1[In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great king, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s palace, saw a vision. Now he was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah the king of Judea. This was his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. And, behold, two great serpents came out, both ready for conflict. A great voice came from them. Every nation was prepared for battle by their voice, even to fight against the nation of the just. Behold, a day of darkness and blackness, suffering and anguish, affection and tumult upon the earth. And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions. They prepared to die, and cried to God. Something like a great river from a little spring with much water, came from their cry. Light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the honorable. Mordecai, who had seen this vision and what God desired to do, having arisen, kept it in his heart, and desired by all means to interpret it, even until night. Mordecai rested quietly in the palace with Gabatha and Tharrha the king’s two chamberlains, eunuchs who guarded the palace. He heard their conversation and searched out their plans. He learned that they were preparing to lay hands on King Ahasuerus; and he informed the king concerning them. The king examined the two chamberlains. They confessed, and were led away and executed. The king wrote these things for a record. Mordecai also wrote concerning these matters. The king commanded Mordecai to serve in the palace, and gave gifts for this service. But Haman the son of Hammedatha the Bougean was honored in the sight of the king, and he endeavored to harm Mordecai and his people, because of the king’s two chamberlains.] And it came to pass after these things in the days of Ahasuerus, —(this Ahasuerus ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India)—2in those days, when King Ahasuerus was on the throne in the city of Susa,3in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for his friends, for people from the rest of the nations, for the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and for the chief of the local governors.4After this—after he had shown them the wealth of his kingdom and the abundant glory of his wealth during one hundred eighty days—5when the days of the wedding feast were completed, the king made a banquet lasting six days for the people of the nations who were present in the city, in the court of the king’s house,6which was adorned with fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs on pillars of white marble and stone. There were golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of mother-of-pearl, and of white marble, with transparent coverings variously flowered, having roses arranged around it.7There were gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out, of the value of thirty thousand talents, with abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank.8This banquet was not according to the appointed law, but as the king desired to have it. He charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.9Also Vashti the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where King Ahasuerus lived.10Now on the seventh day, the king, being merry, told Haman, Bazan, Tharrha, Baraze, Zatholtha, Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of King Ahasuerus,11to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to show her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations, for she was beautiful.12But queen Vashti refused to come with the chamberlains; so the king was grieved and angered.13And he said to his friends, “This is what Vashti said. Therefore pronounce your legal judgment on this case.”14So Arkesaeus, Sarsathaeus, 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,15and reported to him according to the laws what it was proper to do to queen Vashti, because she had not done the things commanded by the king through the chamberlains.16And Memucan said to the king and to the princes, “Queen Vashti has not wronged the king only, but also all the king’s rulers and princes;17for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As she then refused to obey King Ahasuerus,18so this day the other wives of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, will dare in the same way to dishonor their husbands.19If then it seems 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: ‘Don’t allow the queen to come in to him any more. Let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she.’20Let the law of the king which he will have made be widely proclaimed in his kingdom. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.”21This advice pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Memucan had said,22and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, so that men might be feared in their own houses.
Bible Crampon 1923
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.