Esther 1

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 In diebus Assueri, qui regnavit ab India usque Æthiopiam super centum viginti 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, Susan civitas regni ejus exordium fuit.	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 et pueris suis, fortissimis Persarum, et Medorum inclytis, et præfectis provinciarum 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 gloriæ regni sui, ac magnitudinem atque jactantiam potentiæ suæ, multo tempore, centum videlicet et octoginta diebus.	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 in Susan, a maximo usque ad minimum : et jussit septem diebus convivium præparari in vestibulo horti, et nemoris quod regio cultu et manu consitum erat.	5 And behold, there were two great dragons making preparations against one another for battle.
6 Et pendebant ex omni parte tentoria ærii coloris et carbasini ac hyacinthini, sustentata funibus byssinis atque purpureis, qui eburneis circulis inserti erant, et columnis marmoreis fulciebantur. Lectuli quoque aurei et argentei, super pavimentum smaragdino et pario stratum lapide, dispositi erant : quod mira varietate pictura decorabat.	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, et aliis atque aliis vasis cibi inferebantur. Vinum quoque, ut magnificentia regia dignum erat, abundans, et præcipuum 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 nolentes cogeret ad bibendum, sed sicut rex statuerat, præponens mensis singulos de principibus suis ut sumeret unusquisque quod vellet.	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, ubi rex Assuerus 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, et post nimiam potationem incaluisset mero, præcepit Maumam, et Bazatha, et Harbona, et Bagatha, et Abgatha, et Zethar, et Charchas, septem eunuchis qui in conspectu ejus ministrabant,	10 The light and the sun rose up, and the humble were exalted, and they devoured the illustrious.
11 ut introducerent reginam Vasthi coram rege, posito super caput ejus diademate, ut ostenderet cunctis populis et principibus 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 Quæ renuit, et ad regis imperium quod per eunuchos mandaverat, venire contempsit. Unde iratus rex, et nimio furore succensus,
13 interrogavit sapientes, qui ex more regio semper ei aderant, et illorum faciebat cuncta consilio, scientium leges, ac jura majorum
14 (erant autem primi et 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 post eum residere soliti erant) :
15 cui sententiæ Vasthi regina subjaceret, quæ Assueri regis imperium, quod per eunuchos mandaverat, facere noluisset.
16 Responditque Mamuchan, audiente rege atque principibus : Non solum regem læsit regina Vasthi, sed et omnes populos et principes qui sunt in cunctis provinciis regis Assueri.
17 Egredietur enim sermo reginæ ad omnes mulieres, ut contemnant viros suos, et dicant : Rex Assuerus jussit ut regina Vasthi intraret ad eum, et illa noluit.
18 Atque hoc exemplo omnes principum conjuges Persarum atque Medorum parvipendent imperia maritorum : unde regis justa est indignatio.
19 Si tibi placet, egrediatur edictum a facie tua, et scribatur juxta legem Persarum atque Medorum, quam præteriri illicitum est, ut nequaquam ultra Vasthi ingrediatur ad regem, sed regnum illius altera, quæ melior est illa, accipiat.
20 Et hoc in omne (quod latissimum est) provinciarum tuarum divulgetur imperium, et cunctæ uxores, tam majorum quam minorum, deferant maritis suis honorem.
21 Placuit consilium ejus regi et principibus : fecitque rex juxta consilium Mamuchan,
22 et misit epistolas ad universas provincias regni sui, ut quæque gens audire et legere poterat, diversis linguis et litteris, esse viros principes ac majores in domibus suis : et hoc per cunctos populos divulgari.