Esther 1

1C’était au temps d’Assuérus, — de cet Assuérus qui régna, depuis l’Inde jusqu’à l’Éthiopie, sur cent vingt-sept provinces, —

2au temps où le Roi Assuérus était assis sur son trône royal à Suse, la capitale.

3La troisième année de son règne, il fit un festin à tous ses princes et à tous ses ministres. Les chefs de l’armée des Perses et des Mèdes, les grands et les gouverneurs des provinces furent réunis en sa présence ;

4c’est alors qu’il déploya devant eux la riche splendeur de son royaume et l’éclatante magnificence de sa grandeur, pendant un grand nombre de jours, pendant cent quatre-vingts jours.

5Lorsque ces jours furent écoulés, le roi fit pour tout le peuple qui se trouvait à Suse, la capitale, depuis le plus grand jusqu’au plus petit, un festin de sept jours, dans la cour du jardin de la maison royale.

6Des tentures blanches, vertes et bleues étaient attachées par des cordons de byssus et de pourpre à des anneaux d’argent et à des colonnes de marbre ; des lits d’or et d’argent étaient posés sur un pavé de porphyre, de marbre blanc, de nacre et de marbre noir.

7On servait à boire dans des vases d’or de différentes formes, et le vin royal était offert en abondance, grâce à la libéralité du roi.

8Suivant le décret, chacun buvait sans que personne lui fît violence, car le roi avait ordonné à tous les officiers de sa maison de se conformer à la volonté de chacun des convives.

9La reine Vasthi fit aussi un festin pour les femmes, dans la maison royale du roi Assuérus.

10Le septième jour, comme le vin avait mis la joie au cœur du roi, il ordonna à Maüman, Bazatha, Harbona, Bagatha, Abgatha, Zéthar et Charchas, les sept eunuques qui servaient devant le roi Assuérus,

11d’amener en sa présence la reine Vasthi, couronnée du diadème royal, pour montrer sa beauté aux peuples et aux grands, car elle était belle de figure.

12Mais la reine Vasthi refusa de se rendre au commandement du roi, qu’ elle avait reçu par l’intermédiaire des eunuques, et le roi fut très irrité et sa colère s’enflamma.

13Alors le roi s’adressa aux sages qui avaient la connaissance des temps : — car ainsi se traitaient les affaires du roi, devant tous ceux qui étaient experts dans la loi et le droit,

14et les plus près de lui étaient Charséna, Séthar, Admatha, Tharsis, Marès, Marsana et Mamuchan, les sept princes de Perse et de Médie, qui voyaient la face du roi et qui occupaient le premier rang dans le royaume. —

15« Quelle loi, dit-il, doit-on appliquer à la reine Vasthi, pour n’avoir pas exécuté l’ordre du roi Assuérus, qu’il lui a donné par l’intermédiaire des eunuques ? »

16Mamuchan répondit devant le roi et les princes : « Ce n’est pas seulement à l’égard du roi que la reine Vasthi a mal agi, mais aussi envers tous les princes et tous les peuples qui sont dans toutes les provinces du roi Assuérus.

17Car l’action de la reine viendra à la connaissance de toutes les femmes et les portera à mépriser leurs maris ; elles diront : Le roi Assuérus avait ordonné qu’on amenât en sa présence la reine Vasthi, et elle n’y est point allée.

18Et dès aujourd’hui, les princesses de Perse et de Médie, qui auront appris l’action de la reine, la citeront à tous les princes du roi, et il en résultera beaucoup de mépris et de colère.

19Si le roi le trouve bon, qu’on publie de sa part et qu’on inscrive parmi les lois des Perses et des Mèdes, pour n’être pas enfreinte, une ordonnance royale portant que la reine Vasthi ne paraîtra plus devant le roi Assuérus, et que le roi donnera sa dignité de reine à une autre qui soit meilleure qu’elle.

20Et quand l’édit du roi sera connu dans tout son royaume, qui est vaste, toutes les femmes rendront honneur à leurs maris, depuis le plus grand jusqu’au plus petit. »

21Le conseil plut au roi et aux princes, et le roi agit selon le discours de Mamuchan.

22Il envoya des lettres à toutes les provinces du royaume, à chaque province selon son écriture et à chaque peuple selon sa langue ; elles portaient que tout mari devait être le maître dans sa maison et qu’il parlerait le langage de son peuple.

1In diebus Assueri, qui regnavit ab India usque Æthiopiam super centum viginti septem provincias,

2quando sedit in solio regni sui, Susan civitas regni ejus exordium fuit.

3Tertio igitur anno imperii sui fecit grande convivium cunctis principibus et pueris suis, fortissimis Persarum, et Medorum inclytis, et præfectis provinciarum coram se,

4ut ostenderet divitias gloriæ regni sui, ac magnitudinem atque jactantiam potentiæ suæ, multo tempore, centum videlicet et octoginta diebus.

5Cumque implerentur dies convivii, invitavit omnem populum, qui inventus est in Susan, a maximo usque ad minimum: et jussit septem diebus convivium præparari in vestibulo horti, et nemoris quod regio cultu et manu consitum erat.

6Et pendebant ex omni parte tentoria ærii coloris et carbasini ac hyacinthini, sustentata funibus byssinis atque purpureis, qui eburneis circulis inserti erant, et columnis marmoreis fulciebantur. Lectuli quoque aurei et argentei, super pavimentum smaragdino et pario stratum lapide, dispositi erant: quod mira varietate pictura decorabat.

7Bibebant autem qui invitati erant aureis poculis, et aliis atque aliis vasis cibi inferebantur. Vinum quoque, ut magnificentia regia dignum erat, abundans, et præcipuum ponebatur.

8Nec erat qui nolentes cogeret ad bibendum, sed sicut rex statuerat, præponens mensis singulos de principibus suis ut sumeret unusquisque quod vellet.

9Vasthi quoque regina fecit convivium feminarum in palatio, ubi rex Assuerus manere consueverat.

10Itaque die septimo, cum rex esset hilarior, et post nimiam potationem incaluisset mero, præcepit Maumam, et Bazatha, et Harbona, et Bagatha, et Abgatha, et Zethar, et Charchas, septem eunuchis qui in conspectu ejus ministrabant,

11ut introducerent reginam Vasthi coram rege, posito super caput ejus diademate, ut ostenderet cunctis populis et principibus pulchritudinem illius: erat enim pulchra valde.

12Quæ renuit, et ad regis imperium quod per eunuchos mandaverat, venire contempsit. Unde iratus rex, et nimio furore succensus,

13interrogavit sapientes, qui ex more regio semper ei aderant, et illorum faciebat cuncta consilio, scientium leges, ac jura majorum

14(erant autem primi et proximi, Charsena, et Sethar, et Admatha, et Tharsis, et Mares, et Marsana, et Mamuchan, septem duces Persarum, atque Medorum, qui videbant faciem regis, et primi post eum residere soliti erant):

15cui sententiæ Vasthi regina subjaceret, quæ Assueri regis imperium, quod per eunuchos mandaverat, facere noluisset.

16Responditque Mamuchan, audiente rege atque principibus: Non solum regem læsit regina Vasthi, sed et omnes populos et principes qui sunt in cunctis provinciis regis Assueri.

17Egredietur enim sermo reginæ ad omnes mulieres, ut contemnant viros suos, et dicant: Rex Assuerus jussit ut regina Vasthi intraret ad eum, et illa noluit.

18Atque hoc exemplo omnes principum conjuges Persarum atque Medorum parvipendent imperia maritorum: unde regis justa est indignatio.

19Si tibi placet, egrediatur edictum a facie tua, et scribatur juxta legem Persarum atque Medorum, quam præteriri illicitum est, ut nequaquam ultra Vasthi ingrediatur ad regem, sed regnum illius altera, quæ melior est illa, accipiat.

20Et hoc in omne (quod latissimum est) provinciarum tuarum divulgetur imperium, et cunctæ uxores, tam majorum quam minorum, deferant maritis suis honorem.

21Placuit consilium ejus regi et principibus: fecitque rex juxta consilium Mamuchan,

22et misit epistolas ad universas provincias regni sui, ut quæque gens audire et legere poterat, diversis linguis et litteris, esse viros principes ac majores in domibus suis: et hoc per cunctos populos divulgari.

1In the days of Assuerus, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces:

2When he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city Susan was the capital of his kingdom.

3Now in the third year of his reign he made a great feast for all the princes, and for his servants, for the most mighty of the Persians, and the nobles of the Medes, and the governors of the provinces in his sight,

4That he might shew the riches of the glory of his kingdom, and the greatness, and boasting of his power, for a long time, to wit, for a hundred and fourscore days.

5And when the days of the feast were expired, he invited all the people that were found in Susan, from the greatest to the least: and commanded a feast to be made seven days in the court of the garden, and of the wood, which was planted by the care and the hand of the king.

6And there were hung up on every side sky coloured, and green, and violet hangings, fastened with cords of silk, and of purple, which were put into rings of ivory, and were held up with marble pillars. The beds also were of gold and silver, placed in order upon a floor paved with porphyry and white marble: which was embellished with painting of wonderful variety.

7And they that were invited, drank in golden cups, and the meats were brought in divers vessels one after another. Wine also in abundance and of the best was presented, as was worthy of a king’s magnificence.

8Neither was there any one to compel them to drink that were not willing, but as the king had appointed, who set over every table one of his nobles, that every man might take what he would.

9Also Vasthi the queen made a feast for the women in the palace, where king Assuerus was used to dwell.

10Now on the seventh day, when the king was merry, and after very much drinking was well warmed with wine, he commanded Mauman, and Bazatha, and Harbona, and Bagatha, and Abgatha, and Zethar, and Charcas, the seven eunuchs that served in his presence,

11To bring in queen Vasthi before the king, with the crown set upon her head, to shew her beauty to all the people and the princes: for she was exceeding beautiful.

12But she refused, and would not come at the king’s commandment, which he had signified to her by the eunuchs. Whereupon the king, being angry, and inflamed with a very great fury,

13Baked the wise men, who according to the custom of the kings, were always near his person, and all he did was by their counsel, who knew the laws, and judgments of their forefathers:

14(Now the chief and nearest him were, Charsena, and Sethar, and Admatha, and Tharsis, and Mares, and Marsana, and Mamuchan, seven princes of the Persians, and of the Medes, who saw the face of the king, and were used to sit first after him:)

15What sentence ought to pass upon Vasthi the queen, who had refused to obey the commandment of king Assuerus, which he had sent to her by the eunuchs?

16And Mamuchan answered, in the hearing of the king and the princes: Queen Vasthi hath not only injured the king, but also all the people and princes that are in all the provinces of king Assuerus.

17For this deed of the queen will go abroad to all women, so that they will despise their husbands, and will say: King Assuerus commanded that queen Vasthi should come in to him, and she would not.

18And by this example all the wives of the princes of the Persians and the Medes will slight the commandments of their husbands: wherefore the king’s indignation is just.

19If it please thee, let an edict go out from thy presence, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and of the Medes, which must not be altered, that Vasthi come in no more to the king, but another, that is better than her, be made queen in her place.

20And let this be published through all the provinces of thy empire, (which is very wide,) and let all wives, as well of the greater as of the lesser, give honour to their husbands.

21His counsel pleased the king, and the princes: and the king did according to the counsel of Mamuchan.

22And he sent letters to all the provinces of his kingdom, as every nation could hear and read, in divers languages and characters, that the husbands should be rulers and masters in their houses: and that this should be published to every people.