ester 1:1-22
1 yah un dinon ki baat hai jab raja ahash-verosh* hindustan se lekar ithiyopiya* tak, 127 zilon par raaj kar raha tha.+
2 us vakt woh shooshan*+ naam ke kile* se raaj kar raha tha.
3 apne raaj ke teesre saal mein usne apne sabhi haakimon aur sevkon ke liye ek shaahi daavat rakhi. faaras+ aur maadai+ ke senapati, bade-bade adhikari aur sabhi zilon ke raajyapal uske saamne aaye.
4 raja unhein 180 din tak apne raajya ki saari daulat, taakat aur shaano-shaukat dikhata raha.
5 in dinon ke poore hone par, shooshan* naam ke kile* mein chhote-bade jitne bhi log haazir the, un sabke liye raja ne ek daavat rakhi* jo saat din tak chali. yah daavat raja ke mahal ke aangan mein rakhi gayi.
6 poora aangan malmal ke kapde, badhiya soot aur neele rang ke pardon se saja tha. pardon par sooti feete lage the aur in feeton ko bainjni rang ki ooni rassi mein piroya gaya tha. yah rassi sangmarmar ke khambhon par jade chaandi ke chhallon se bandhi thi. farsh neellohit pattharon, safed aur kaale sangmarmar aur motiyon se jada tha aur us par sone-chaandi ke deevan rakhe the.
7 mehmanon ko sone ke pyalon mein daakh-madira pesh ki gayi, har pyala apne aap mein anokha tha. daakh-madira paani ki tarah bah rahi thi, itni daakh-madira sirf raja hi de sakta tha.
8 dastoor ke mutabik sharab pi jaa rahi thi lekin koi kisi ko peene ke liye majboor nahin kar raha tha,* kyonki raja ne mahal ke adhikariyon ko hukm diya tha ki har mehman ko yah chhoot di jaaye ki woh apne hisab se peeye.
9 raani vashti+ ne bhi raja ahash-verosh ke shaahi bhavan* mein aurton ke liye ek daavat rakhi thi.
10 saatvein din jab raja daakh-madira peekar bahot khush tha, to usne apne saat darbaariyon ko yaani mahooman, bijta, harbona,+ bigta, abagta, jeter aur karkas ko ek hukm diya. ye darbaari raja ki seva ke liye har vakt uske saamne haazir rehte the.
11 raja ne unhein yah kehkar raani vashti ke paas bheja ki raani apni shaahi odhni pehankar raja ke saamne aaye taaki sab log aur haakim uski khoobsoorti nihar sakein. raani sachmuch bahot khoobsoorat thi.
12 lekin woh raja ke saamne aane se inkar karti rahi aur usne raja ka hukm nahin maana jo darbaari laaye the. is par raja ko bahot gussa aaya aur uska khoon khaul utha.
13 raja ne apne bade-bade gyaaniyon se salah-mashvira kiya, jo beete samay mein hui is tarah ki ghatnaon ki achhi samajh rakhte the. (is tarah raja apne masle un logon ke saamne rakhta tha jo kaanoon aur mukadmon ke achhe jaankar the.
14 inmein se raja ke sabse kareebee salahkar the karashna, shetar, admata, tarsheesh, meres, marsana aur mamookan. faaras aur maadai ke ye saat haakim+ sabse unche ohde par the aur har vakt raja ke saamne haazir rehte the).
15 raja ne unse kaha, “raani vashti ne raja ahash-verosh ka hukm nahin maana jo uske darbaari uske paas le gaye the. ab batao, kaanoon ke mutabik uske saath kya kiya jaaye?”
16 tab mamookan ne raja aur haakimon ke saamne kaha, “raani vashti ne sirf raja ahash-verosh ke khilaf apradh nahin kiya+ balki sabhi zilon ke haakimon aur logon ke khilaf apradh kiya hai.
17 kyonki kal jab yah baat sab aurton mein failegi to woh bhi apne-apne pati ko tuchh samjheingi aur kaheingi, ‘raani vashti ne bhi to raja ahash-verosh ka hukm nahin maana tha aur uske saamne haazir nahin hui thi.’
18 jab faaras aur maadai ke haakimon ki patniyon ko pata chalega ki raani ne kya kiya hai, to woh bhi apne patiyon se vaise hi baat kareingi. aur is tarah woh apne patiyon ko neecha dikhaayengi aur patiyon ka krodh un par bhadak uthega.
19 isliye agar huzoor ko yah manzoor ho to woh ek shaahi farman nikaale ki raani vashti fir kabhi raja ahash-verosh ke saamne na aaye. aur yah baat faaras aur maadai ke kaanoon mein likhi jaaye taaki use radd na kiya jaa sake.+ aur vashti ki jagah raja ek nayi raani chun le jo vashti se kahin achhi ho.
20 jab raja ka farman poore raajya mein sunaya jaayega, to sabhi aurtein apne-apne pati ki izzat kareingi, fir chahe unke pati kisi bhi ohde par kyon na hon.”
21 mamookan ki yah salah raja aur uske haakimon ko pasand aayi aur raja ne vaisa hi kiya.
22 usne apne sabhi zilon mein unki bhasha aur lipi mein khat bhijvaye.+ usmein likha tha ki har aadmi jo apne-apne ghar ka mukhiya hai, woh apne parivar par adhikar jataye aur uske ghar mein vahi bhasha boli jaaye jo uske apne logon ki bhasha hai.
kai footnote
^ maana jaata hai ki yah shayarsh pratham tha, jo daara mahan (ya daara histasapis) ka beta tha.
^ ya “koosh.”
^ ya “soosa.”
^ ya “mahal.”
^ ya “mahal.”
^ aay. 3 aur 5 mein shaayad ek hi daavat ki baat ki jaa rahi hai.
^ ya “soosa.”
^ ya “koi rok-tok nahin thi.”
^ ya “mahal.”
