1 T his is what happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 parts of the nation from India to Ethiopia.

Sucedeu nos dias de Assuero, o Assuero que reinou desde a Índia até a Etiópia, sobre cento e vinte e seis províncias,

2 I n those days King Ahasuerus sat on the king’s throne in the city of Susa.

que, estando o rei Assuero assentado no seu trono do seu reino em Susã, a capital,

3 I n the third year of his rule, he gave a special supper for all his princes and leaders. The army captains of Persia and Media, the important men and princes of the many parts of the country were there with him.

no terceiro ano de seu reinado, deu um banquete a todos os seus príncipes e seus servos, estando assim perante ele o poder da Pérsia e da Média, os nobres e os oficiais das províncias.

4 F or 180 days he showed the great riches and honor and power that were his as king of the nation.

Nessa ocasião ostentou as riquezas do seu glorioso reino, e o esplendor da sua excelente grandeza, por muitos dias, a saber cento e oitenta dias.

5 W hen all the days were over, the king gave a supper lasting seven days for all the people from the greatest to the least who were in the city of Susa where he ruled. The supper was given in the open space of the garden of the king’s special house.

E, acabado aqueles dias, deu o rei um banquete a todo povo que se achava em Susã, a capital, tanto a grandes como a pequenos, por sete dias, no pátio do jardim do palácio real.

6 T here were curtains of fine white and blue linen held by ropes of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble pillars. There were seats of gold and silver on a floor made of small glass-like pieces, marble, mother-of-pearl, and stones of much worth.

As cortinas eram de pano branco verde e azul celeste, atadas com cordões de linho fino e de púrpura a argola de prata e a colunas de mármore; os leitos eram de ouro e prata sobre um pavimento mosaico de pórfiro, de mármore, de madrepérola e de pedras preciosas.

7 D rinks were served in different kinds of gold cups, and there was much wine, because the king was very able and willing to give it.

Dava-se de beber em copos de ouro, os quais eram diferentes uns dos outros; e havia vinho real em abundância, segundo a generosidade do rei.

8 D rinking was done by the law. No one was made to drink. The king had told all the workmen of his house that they should give each person what he wanted.

E bebiam como estava prescrito, sem constrangimento; pois o rei tinha ordenado a todos os oficiais do palácio que fizessem conforme a vontade de cada um.

9 Q ueen Vashti also gave a special supper for the women in the beautiful house that belonged to King Ahasuerus.

Também a rainha Vasti deu um banquete

10 O n the seventh day the heart of the king was happy with wine. And he told Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven servants who served King Ahasuerus,

Ao sétimo dia, o rei, estando já o seu coração alegre do vinho, mandou a Meumã, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zétar e Carcás, os sete eunucos que serviam na presença do rei Assuero,

11 t o bring Queen Vashti to the king with her crown. He wanted to show her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful.

que introduzissem ã presença do rei a rainha Vasti, com a coroa real, para mostrar aos povos e aos príncipes a sua formosura, pois era formosíssima.

12 B ut Queen Vashti would not come when the king sent his servants to bring her. So the king became very angry and his anger burned within him.

A rainha Vasti, porém, recusou atender ã ordem do rei dada por intermédio dos eunucos; pelo que o rei muito se enfureceu, e se inflamou de ira.

13 T hen the king spoke to the wise men who understood the times. For it was the king’s way to speak with all who knew law and what was right and fair.

Então perguntou o rei aos sábios que conheciam os tempos (pois assim se tratavam os negócios do rei, na presença de todos os que sabiam a lei e o direito;

14 T hese men next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media. They were allowed to visit with the king and were next to the king in the nation.

e os mais chegados a ele eram: Carsena, Setar, Admata, Társis, Meres, Marsena, Memucã, os sete príncipes da Pérsia e da Média, que viam o rosto do rei e ocupavam os primeiros assentos no reino)

15 H e asked them, “By the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey what King Ahasuerus sent the servants to tell her?”

o que se devia fazer, segundo a lei, ã rainha Vasti, por não haver cumprido a ordem do rei Assuero dada por intermédio dos eunucos.

16 T hen Memucan said in front of the king and the princes, “Queen Vashti has done wrong not only to the king, but to all the princes and all the people in the lands of King Ahasuerus.

Respondeu Memucã na presença do rei e dos príncipes: Não somente contra o rei pecou a rainha Vasti, mas também contra todos os príncipes, e contra todos os povos que há em todas as províncias do rei Assuero.

17 F or what the queen has done will become known to all the women, and will make them hate their husbands. They will say, ‘King Ahasuerus told Queen Vashti to be brought to him, but she would not come.’

Pois o que a rainha fez chegará ao conhecimento de todas as mulheres, induzindo-as a desprezarem seus maridos quando se disser: O rei Assuero mandou que introduzissem ã sua presença a rainha Vasti, e ela não veio.

18 T his very day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard what the queen has done will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes. And there will be much hate and anger.

E neste mesmo dia as princesas da Pérsia e da Média, sabendo do que fez a rainha, dirão o mesmo a todos os príncipes do rei; e assim haverá muito desprezo e indignação.

19 I f it pleases the king, let word be sent by him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media which cannot be changed, that Vashti should not come again to King Ahasuerus. Let the king give the place of queen to another who is better than she.

Se bem parecer ao rei, saia da sua parte um edito real, e escreva-se entre as leis dos persas e dos medos para que não seja alterado, que Vasti não entre mais na presença do rei Assuero, e dê o rei os seus direitos de rainha a outra que seja melhor do que ela.

20 T hen the king’s word will be heard through all his great nation, and all women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least.”

E quando o decreto que o rei baixar for publicado em todo o seu reino, grande como é, todas as mulheres darão honra a seus maridos, tanto aos nobres como aos humildes.

21 W hat was said pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan said.

Pareceu bem este conselho ao rei e aos príncipes; e o rei fez conforme a palavra de Memucã,

22 S o he sent letters to all parts of the king’s nation, to each land in its own writing and to every people in their own language. The letters said that every man should rule in his own house and speak there in the language of his own people.

enviando cartas a todas as províncias do rei, a cada província segundo o seu modo de escrever e a cada povo segundo a sua língua, mandando que cada homem fosse senhor em sua casa, e que falasse segundo a língua de seu povo.