Liber Esther

Esther, chapter 1, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 1 Vulgate

   1a Anno secundo, regnante Artaxerxe rege magno, prima die mensis Nisan vidit somnium Mardochaeus filius Iair filii Semei filii Cis de tribu Beniamin,
   1b vir magnus, qui ministrabat in aula regia.
   1c Et hoc eius somnium fuit. Apparuerunt voces et tumultus et tonitrua et terraemotus et conturbatio magna super terram.
   1d Et ecce duo dracones magni parati prodierunt uterque luctari;
   1e et facta est illorum magna pugna, et dominabantur, et congregatae sunt nationes
   1f in die tenebroso et malo, et fuit perturbatio magna in habitantibus super terram.
   1g Et timuerunt perditionem
   1h clamaveruntque ad Deum. Et a voce clamoris eorum factus est fons parvus, qui crevit in fluvium maximum et in aquas plurimas redundavit.
   1i Lux et sol ortus est, et humiles exaltati sunt et devoraverunt inclitos.
   1k Quod cum vidisset somnium Mardochaeus et surrexisset de strato, cogitabat quid Deus facere vellet; et fixum habebat in animo, quousque revelaretur.
   1 Et fuit in diebus Asueri, qui regnavit ab India usque Aethiopiam super centum viginti septem provincias,
   2 quando sedit in solio regni sui in castris Susan,
   3 tertio igitur anno imperii sui, fecit grande convivium cunctis principibus et pueris suis, fortissimis Persarum et Medorum, inclitis et praefectis provinciarum coram se,
   4 ut ostenderet divitias gloriae regni sui ac splendorem atque iactantiam magnitudinis suae multo tempore, centum videlicet et octoginta diebus.
   5 Cumque implerentur dies convivii, invitavit omnem populum, qui inventus est in Susan, a maximo usque ad minimum; et septem diebus iussit convivium praeparari in vestibulo horti palatii regis.
   6 Et pendebant ex omni parte tentoria lintea et carbasina ac hyacinthina sustentata funibus byssinis atque purpureis, qui argenteis circulis inserti erant et columnis marmoreis fulciebantur; lectuli quoque aurei et argentei dispositi erant super pavimentum smaragdino et pario stratum lapide aliisque varii coloris.
   7 Bibebant autem, qui invitati erant, aureis poculis, aliis atque aliis; vinum quoque, ut magnificentia regia dignum erat, abundans et praecipuum ponebatur.
   8 Nec erat qui cogeret ad bibendum, quoniam sic rex statuerat omnibus praepositis domus suae, ut facerent secundum uniuscuiusque voluntatem.
   9 Vasthi quoque regina fecit convivium feminarum in palatio regio, ubi rex Asuerus manere consueverat.
   10 Itaque die septimo, cum rex esset hilarior potione meri, praecepit Mauman et Bazatha et Harbona et Bagatha et Abgatha et Zethar et Charchas, septem eunuchis, qui in conspectu eius ministrabant,
   11 ut introducerent reginam Vasthi coram rege, posito super caput eius diademate regni, ut ostenderet cunctis populis et principibus pulchritudinem illius; erat enim pulchra valde.
   12 Quae renuit et ad regis imperium, quod per eunuchos mandaverat, venire contempsit; unde iratus rex et nimio furore succensus
   13 interrogavit sapientes, qui tempora noverant, et illorum faciebat cuncta consilio scientium leges ac iura maiorum -
   14 erant autem ei 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 sedebant in regno C:
   15" Secundum legem quid oportet fieri Vasthi reginae, quae Asueri regis imperium, quod per eunuchos mandaverat, facere noluit?".
   16 Responditque Mamuchan, audiente rege atque principibus: "Non solum regem laesit regina Vasthi, sed et omnes principes et populos, qui sunt in cunctis provinciis regis Asueri.
   17 Egredietur enim sermo reginae ad omnes mulieres, ut contemnant viros suos et dicant: "Rex Asuerus iussit, ut regina Vasthi intraret ad eum, et illa noluit".
   18 Atque hac ipsa die dicent omnes principum coniuges Persarum atque Medorum quem audierint sermonem reginae principibus regis; unde despectio et indignatio.
   19 Si tibi, rex, placet, egrediatur edictum a facie tua et scribatur inter leges Persarum atque Medorum, quas immutari illicitum est, ut nequaquam ultra Vasthi ingrediatur ad regem, sed regnum illius altera, quae melior illa est, accipiat.
   20 Et hoc in omne, quod latissimum est, provinciarum tuarum divulgetur imperium, et cunctae uxores, tam maiorum quam minorum, deferent maritis suis honorem".
   21 Placuit consilium eius regi et principibus, fecitque rex iuxta consilium Mamuchan.
   22 Et misit epistulas ad universas provincias regni sui, ut quaeque gens audire et legere poterat, diversis linguis et litteris, esse viros principes ac maiores in domibus suis et subditas habere omnes mulieres, quae essent cum eis.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)
   2 That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
   3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:
   4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.
   5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
   6 Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.
   7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.
   8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
   9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
   10 ¶ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
   11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
   12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
   13 ¶ Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
   14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
   15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
   16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
   17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
   18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
   19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
   20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
   21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
   22 For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.