< Esther 1 >
1 Amah Ahasuerus tue vaengah he he om. Ahasuerus tah India lamloh Kusah duela paeng ya pakul parhih a manghai thil.
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 Te vaeng tue ah manghai Ahasuerus tah Shushan rhalmah im kah a ram ngolkhoel dongah ngol.
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 A manghai nah kum thum vaengah a mangpa rhoek neh a sal boeih ham buhkoknah a saii. Te vaengah a mikhmuh ah Persia tatthai khaw, Madai angrhaeng rhoek khaw, paeng mangpa rhoek khaw omuh.
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.
4 Te vaengah a ram kah thangpomnah khuehtawn neh, a lennah boeimang umponah te, m khohnin la hnin ya sawmrhet ah puet a tueng sak.
[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).
5 Khohnin a cup vaengah tah manghai loh Shushan rhalmah im ah a hmuh pilnam, tanoe kangham boeih ham buhkoknah te manghai impuei dum kah vongup ah hnin rhih a saii pah.
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.
6 Hniyan a bok neh a thim khaw baibok daidi rhui neh cak hnaai te a bang. Lungphaih a ling, a thim neh a bok-awp a muem sokah sui neh cak thingkong khaw lungbok tung neh cung.
[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.
7 Manghai kut kah bangla a ram kah misurtui khaw phul tih hnopai khaw hnopai neh a thovael phoeiah, sui hnopai neh a tul.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Te vaengah a okcaknah te olkhan bangla tanolh pawh. Manghai loh a im kah boeiping boeih te hlang neh hlang kah kolonah bangla saii ham a uen.
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.
9 Vashti manghainu long khaw manghai Ahasuerus kah manghai im ah nu buhkoknah a saii.
[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].
10 A hnin rhih vaengah tah misurtui lamloh manghai kah lungbuei khaw umya coeng. Te dongah manghai Ahasuerus mikhmuh kah aka thotat imkhoem parhih Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, Karkas taengah,
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.
11 Vashti manghainu te manghai rhuisam neh manghai mikhmuh ah khuen ham a thui pah. Anih te a mueimae a then dongah a sakthen te pilnam neh mangpa rhoek tueng ham a ngaih.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Tedae manghai kah dumlai dongah imkhoem kut neh caeh ham tah Vashti manghainu loh a aal. Te dongah manghai khaw bahoeng a thintoek tih a kosi loh a khuiah a alh pah.
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.
13 Te dongah manghai loh olkhan neh dumlai aka ming boeih kah mikhmuh ah manghai kah ol vanbangla a tue aka ming hlang cueih rhoek,
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.
14 amah taengah aka yoei Persia mangpa parhih Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memukan neh ram khuiah khosa lamhma neh manghai maelhmai aka hmu Madai te,
15 “Olkhan dongkah bangla manghainu Vashti te metlam ka saii eh? Imkhoem kut dongkah manghai Ahasuerus olpaek te a vai moenih,” a ti nah.
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]?”
16 Te vaengah Memukan loh manghai neh mangpa rhoek kah mikhmuh ah, “Manghai amah bueng taengah moenih. Vashti manghainu he mangpa boeih taeng neh manghai Ahasuerus paeng tom kah pilnam boeih taengah khaw paihaeh coeng.
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).
17 Manghainu kah ol he huta boeih taengla pawk vetih a mikhmuh ah a boei a hnaep pawn ni. Amih long te, 'Manghai Ahasuerus loh a mikhmuh la manghainu Vashti te khuen ham a ti nah dae a caeh moenih,’ a ti uh ni.
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.
18 Tahae khohnin ah Persia neh Madai boeinu rhoek, manghainu kah ol aka ya manghai kah mangpa cungkuem taengah khaw a thui pawn ni. Te dongah hnaepnah neh thinhulnah ngawn rhoeh coeng.
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.
19 Manghai ham a then mak atah manghai ol te a mikhmuh lamloh tueih saeh. Persia neh Madai olkhan khuiah daek saeh. Te dongah te te poe boel saeh lamtah Vashti te manghai Ahasuerus mikhmuh ah mop voel boel saeh. Anih kah ram khaw manghai loh anih lakah aka then a hui taengla pae saeh.
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.
20 Ram he len cakhaw a ram tom ah manghai kah oltloeknah a saii te a yaak daengah ni huta boeih, tanoe kangham loh a boei ham umponah a khueh eh?,” a ti nah.
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.”
21 Ol te manghai neh mangpa rhoek kah mikhmuh ah then coeng. Te dongah manghai loh Memukan ol bangla a saii.
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 Te phoeiah tah manghai kah paeng tom la cabu a pat. Paeng pakhat taengah amah paeng kah ca neh, pilnam khat taengah amah pilnam kah ol neh a pat. A imkhui ah boei la aka om hlang boeih loh amah pilnam ol neh a thui pah.
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.