Esther, 3

1. In the days of Artaxerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces,

1. Poslije tih dogaðaja kralj Ahasver promaknu Hamana, Hamdatina sina, Agaðanina: uzvisi ga i njegovo prijestolje postavi iznad svih ostalih dostojanstvenika koji su bili s njim.

2. when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city of Susa was the root of his kingdom.

2. Svi službenici kraljevi koji su se nalazili na kraljevim vratima prigibali bi koljena i padali nièice pred Hamanom, jer je tako zapovjedio kralj. Ali Mordokaj ne bi prignuo koljeno niti bi pao nièice.

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,

3. Službenici kraljevi koji su se nalazili na vratima kraljevim rekoše Mordokaju: "Zašto prestupaš kraljevu zapovijed?"

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.

4. Iako su mu oni to ponavljali svaki dan, on ih ne posluša. Onda oni to dojaviše Hamanu, da vide vrijedi li Mordokajevo opravdanje. Jer im bijaše rekao da je Židov.

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.

5. Kad Haman utvrdi da Mordokaj niti prigiba koljeno niti pada nièice pred njim, jako se razljuti.

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.

6. A kad dozna kojemu narodu pripada, uèini mu se premalo podiæi ruke na samog Mordokaja nego naumi s njim pobiti i sve Židove koji su živjeli u svem kraljevstvu Ahasverovu.

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.

7. U prvom mjesecu, to jest u mjesecu Nisanu, dvanaeste godine Ahasverova kraljevanja u nazoènosti Hamana baciše "Pur", to jest ždrijeb, da utvrde dan i mjesec. Ždrijeb pade na trinaesti dan dvanaestoga mjeseca, to jest na mjeseca Adara.

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.

8. I Haman kaza kralju Ahasveru: "U svim pokrajinama tvoga kraljevstva ima jedan narod razasut meðu drugim narodima i od njih odvojen. Njegovi su zakoni drugaèiji od zakona u svih ostalih naroda. Oni se ne drže kraljevskih odredaba. Kralj ih zato ne smije pustiti na miru.

9. Likewise, Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the palace where king Artaxerxes was accustomed to stay the night.

9. Ako je kralju po volji, neka se raspiše da se oni zatru; a ja æu izbrojiti deset tisuæa srebrnih talenata na ruke povjerenika da ih pohrane u kraljevsku riznicu."

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,

10. Nakon toga kralj skinu peèatni prsten s ruke i preda ga Hamanu, sinu Hamdatinu, Agaðaninu, neprijatelju Židova,

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.

11. i kaza mu: "Neka ti bude novac i narod, pa uèini s njim što bude dobro u tvojim oèima."

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,

12. Trinaestoga dana prvoga mjeseca bijahu sazvani kraljevi pisari, pa o onome što je naložio Haman sastaviše pisma i upraviše ih kraljevskim namjesnicima, upraviteljima što stajahu na èelu pojedinih pokrajina, knezovima svakoga pojedinog naroda, svakoj pokrajini njezinim pismom i svakom narodu njegovim jezikom. Pisma su napisana u kraljevo ime i na njima je udaren kraljev peèat.

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,

13. Po skoroteèama razaslane su svim kraljevim pokrajinama poslanice da se svi Židovi, od djeèaka do staraca, djeca i žene unište, pobiju, zatru, a njihova dobra da se zaplijene u jednom jedinom danu, i to trinaestog dana dvanaestog mjeseca, mjeseca Adara. [13a] Ovo je prijepis poslanice: "Veliki kralj Ahasver upraviteljima sto dvadeset i sedam pokrajina od Indije do Etiopije i njima podložnim mjesnim glavarima ovako piše: [13b]Buduæi da imam vlast nad mnogim narodima i gospodstvo nad svim svijetom, odluèih, ne zanesen ohološæu moæi nego u želji da uvijek blago i èovjeèno vladam, dati podanicima spokojan život i pružiti kraljevstvu blagostanje i slobodu kretanja po njemu te uèvrstiti mir za kojim svi ljudi žude. [13c] Pošto sam zapitao savjetnike kako bi se moglo to ostvariti, Haman, koji se meðu nama izdvaja razboritošæu i koji se istièe prokušanom odanošæu i ustrajnom vjernošæu i zauzima drugo mjesto u kraljevstvu, [13d] prokazao je da se meðu ostale narode svijeta zavukao jedan neprijateljski narod, svojim zakonima protivan svim pucima, narod koji vjeèno prezire kraljeve odluke tako te se ne može uèvrstiti zajednièko carstvo kojim inaèe besprijekorno upravljamo. [13e] Ustanovili smo dakle da je samo taj narod neprekidno u sukobu sa svim ljudima, da se istièe naèinom života što odstupa od zakona, da zbog neslaganja s našim naumima poèinja najgora nedjela tako te se kraljevstvo ne može uèvrstiti. [13f] Stoga nareðujemo da se, zajedno sa ženama i djecom, neprijateljskim maèevima bez ikakva sažaljenja i milosrða potpuno iskorijene oni koji vam budu naznaèeni u pismima Hamana, upravitelja javnih poslova i našega drugog oca, i to èetrnaestoga dana dvanaestoga mjeseca, Adara, tekuæe godine. [13g] Tako æe se, pošto nekadašnji i današnji neprijatelji u jednom danu budu silovito strovaljeni u Podzemlje, ubuduæe za sva vremena naši poslovi moæi odvijati postojano i nesmetano."

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,)

14. Sadržaj ove naredbe, koja je imala postati zakonom u svakoj pokrajini, bio je objavljen svim narodima da bi bili spremni za taj dan.

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.

15. Skoroteèe žurno potekoše s kraljevskom naredbom. Zakon bi objavljen i u tvrðavi Suze, pa dok su kralj i Haman sjedili i èastili se, grad je Suza bio uznemiren.

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.

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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.’

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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21. His counsel pleased the king and the rulers, and the king acted according to the counsel of Memucan,

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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.

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