Esther 1
1 King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
Fia Ahasuerus nye fia ɖe Media kple Persianyigbawo dzi. Eɖu fia ɖe dukɔ alafa ɖeka kple blaeve-vɔ-adre dzi, tso India yi keke Kus.
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Fia Ahasuerus nɔ eƒe fiazikpui dzi le Susa mɔ gã la me.
3 During the third year that he ruled his empire, he invited all his administrators and [other] officials to a big banquet/feast. He invited all the commanders of the armies of Persia and Media to come to the banquet. He also invited the governors and other leaders of the provinces.
Le eƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe etɔ̃lia me la, eɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe ɖe Susa fiasã la me. Ekpe bubumewo, fiaŋumewo kple aʋakplɔlawo kple ame ŋkutawo tso Media kple Persia ƒe nutowo katã me.
4 [The celebration] lasted for six months. During that time the king showed his guests all his wealth and other things that showed how great his kingdom was (OR, how great a king he was).
Woɖu ŋkekenyui sia ŋkeke alafa ɖeka kple blaenyi sɔŋ, eye wòɖe dziɖuɖu ƒe kesinɔnuwo kple bubu fia.
5 At the end of those six months, the king invited people to another banquet. He invited to the banquet all the men who worked in the palace, including those who had important jobs and those who had unimportant jobs. [This celebration] lasted for seven days. It was in the courtyard of the palace in Susa.
Esi wowu ŋkekenyui gã sia ɖuɖu nu la, Fia la ɖo kplɔ̃ tɔxɛ na fiasã la me nɔlawo, amegãwo kple subɔlawo siaa, ŋkeke adre le xɔxɔnu si le abɔ la ŋgɔ le Susa mɔ gã la me.
6 [In the courtyard] were beautiful blue and white curtains that were fastened by white and purple cords/ribbons to rings that were on pillars made from [expensive white stone called] marble. [The guests sat on] gold and silver couches. The couches were on a pavement/floor which had on top of it designs made from various kinds of expensive stones.
Wotsi avɔ, ɣitɔ kple blɔtɔ siwo ŋu wosa aklala kple aɖabɛ dzĩtɔ ƒe kawo ɖo la ɖe klosalosigɛ siwo wowɔ ɖe sɔti siwo wotu kple kpe xɔasiwo me la ŋu. Sikazikpuiwo kple klosalozikpuiwo nɔ gbadzaƒe si wowɔ kple kpe xɔasi yibɔtɔwo, dzĩtɔwo, ɣitɔwo kple aŋgbaɖiɖitɔwo.
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
Wona wain ameawo ɖe sikakplu siwo to vovo tso wo nɔewo gbɔ la me. Wain si fia la na amewo la sɔ gbɔ ŋutɔ.
8 There was a lot of wine, because the king wanted the guests to drink as much as they wanted. But the king told the servants that they should not force anyone to drink more than he wanted.
Le fia la ƒe sedede nu la, ame sia ame ano wain agbɔsɔsɔ si eya ŋutɔ di be yeano la. Fia la ɖo na eƒe ahakulawo be woaɖe asi le ame sia ame ŋu wòawɔ nu si dze eŋu.
9 [At the same time, the king’s wife, ] Queen Vashti, invited the wives of the men who worked in the palace to a banquet [in another room in the palace].
Fianyɔnu Vasti hã ɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe na nyɔnu siwo nɔ Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiasã la me ɣe ma ɣi tututu.
10 On the last/seventh day of those banquets, when King Xerxes was partially drunk from drinking wine, he [summoned] seven of his personal servants. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas.
Le ŋkeke adrea gbe esime wain na be Fia Ahasuerus mu aha afã kple afã, eye wònɔ dzidzɔ kpɔm la, eyɔ ŋutsusubɔla adre siwo wotia be woanɔ esubɔm la va eɖokui gbɔe. Ame siawoe nye Mehuman, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zetar kple Karkas.
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
Fia la ɖe gbe na wo be woakplɔ Fianyɔnu Vasti vɛ, wòaɖɔ eƒe fiakuku, ale be ameawo katã nakpɔ eƒe tugbedzedze. Nyateƒe, Fianyɔnu Vasti dze tugbe ŋutɔŋutɔ.
12 But when those servants told Vashti what the king wanted, she refused to go to the king [because she did not want to display her beauty in front of a group of half-drunk men]. So that caused the king to become very angry.
Ke esi dɔlawo gblɔ nɛ be fia la be wòava la, egbe meyi o. Fia la do dɔmedzoe ŋutɔ.
13 Immediately he had a meeting with the seven men who were the most important officials in Persia and Media. They were the men whom he often asked (for their advice/what he should do). And they were men who knew all the customs and laws [of Persia]. Their names were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan.
Ke asi wònye woƒe kɔnu be fia la naxɔ aɖaŋu le se kple afiatsotso ƒe nyawo me le ame siwo nya se nyuie gbɔ la, eƒo nu kple nunyala siwo se ɣeyiɣiawo gɔme nyuie.
Fiaŋume siwo fia la ƒo nu kplii la woe nye, Karsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena kple Memukan. Ame adre siawoe nye Persia kple Media bubumewo, wonye ame siwo tena ɖe fia la ŋu kpokploe, eye wonye ame siwo si ɖoƒe kɔkɔtɔwo kekeake le le fiaɖuƒe la me.
15 The king said to them, “Queen Vashti has refused to obey me when I sent my servants [to tell her to come here]. What do our laws say that we should do to someone who [acts/behaves like that]?”
Fia la bia wo be, “Le sea nu ɖe, nu ka wòle be woawɔ Fianyɔnu Vasti? Mewɔ ɖe gbe si Fia Ahasuerus ɖo ɖee to ŋutsu tatawo dzi la dzi o.”
16 While the other officials were present, Memucan told the king, [“Your majesty], Queen Vashti has (insulted/done wrong against) you, but she has also insulted all your officials and everyone else (in your empire/that you rule over).
Memukan ƒo nu ɖe bubumeawo nu gblɔ be, “Fianyɔnu Vasti da vo, menye ɖe fia la ɖeɖe ko ŋu o, ke boŋ ɖe fiaŋume ɖe sia ɖe kple ame sia ame si le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuƒea me la ŋu.
17 All the women [throughout the empire] will hear what she has done, and they will say, ‘The king commanded Queen Vashti to come to him, and she refused.’ [So they will not obey their husbands. Instead, ] they will begin to not respect their husbands.
Ne Persia kple Media nyɔnu ɖe sia ɖe se nu si Fianyɔnu Vasti wɔ ɖe fia la ŋu la, woade asi aglãdzedze me ɖe wo srɔ̃wo ŋu, eye wòagblɔ be Fia Ahasuerus ɖe gbe be woakplɔ Fianyɔnu Vasti va ye ŋkume, gake egbe vava.
18 Before this day ends, the wives of all us officials in Persia and Media will hear what the queen did, and they also will refuse to obey their husbands. They will not respect us, and they will cause us to become very angry.
Hafi zã nado la, mí, wò aɖaŋuɖolawo katã srɔ̃wo ase nu si fiasrɔ̃ la wɔ, eye woade asi nuƒoƒo me na mí bubumewo, wo srɔ̃wo hã nenema tututu, ekema vlodoame kple dɔmedzoe koe anɔ wò fiaɖuƒe blibo la me. Nuwuwu manɔ anyi na amemabumabu kple tɔtɔ sia o,
19 So if it pleases you, O king, you should write a law. Like all the other laws of Persia and Media, it will be a law that (no one can change/cannot be changed.) Write a law that states that Queen Vashti will never be allowed to see you again [and will not continue to be the queen]. Then you can choose another woman to be queen, a woman who deserves to be queen more than Vashti does.
eya ta míele edom ɖa be, ne fia la lɔ̃ la, ekema nàde se tɔxɛ aɖe na Mediatɔwo kple Persiatɔwo, se si womate ŋu atrɔ gbeɖegbeɖe o la, be Fianyɔnu Vasti magado ɖe Fia Ahasuerus ŋkume gbeɖegbeɖe o, eye nàtia fianyɔnu bubu si nyo wu Vasti.
20 Then, when everyone in your empire hears what you have commanded, all the women, including those who are important and those who are not important, will respect and obey their husbands.”
Ne wode se sia le wò fiaɖuƒe gã la me la, nyɔnuwo ade bubu wo srɔ̃ŋutsuwo ŋu tso tsitsiawo dzi va se ɖe ɖeviawo dzi.”
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
Fia la kple eƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo kpɔ ŋudzedze le Memukan ƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo la ŋu, ale fia la wɔ ɖe Memukan ƒe susu la dzi.
22 Then he sent letters to all the provinces, stating that all men should have complete authority over their wives and their children. He wrote the letters in every language and type of writing/alphabet that was used in each province.
Woɖo agbalẽwo ɖe nuto ɖe sia ɖe me le fiaɖuƒe la me le gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe me, eye wote gbe ɖe edzi le gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe me be ŋutsu ɖe sia ɖe naɖu eƒe aƒe dzi, eye wòana ame sia ame nade bubu eŋu abe aƒea ƒe tatɔ ene.
