Ester 1

¹Büyük Kral Artahşasta'nın hükümdarlığının ikinci yılında, Nisan ayının birinci gününde, Benyamin oymağından Kiş oğlu Şimey oğlu Yair oğlu Mordekay bir rüya gördü.

⁰1β Susa kentinde ikamet eden, kralın saray avlusunda hizmetkar olan ve saygın bir konumda bulunan Yahudi bir adamdı.

⁰1γ Babil Kralı Nebukadnessar'ın, Yahuda Kralı Yehoyakin ile birlikte Yeruşalim'den sürgün ettiği tutsaklar arasındaydı.

⁰1δ Gördüğü rüya şuydu: Bir de baktı ki, yeryüzünde sesler, gürültü, gök gürlemeleri, deprem ve büyük bir kargaşa var.

⁰1ε Ve işte, mücadele etmeye hazır iki büyük ejderha öne çıktı ve onlardan muazzam bir ses yükseldi.

⁰1ζ Onların bu sesiyle her ulus, doğrular ulusuna karşı savaş açmak üzere savaş hazırlığına girişti.

⁰1η Ve işte yeryüzünde karanlık ve zifiri karanlık bir gün, baskı, çaresizlik, eziyet ve büyük bir kargaşa hüküm sürüyde.

⁰1θ Bütün doğrular ulusu, başlarına gelecek felaketlerden korkarak dehşete düştü; yok olmaya hazırlandılar ve Tanrı'ya feryat ettiler.

⁰1ι Onların feryadı üzerine, sanki küçük bir kaynaktan fışkıran bol sulu, devasa bir nehir meydana geldi.

⁰1κ Işık ve güneş doğdu; alçakgönüllüler yüceltildi ve şanlı olanları yiyip yuttu.

⁰1λ Bu rüyayı gören ve Tanrı'nın ne yapmayı tasarladığını anlayan Mordekay uyanınca bunu zihninde sakladı ve geceye kadar her ayrıntısıyla bunu kavramaya çalıştı.

⁰1μ Mordekay, saray avlusunu koruyan iki kraliyet hadımı Gabata ve Tara ile birlikte avluda dinlenmekteydi.

⁰1ν Onların gizli konuşmalarını duydu, tasarılarını derinlemesine araştırdı ve Kral Artahşasta'ya suikast düzenlemeye hazırlandıklarını öğrendi; bunun üzerine durumu krala bildirdi.

⁰1ξ Kral iki hadımı sorgulattı; suçlarını itiraf etmelerinin ardından idama götürüldüler.

⁰1ο Kral bu olayları resmi bir anı günlüğüne kaydettirdi; Mordekay da bu olaylar hakkında kendi kaydını tuttu.

⁰1π Kral, Mordekay'a saray avlusunda hizmet etmesini buyurdu ve bu hizmetine karşılık ona çeşitli armağanlar verdi.

⁰1ρ Ancak Hammedata oğlu Bugalı Haman, kralın huzurunda çok saygındı; kralın iki hadımından ötürü Mordekay'a ve onun halkına zarar vermek için fırsat kolladı.

¹Bu olaylardan sonra, Hindistan'dan başlayarak yüz yirmi yedi eyalete hükmeden Artahşasta'nın günlerinde şöyle oldu:

²O günlerde, Kral Artahşasta Susa kentindeki tahtına kurulduğunda,

³krallığının üçüncü yılında dostlarına, diğer uluslara, Pers ve Med soylularına ve satrapların önderlerine büyük bir şölen verdi.

⁴Bunun ardından, yüz seksen gün boyunca onlara krallığının zenginliğini ve bu zenginliğin getirdiği görkemli coşkuyu sergiledi.

⁵Bu şölen günleri tamamlandığında, kral kentte bulunan tüm uluslara kraliyet sarayının avlusunda altı gün süren bir içki şöleni düzenledi.

⁶Avlu, ince keten ve mor iplerle altın ve gümüş halkalara, mermer ve taş sütunlara tutturulmuş ince keten ve pamuklu kumaşlarla bezenmişti. Zümrüt, sedef ve mermer taşlarla döşenmiş bir zemin üzerinde altın ve gümüş sedirler yer alıyordu; bunların üzerinde rengarenk çiçeklerle bezenmiş şeffaf örtüler seriliydi ve etraflarına güller serpiştirilmişti.

⁷Altın ve gümüş kupalar ile otuz bin talant değerinde yakuttan oyulmuş küçük bir kase sunulmuştu; kralın kendisinin de içtiği bol ve tatlı şarap ikram ediliyordu.

⁸Bu içki şöleni dayatmacı bir yasaya göre yapılmadı; kral böyle arzu etmişti ve kâhyalara hem kendisinin hem de konukların isteğini yerine getirmelerini buyurmuştu.

⁹Kraliçe Astin de Kral Artahşasta'nın sarayında kadınlar için ayrı bir şölen verdi.

¹⁰Yedinci gün, şarabın etkisiyle keyfi yerine gelen kral, Kral Artahşasta'ya hizmet eden yedi hadıma –Haman, Bazan, Tara, Barazi, Zatolta, Abataza ve Taraba'ya– buyruk verdi:

¹¹Kraliçeyi huzuruna getirmelerini, onu kraliçelik makamına oturtmalarını, başına kraliçelik tacını koymalarını ve onun güzelliğini önderlere ve uluslara göstermelerini istedi; çünkü kraliçe olağanüstü güzeldi.

¹²Ancak Kraliçe Astin, hadımların ilettiği bu kraliyet buyruğuna uymayıp gelmeyi reddetti. Bunun üzerine kral derin bir hayal kırıklığı yaşadı ve çok öfkelendi.

¹³Dostlarına şöyle dedi: "Astin bu şekilde konuştu; şimdi bu konuda yasa ve yargı uyarınca ne yapılması gerektiğini kararlaştırın."

¹⁴Kralın yanında bulunan ve onun en yakınında oturan Pers ve Med önderlerinden Arkesay, Sarsatay ve Maleşar ona yaklaştılar.

¹⁵Hadımlar aracılığıyla bildirilen kraliyet buyruğunu yerine getirmediği için, yasalara göre Kraliçe Astin'e ne yapılması gerektiğini krala sundular.

¹⁶Muhay, krala ve önderlere şöyle dedi: "Kraliçe Astin yalnızca krala değil, kralın bütün önderlerine ve yöneticilerine de haksızlık etti (çünkü kraliçenin sözleri ve krala nasıl karşı geldiği onlara anlatıldı). Kraliçe Kral Artahşasta'ya karşı geldiği gibi,

¹⁸bugün de kraliçenin krala söylediklerini duyan Pers ve Med önderlerinin diğer eşleri, kocalarını aynı şekilde hor görmeye cüret edeceklerdir.

¹⁹Eğer kral için uygun görülürse, bir kraliyet fermanı çıkarılsın ve Medler ile Perslerin yasalarına yazılarak değiştirilemez kılınsın: Kraliçe bir daha asla kralın huzuruna çıkmasın ve kral onun kraliçelik yetkisini kendisinden daha iyi bir kadına devretsin.

²⁰Kralın çıkaracağı bu yasa tüm krallığında duyurulsun; böylece yoksulundan zenginine kadar bütün kadınlar kocalarına hak ettikleri saygıyı gösterecektir."

²¹Bu öneri kralın ve önderlerin hoşuna gitti; kral Muhay'ın söylediği gibi yaptı.

²²Krallığının her eyaletine, kendi dillerine göre resmi mektuplar gönderdi; öyle ki, her evde erkeklerin sözü geçsin ve onlardan korkulsun.

¹ΕΤΟΥΣ δευτέρου βασιλεύοντος ᾿Αρταξέρξου τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως τῇ μιᾷ τοῦ Νισάν, ἐνύπνιον εἶδε Μαρδοχαῖος ὁ τοῦ ᾿Ιαΐρου, τοῦ Σεμεΐου, τοῦ Κισσαίου, ἐκ φυλῆς Βενιαμίν, 1β ἄνθρωπος ᾿Ιουδαῖος οἰκῶν ἐν Σούσοις τῇ πόλει, ἄνθρωπος μέγας, θεραπεύων ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τοῦ βασιλέως. 1γ ἦν δὲ ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, ἧς ᾐχμαλώτευσε Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ μετὰ ᾿Ιεχονίου τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας. 1δ καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐνύπνιον· καὶ ἰδοὺ φωναὶ καὶ θόρυβος, βρονταὶ καὶ σεισμός, τάραχος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 1ε καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο δράκοντες μεγάλοι ἕτοιμοι προῆλθον ἀμφότεροι παλαίειν, καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῶν φωνὴ μεγάλη· 1ζ καὶ τῇ φωνῇ αὐτῶν ἡτοιμάσθη πᾶν ἔθνος εἰς πόλεμον, ὥστε πολεμῆσαι δικαίων ἔθνος. 1η καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡμέρα σκότος καὶ γνόφου, θλῖψις καὶ στενοχωρία, κάκωσις καὶ τάραχος μέγας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· 1θ καὶ ἐταράχθη πᾶν ἔθνος δίκαιον φοβούμενοι τὰ ἑαυτῶν κακὰ καὶ ἡτοιμάσθησαν ἀπολέσθαι καὶ ἐβόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. 1ι ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς βοῆς αὐτῶν ἐγένετο ὡσανεὶ ἀπὸ μικρᾶς πηγῆς ποταμὸς μέγας, ὕδωρ πολύ· 1κ καὶ φῶς καὶ ἥλιος ἀνέτειλε, καὶ οἱ ταπεινοὶ ὑψώθησαν καὶ κατέφαγον τοὺς ἐνδόξους. 1λ καὶ διεγερθεὶς Μαρδοχαῖος ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸ ἐνύπνιον τοῦτο καὶ τί ὁ Θεὸς βεβούλευται ποιῆσαι, εἶχεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν παντὶ λόγῳ ἤθελεν ἐπιγνῶναι αὐτὸ ἕως τῆς νυκτός. 1μ καὶ ἡσύχασε Μαρδοχαῖος ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ μετὰ Γαβαθὰ καὶ Θάρα τῶν δύο εὐνούχων τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν φυλασσόντων τὴν αὐλὴν 1ν ἤκουσέ τε αὐτῶν τοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰς μερίμνας αὐτῶν ἐξηρεύνησε καὶ ἔμαθεν, ὅτι ἑτοιμάζουσι τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιβαλεῖν ᾿Αρταξέρξῃ τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ὑπέδειξε τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ αὐτῶν. 1ξ καὶ ἐξήτασεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς δύο εὐνούχους, καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες ἀπήχθησαν. 1ο καὶ ἔγραψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς λόγους τούτους εἰς μνημόσυνον, καὶ Μαρδοχαῖος ἔγραψεν περὶ τῶν λόγων τούτων. 1π καὶ ἐπέταξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Μαρδοχαίῳ θεραπεύειν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δόματα περὶ τούτων. 1ρ καὶ ἦν ᾿Αμὰν ᾿Αμαδάθου Βουγαῖος ἔνδοξος ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ ἐζήτησε κακοποιῆσαι τὸν Μαρδοχαῖον καὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν δύο εὐνούχων τοῦ βασιλέως.

¹Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ᾿Αρταξέρξου —οὗτος ὁ ᾿Αρταξέρξης ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Ινδικῆς ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιεπτὰ χωρῶν ἐκράτησεν—

²ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἡμέραις ὅτε ἐθρονίσθη βασιλεὺς ᾿Αρταξέρξης ἐν Σούσοις τῇ πόλει,

³ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ ἔτει βασιλεύοντος αὐτοῦ, δοχὴν ἐποίησε τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ τοῖς Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων ἐνδόξοις καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι τῶν σατραπῶν.

⁴καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μετὰ τὸ δεῖξαι αὐτοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δόξαν τῆς εὐφροσύνης τοῦ πλούτου αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέραις ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα,

⁵ὅτε δὲ ἀνεπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ γάμου, ἐποίησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πότον τοῖς ἔθνεσι τοῖς εὑρεθεῖσιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἓξ ἐν αὐλῇ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως

⁶κεκοσμημένῃ βυσσίνοις καὶ καρπασίνοις τεταμένοις ἐπὶ σχοινίοις βυσσίνοις καὶ πορφυροῖς, ἐπὶ κύβοις χρυσοῖς καὶ ἀργυροῖς, ἐπὶ στύλοις παρίνοις καὶ λιθίνοις· κλῖναι χρυσαῖ καὶ ἀργυραῖ ἐπὶ λιθοστρώτου σμαραγδίτου λίθου καὶ πιννίνου καὶ παρίνου λίθου καὶ στρώμναι διαφανεῖς ποικίλως διηνθισμέναι, κύκλῳ ῥόδα πεπασμένα·

⁷ποτήρια χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ ἀνθράκινον κυλίκιον προκείμενον ἀπὸ ταλάντων τρισμυρίων· οἶνος πολὺς καὶ ἡδύς, ὃν αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔπινεν.

⁸ὁ δὲ πότος οὗτος οὐ κατὰ προκείμενον νόμον ἐγένετο, οὕτως δὲ ἠθέλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐπέταξε τοῖς οἰκονόμοις ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

⁹καὶ ᾿Αστὶν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐποίησε πότον ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, ὅπου ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Αρταξέρξης,

¹⁰ἐν δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἡδέως γενόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε τῷ ᾿Αμὰν καὶ Βαζὰν καὶ Θάρᾳ καὶ Βαραζὶ καὶ Ζαθολθὰ καὶ ᾿Αβαταζὰ καὶ Θαραβά, τοῖς ἑπτὰ εὐνούχοις τοῖς διακόνοις τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Αρταξέρξου,

¹¹εἰσαγαγεῖν τὴν βασίλισσαν πρὸς αὐτόν, βασιλεύειν αὐτὴν καὶ περιθεῖναι αὐτῇ τὸ διάδημα καὶ δεῖξαι τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς, ὅτι καλὴ ἦν.

¹²καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ ᾿Αστὶν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐλθεῖν μετὰ τῶν εὐνούχων. καὶ ἐλυπήθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὠργίσθη

¹³καὶ εἶπε τοῖς φίλοις αὐτοῦ· κατὰ ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν ᾿Αστίν, ποιήσατε οὖν περὶ τούτου νόμον καὶ κρίσιν.

¹⁴καὶ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ᾿Αρκεσαῖος καὶ Σαρσαθαῖος καὶ Μαλησεὰρ οἱ ἄρχοντες Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων, οἱ ἐγγὺς τοῦ βασιλέως, οἱ πρῶτοι παρακαθήμενοι τῷ βασιλεῖ,

¹⁵καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους, ὡς δεῖ ποιῆσαι ᾿Αστὶν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐποίησε τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως προσταχθέντα διὰ τῶν εὐνούχων.

¹⁶καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Μουχαῖος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας· οὐ τὸν βασιλέα μόνον ἠδίκησεν ᾿Αστὶν ἡ βασίλισσα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους τοῦ βασιλέως (17 καὶ γὰρ διηγήσατο αὐτοῖς τὰ ρήματα τῆς βασιλίσσης καὶ ὡς ἀντεῖπε τῷ βασιλεῖ). ὡς οὖν ἀντεῖπε τῷ βασιλεῖ ᾿Αρταξέρξῃ,

¹⁸οὕτω σήμερον αἱ τυραννίδες αἱ λοιπαὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων ἀκούσασαι τὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ λεχθέντα ὑπ᾿ αὐτῆς, τολμήσουσιν ὁμοίως ἀτιμάσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτῶν.

¹⁹εἰ οὖν δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ, προσταξάτω βασιλικόν, καὶ γραφήτω κατὰ τοὺς νόμους Μήδων καὶ Περσῶν· καὶ μὴ ἄλλως χρησάσθω, μηδὲ εἰσελθέτω ἔτι ἡ βασίλισσα πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτῆς δότω ὁ βασιλεὺς γυναικὶ κρείττονι αὐτῆς.

²⁰καὶ ἀκουσθήτω ὁ νόμος ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὃν ἐὰν ποιῇ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὕτω πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες περιθήσουσι τιμὴν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἑαυτῶν, ἀπὸ πτωχοῦ ἕως πλουσίου.

²¹καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι, καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καθὰ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Μουχαῖος·

²²καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν βασιλείαν κατὰ χώραν, κατὰ τὴν λέξιν αὐτῶν, ὥστε εἶναι φόβον αὐτοῖς ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις αὐτῶν.

¹1α In the second year of reign of Artaxerxes the great king, on the first [day] of Nisan, Mardochaeus the [son] of Jairus, the [son] of Semeias, the [son] of Cissaeus, of the tribe of Benjamin, 1β a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s palace, saw a vision. 1γ Now he was of the captivity which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem, with Jechonias the king of Judea. 1δ And this [was] his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. 1ε And, behold, two great serpents came forth, both ready for conflict, and there came from them a great voice, 1ζ and by their voice every nation was prepared for battle, even to fight against the nation of the just. 1η And, behold, a day of darkness and blackness, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great tumult upon the earth. 1θ And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions; and they prepared to die, and cried to God: 1ι and from their cry there came as it were a great river from a little fountain, [even] much water. 1κ And light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the honourable. 1λ And Mardochaeus who had seen this vision and what God designed to do, having awoke, kept in his heart, and desired by all means to interpret it, even till night. 1μ And Mardochaeus rested quiet in the palace with Gabatha and Thara the king’s two chamberlains, eunuchs who guarded the palace. 1ν And he heard their reasonings and searched out their plans, and learnt that they were preparing to lay hands on king Artaxerxes: and he informed the king concerning them. 1ξ And the king examined the two chamberlains, and they confessed, and were executed. 1ο And the king wrote these things for a memorial; also Mardochaeus wrote concerning these matters. 1π And the king commanded Mardochaeus to attend in the palace, and gave him gifts for this service. 1ρ And Aman the son of Amadathes the Bugaean was honourable in the sight of the king, and he endeavoured to hurt Mardochaeus and his people, because of the two chamberlains of the king.

¹And it came to pass after these things in the days of Artaxerxes.-- (this Artaxerxes ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India)--

²in those days, when king Artaxerxes was on the throne in the city of Susa,

³in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps.

⁴And after this, after he had shewn to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during a hundred and eighty days,

⁵when, [I say], the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet to the nations who were present in the city six days, in the court of the king’s house,

⁶[which was] adorned with [hangings] of fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of Parian marble and stone: [there were] golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, [having] roses worked round about;

⁷gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank.

⁸And this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.

⁹Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes [dwelt].

¹⁰Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Thara, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes,

¹¹to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to shew her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful.

¹²But queen Astin hearkened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered.

¹³And he said to his friends, Thus hast Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this [case] law and judgment.

¹⁴So Arkesaeus, and Sarsathaeus, and Malesear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief [in rank] by the king, drew near to him,

¹⁵and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king by the chamberlains.

¹⁶And Muchaeus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king’s rulers and princes:

¹⁷for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, [said he], she refused [to obey] king Artaxerxes,

¹⁸so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands.

¹⁹If then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter [it]: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she.

²⁰And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.

²¹And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Muchaeus had said,

²²and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, in order that men might be feared in their own houses.