U-Esta 1
1 Kwasekusithi ngensuku zikaAhasuwerusi, uAhasuwerusi lo owabusa kusukela eIndiya kuze kube seEthiyophiya, izabelo ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa,
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 ngalezonsuku lapho inkosi uAhasuwerusi wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wakhe esasiseShushani isigodlo,
[That] in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which [was] in Shushan the palace,
3 ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wenzela iziphathamandla zakhe lenceku zakhe zonke idili. Amandla ePerisiya leMede, izinduna lababusi bezabelo babephambi kwakhe,
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 lapho etshengisa inotho yenkazimulo yombuso wakhe lobugugu bobuhle bobukhulu bakhe insuku ezinengi, insuku ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
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 Kwathi lezonsuku sezigcwalisekile, inkosi yenzela bonke abantu abatholakala eShushani isigodlo idili, kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyane, insuku eziyisikhombisa, egumeni lesivande sesigodlo senkosi.
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 Kwakulamalembu amhlophe, amalembu acolekileyo, laluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, ebotshelwe ngentambo zelembu elicolekileyo kakhulu leziyibubende emasongweni esiliva lezinsikeni zelitshe le-alibasta. Imibheda yayingeyegolide lesiliva phezu kwendawo egandelwe ngamatshe abomvu, le-alibasta, lamapharele, lamnyama.
[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 Basebenathisa ngezitsha zegolide, lezitsha zaziyizitsha ezehlukeneyo, lewayini lesikhosini laba linengi njengokwesandla senkosi.
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 Lokunatha kwakungokomthetho, kungekho obamba ngamandla; ngoba ngokunjalo inkosi yayilayile kwabakhulu bonke bendlu yayo ukuthi benze njengokufisa komuntu lomuntu.
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 UVashiti indlovukazi laye wenzela abesifazana idili endlini yesikhosini inkosi uAhasuwerusi ayelayo.
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women [in] the royal house which [belonged] to king Ahasuerus.
10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, inhliziyo yenkosi isithokozile ngewayini, yathi kuboMehumani, uBhizitha, uHaribona, uBhigitha, loAbhagitha, uZethari, loKarikasi, abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababesebenza phambi kwenkosi uAhasuwerusi,
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 ukuthi balethe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwenkosi elomqhele wesikhosini, ukutshengisa abantu leziphathamandla ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayekhangeleka kuhle.
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 Kodwa indlovukazi uVashiti yala ukubuya ngelizwi lenkosi elalingesandla sabathenwa. Ngakho inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, lolaka lwayo lwavutha phakathi kwayo.
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 Inkosi yasisithi kwabahlakaniphileyo ababesazi izikhathi (ngoba lalinjalo ilizwi lenkosi phambi kwabo bonke abaziyo umthetho lesahlulelo,
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 lalabo ababeseduze layo babengoKarishena, uShethari, uAdimatha, uTarshishi, uMeresi, uMarisena, uMemukani, iziphathamandla eziyisikhombisa zePerisiya leMede, ezazibona ubuso benkosi, ezazihlala phambili embusweni):
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 Ngokomthetho kungenziwani ngendlovukazi uVashiti ngenxa yokuthi kayenzanga ilizwi lenkosi uAhasuwerusi ngesandla sabathenwa?
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 UMemukani wasesithi phambi kwenkosi leziphathamandla: UVashiti indlovukazi wonile kungeyisikho enkosini kuphela, kodwa lakuziphathamandla zonke lebantwini bonke abasezabelweni zonke zenkosi uAhasuwerusi.
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 Ngoba isenzo sendlovukazi sizaphumela kubo bonke abesifazana, kuze kuthi badelele omkabo emehlweni abo, nxa besithi: Inkosi uAhasuwerusi watshela ukuthi kulethwe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwayo, kodwa kayizanga.
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 Yebo mhlalokho amakhosikazi ePerisiya leMede ezwe isenzo sendlovukazi azakuthi kuzo zonke iziphathamandla zenkosi, kube khona ukudelela lokuthukuthela okwedlulisayo.
[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 Uba kulungile enkosini kakuphume umthetho wesikhosini kuyo, kakubhalwe emithethweni yamaPerisiya lamaMede, ongeguqulwe, ukuthi uVashiti kayikungena phambi kwenkosi uAhasuwerusi; inkosi inike-ke ubukhosikazi bakhe komunye onjengaye ongcono kulaye.
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 Usuzwakele umthetho wenkosi ezawenza embusweni wayo wonke (ngoba mkhulu) bonke abesifazana bazanika inhlonipho kubomkabo, kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyane.
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 Njalo indaba yayilungile emehlweni enkosi leziphathamandla; inkosi yasisenza njengokwelizwi likaMemukani.
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
22 Yasithumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi, kusabelo lesabelo njengombhalo waso, lakubo abantu labantu njengokolimi lwabo, ukuthi ileyo laleyondoda ibe ngumbusi endlini yayo, ikhulume njengokolimi lwabantu bakibo.
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.
