Esther 1
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (that is, the Ahasuerus that reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces),
Kwasekusithi ngensuku zikaAhasuwerusi, uAhasuwerusi lo owabusa kusukela eIndiya kuze kube seEthiyophiya, izabelo ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa,
2 in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the fortress,
ngalezonsuku lapho inkosi uAhasuwerusi wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wakhe esasiseShushani isigodlo,
3 in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces being before him;
ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wenzela iziphathamandla zakhe lenceku zakhe zonke idili. Amandla ePerisiya leMede, izinduna lababusi bezabelo babephambi kwakhe,
4 when he shewed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the splendid magnificence of his grandeur many days, a hundred and eighty days.
lapho etshengisa inotho yenkazimulo yombuso wakhe lobugugu bobuhle bobukhulu bakhe insuku ezinengi, insuku ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast to all the people that were present in Shushan the fortress, both to great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
Kwathi lezonsuku sezigcwalisekile, inkosi yenzela bonke abantu abatholakala eShushani isigodlo idili, kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyane, insuku eziyisikhombisa, egumeni lesivande sesigodlo senkosi.
6 White, green, and blue [hangings] were fastened with cords of byssus and purple to silver rings and pillars of white marble; couches of gold and silver [lay] upon a pavement of red and white marble, and alabaster, and black marble.
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.
7 And they gave drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the king's bounty.
Basebenathisa ngezitsha zegolide, lezitsha zaziyizitsha ezehlukeneyo, lewayini lesikhosini laba linengi njengokwesandla senkosi.
8 And the drinking was, according to commandment, without constraint; for so the king had appointed to all the magnates of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
Lokunatha kwakungokomthetho, kungekho obamba ngamandla; ngoba ngokunjalo inkosi yayilayile kwabakhulu bonke bendlu yayo ukuthi benze njengokufisa komuntu lomuntu.
9 Also the queen Vashti made a feast for the women of the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
UVashiti indlovukazi laye wenzela abesifazana idili endlini yesikhosini inkosi uAhasuwerusi ayelayo.
10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Ahasuerus,
Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, inhliziyo yenkosi isithokozile ngewayini, yathi kuboMehumani, uBhizitha, uHaribona, uBhigitha, loAbhagitha, uZethari, loKarikasi, abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababesebenza phambi kwenkosi uAhasuwerusi,
11 to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown to shew the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was of beautiful countenance.
ukuthi balethe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwenkosi elomqhele wesikhosini, ukutshengisa abantu leziphathamandla ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayekhangeleka kuhle.
12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king which was [sent] by the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burned in him.
Kodwa indlovukazi uVashiti yala ukubuya ngelizwi lenkosi elalingesandla sabathenwa. Ngakho inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, lolaka lwayo lwavutha phakathi kwayo.
13 And the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for so was the king's business [conducted] before all that knew law and judgment;
Inkosi yasisithi kwabahlakaniphileyo ababesazi izikhathi (ngoba lalinjalo ilizwi lenkosi phambi kwabo bonke abaziyo umthetho lesahlulelo,
14 and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and who sat first in the kingdom),
lalabo ababeseduze layo babengoKarishena, uShethari, uAdimatha, uTarshishi, uMeresi, uMarisena, uMemukani, iziphathamandla eziyisikhombisa zePerisiya leMede, ezazibona ubuso benkosi, ezazihlala phambili embusweni):
15 What shall be done to the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not performed the word of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
Ngokomthetho kungenziwani ngendlovukazi uVashiti ngenxa yokuthi kayenzanga ilizwi lenkosi uAhasuwerusi ngesandla sabathenwa?
16 Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, The queen Vashti has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
UMemukani wasesithi phambi kwenkosi leziphathamandla: UVashiti indlovukazi wonile kungeyisikho enkosini kuphela, kodwa lakuziphathamandla zonke lebantwini bonke abasezabelweni zonke zenkosi uAhasuwerusi.
17 For the act of the queen will come abroad to all women, so as to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when they shall say, The king Ahasuerus commanded the queen Vashti to be brought in before him, and she came not!
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.
18 And the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's act, will say it this day to all the king's princes, and there will be contempt and anger enough.
Yebo mhlalokho amakhosikazi ePerisiya leMede ezwe isenzo sendlovukazi azakuthi kuzo zonke iziphathamandla zenkosi, kube khona ukudelela lokuthukuthela okwedlulisayo.
19 If it please the king, let a royal order go forth from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it may not pass, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another that is better than she;
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.
20 and when the king's edict which he shall make shall be heard throughout his realm — for it is great — all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, from the greatest to the least.
Usuzwakele umthetho wenkosi ezawenza embusweni wayo wonke (ngoba mkhulu) bonke abesifazana bazanika inhlonipho kubomkabo, kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyane.
21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan.
Njalo indaba yayilungile emehlweni enkosi leziphathamandla; inkosi yasisenza njengokwelizwi likaMemukani.
22 And he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, That every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.
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.
