha, and Harbona, and Bigtha, and Abagtha, and Zethar, and Charkas, seven eunuchs who served in his presence,
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.
11 to bring in queen Vashti before the king, with the crown set upon her head, to show her beauty to the whole people and to the leaders, for she was very beautiful.
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.
12 She refused, and she showed contempt towards the king’s command, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs. Whereupon the king, being angry and inflamed with a very great fury,
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.
13 questioned the wise men, who, according to royal custom were always near him and all he did was by their counsel, who knew the laws as well as the judgments of their ancestors,
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.
14 (but first and foremost were Carshena, and Shethar, and Admatha, and Tarshish, and Meres, and Marsena, and Memucan, seven rulers of the Persians as well as the Medes, who saw the face of the king and who were accustomed to sitting down first after him, )
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.
15 as to what sentence should fall upon Vashti the queen, who had refused to do the commandment of king Artaxerxes, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs.
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'.
16 And Memucan answered, in the hearing of the king as well as the rulers, “Queen Vashti has wounded not only the king, but also all the people and the leaders, who are in all the provinces of king Artaxerxes.
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.
17 For word about the queen will go out to all the women, so that they will show contempt for their husbands, and they will say, ‘King Artaxerxes ordered that queen Vashti should enter before him, and she would not.’
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!
18 And so, by this example all the wives of the leaders of the Persians and the Medes will belittle the authority of their husbands; therefore, the indignation of the king is just.
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.
19 If it pleases you, let an edict be sent out from your presence, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and the Medes, which it is forbidden to disregard, that Vashti shall no longer enter before the king, but let another, who is better than her, receive her queenship.
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'.
20 And let this be published in all the provinces of your empire, (which is very wide, ) and let all wives, the greater as much as the lesser, give honor to their husbands.”
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.
21 His counsel pleased the king and the rulers, and the king acted according to the counsel of Memucan,
Wa a ansanm ak chèf yo te renmen lide Mimoukan te bay la. Se konsa wa a fè sa Mimoukan te di fè a.
22 and he sent letters to all the provinces of his kingdom, so that every nation was able to hear and to read, in various languages and letters, that husbands are to be the greater rulers in their own houses, and that this should be published to every people.
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!

< Esther 1 >