Ester 1

NOVA VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Et fuit in diebus Asueri, qui regnavit ab India usque Aethiopiam super centumviginti septem provincias,	1 In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,
2 quando sedit in solio regni sui in castris Susan,	2 a Jewish man who lived in the city of Susa, a great gentleman, and among the first ones of the king’s court, saw a dream.
3 tertio igitur anno imperii sui, fecit grande convivium cunctis principibus etpueris suis, fortissimis Persarum et Medorum, inclitis et praefectisprovinciarum coram se,	3 Now he was one of a number of captives, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away from Jerusalem with Jeconiah king of Judah.
4 ut ostenderet divitias gloriae regni sui ac splendorematque iactantiam magnitudinis suae multo tempore, centum videlicet et octogintadiebus.	4 And this was his dream: voices appeared, and confusion, and thunders, and earthquakes, and a disturbance upon the earth.
5 Cumque implerentur dies convivii, invitavit omnem populum, qui inventus est inSusan, a maximo usque ad minimum; et septem diebus iussit convivium praeparariin vestibulo horti palatii regis.	5 And behold, there were two great dragons making preparations against one another for battle.
6 Et pendebant ex omni parte tentoria linteaet carbasina ac hyacinthina sustentata funibus byssinis atque purpureis, quiargenteis circulis inserti erant et columnis marmoreis fulciebantur; lectuliquoque aurei et argentei dispositi erant super pavimentum smaragdino et pariostratum lapide aliisque varii coloris.	6 And at their cry all peoples rushed forth to fight against the nation of the just.
7 Bibebant autem, qui invitati erant,aureis poculis, aliis atque aliis; vinum quoque, ut magnificentia regia dignumerat, abundans et praecipuum ponebatur.	7 And that was a day of darkness and division, of tribulation and anguish, and there was an unnatural dread over the earth.
8 Nec erat qui cogeret ad bibendum,quoniam sic rex statuerat omnibus praepositis domus suae, ut facerent secundumuniuscuiusque voluntatem.	8 And the nation of the just was disturbed, fearing their own evils, and was prepared for death.
9 Vasthi quoque regina fecit convivium feminarum in palatio regio, ubi rexAsuerus manere consueverat.	9 And they cried out to God, and from their loud crying, a little fountain grew into a very great river and overflowed into many waters.
10 Itaque die septimo, cum rex esset hilarior potione meri, praecepit Mauman etBazatha et Harbona et Bagatha et Abgatha et Zethar et Charchas, septem eunuchis,qui in conspectu eius ministrabant,	10 The light and the sun rose up, and the humble were exalted, and they devoured the illustrious.
11 ut introducerent reginam Vasthi coramrege, posito super caput eius diademate regni, ut ostenderet cunctis populis etprincipibus pulchritudinem illius; erat enim pulchra valde.	11 When Mordecai had seen this, and he arose from bed, he was considering what God might want to do, and he kept it fixed in his soul, desiring to know what the dream might signify.
12 Quae renuit et ad regis imperium, quod per eunuchos mandaverat, venirecontempsit; unde iratus rex et nimio furore succensus
13 interrogavit sapientes,qui tempora noverant, et illorum faciebat cuncta consilio scientium leges aciura maiorum —
14 erant autem ei proximi Charsena et Sethar et Admatha etTharsis et Mares et Marsana et Mamuchan, septem duces Persarum atque Medorum,qui videbant faciem regis et primi sedebant in regno C:
15 “ Secundum legemquid oportet fieri Vasthi reginae, quae Asueri regis imperium, quod per eunuchosmandaverat, facere noluit? ”.
16 Responditque Mamuchan, audiente rege atque principibus: “ Non solum regemlaesit regina Vasthi, sed et omnes principes et populos, qui sunt in cunctisprovinciis regis Asueri.
17 Egredietur enim sermo reginae ad omnes mulieres, utcontemnant viros suos et dicant: “Rex Asuerus iussit, ut regina Vasthiintraret ad eum, et illa noluit”.
18 Atque hac ipsa die dicent omnes principumconiuges Persarum atque Medorum quem audierint sermonem reginae principibusregis; unde despectio et indignatio.
19 Si tibi, rex, placet, egrediatur edictuma facie tua et scribatur inter leges Persarum atque Medorum, quas immutariillicitum est, ut nequaquam ultra Vasthi ingrediatur ad regem, sed regnum illiusaltera, quae melior illa est, accipiat.
20 Et hoc in omne, quod latissimum est,provinciarum tuarum divulgetur imperium, et cunctae uxores, tam maiorum quamminorum, deferent maritis suis honorem ”.
21 Placuit consilium eius regi et principibus, fecitque rex iuxta consiliumMamuchan.
22 Et misit epistulas ad universas provincias regni sui, ut quaequegens audire et legere poterat, diversis linguis et litteris, esse virosprincipes ac maiores in domibus suis et subditas habere omnes mulieres, quaeessent cum eis.