Esther 1
1 This is an account of what happened during the time of King Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.
Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻAhasivelo, (ko e ʻAhasivelo eni naʻe pule mei Initia ʻo aʻu ki ʻItiopea, ki he vahe fonua ʻe teau mā uofulu mā fitu: )
2 At the time King Xerxes was ruling from his royal throne at the fortress in Susa.
ʻI he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, ʻi heʻene nofo ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo, ki he nofoʻa fakatuʻi ʻo hono puleʻanga, ʻaia naʻe ʻi Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki.
3 In the third year of his reign he organized a feast for his officials and administrators. The army commanders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were all there with him.
Naʻa ne fai ʻae kātoanga ki heʻene ngaahi houʻeiki kotoa pē mo ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki ʻi hono tolu taʻu ʻo ʻene pule: ko e mālohi ʻo Peasia mo Mitia, ko e ngaahi houʻeiki, mo kinautolu naʻe pule ki he ngaahi vahe fonua, naʻe ʻi hono ʻao:
4 He put on display his wealth and the glory of his kingdom, showing how majestic, splendid, and glorious he was, for 180 days.
Pea naʻa ne fakahā ai ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho lahi ʻae koloa ʻo hono puleʻanga fakamanavahē, mo e lahi ʻo ʻene ongoongolelei ʻaʻana, ʻio, ʻi he ʻaho ʻe teau ma valungofulu.
5 After that the king gave a feast lasting for seven days for all the people, great and small, who were there in the fortress of Susa in the garden courtyard of the king's pavilion.
Pea ʻi he hili ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, naʻe fai ʻae kātoanga ʻe he tuʻi ki he kakai kotoa pē naʻe ʻi Susani ko e kolo fakaʻeiki, ki he lahi, mo e siʻi, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻe fitu, ʻi he lotoʻā ʻoe ngoue ʻi he fale fakaʻeiki ʻoe tuʻi;
6 It was decorated with white and blue cotton curtains tied with cords of fine linen and purple thread on silver rings, held up by marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were placed on a pavement made of purple porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and expensive stones.
ʻAia naʻe ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi [puipui ]hinehina, mo lanu ʻakau mata, mo lanu moana, naʻe fakamaʻu ʻaki ʻae ngaahi afo ʻoe filo tupenu tuʻovalevale mo e paʻuhiʻuhi ki he ngaahi kaveʻi siliva mo e ngaahi pou ʻoe maka hinehina: naʻe koula mo siliva ʻae ngaahi mohenga naʻe tuʻu ki he faliki [fale ]ʻoe maka hinehina, mo e kulokula, mo e lanu moana, mo e hinehina, mo e ʻuliʻuli.
7 Drinks were served in golden goblets of different kinds, and the royal wine flowed freely because of the king's generosity.
Pea naʻa nau ʻatu ʻae meʻainu kiate kinautolu ʻi he ngaahi ipu koula, (naʻe fai kehekehe ʻae ngaahi ipu kotoa pē, ) mo e uaine ngalingali tuʻi lahi ʻaupito, ʻo fakatatau ki he anga ʻoe tuʻi.
8 The king had ruled that there was to be no limit on how much a guest could drink; he had told his servants to give each guest whatever they wanted.
Pea naʻe fai ʻae inu ʻo fakatatau ki he fono naʻe ʻikai puleʻi mālohi ʻe ha tokotaha he naʻe pehē ʻe he fono ʻae tuʻi ki he kau matāpule kotoa pē ʻo hono fale, ke nau fai taki taha kotoa pē ʻo fakatatau ki hono loto ʻoʻona.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Xerxes.
Pea naʻe fai foki ʻe Vasiti ko e tuʻi fefine ʻae kātoanga ki heʻenau fefine ʻi he fale fakatuʻi ʻaia naʻe ʻoe tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo.
10 On the seventh day of the feast, the king, feeling happy from drinking wine, ordered the seven eunuchs who were his attendants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas,
Pea ʻi hono fitu ʻoe ʻaho ʻi he fiefia ʻae loto ʻoe tuʻi ʻi he uaine, naʻa ne fekau kia Mihumani, mo Pisita, mo Hapona, mo Pikita, mo ʻApakita, mo Setali, mo Kakasi, ko e kau tauhi fale ʻe toko fitu naʻe talifekau ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻAhasivelo ko e tuʻi.
11 to bring Queen Vashti to him wearing her royal headdress, so he could show her beauty to the people and officials, for she was very good-looking.
Ke nau ʻomi ʻa Vasiti ko e tuʻi fefine ki he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi mo e tatā fakaʻeiki, ke fakahā ki he kakai mo e ngaahi houʻeiki hono hoihoifua: he naʻe hoihoifua ia ke mamata ki ai.
12 But when the eunuchs delivered the order from the king, Queen Vashti refused to come. The king became extremely angry—he was absolutely furious.
Ka naʻe ʻikai fie haʻu ʻae tuʻi fefine ko Vasiti ʻi he fekau ʻae tuʻi ʻi he kau talafekau: ko ia naʻe tuputāmaki ai ʻae tuʻi, pea lili ʻene houhau ʻiate ia.
13 Then the king spoke with the wise men who would know what to do, for it was the custom for him to ask the opinion of experts in procedures and legal matters.
Pea pehē ai ʻe he tuʻi ki he kau tangata poto, ʻaia naʻe ʻilo ʻae ngaahi kuonga, (he naʻe pehē pe ʻae anga ʻae tuʻi kiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻilo ʻae fono mo e fakamaau:
14 Those closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had frequent meetings with the king and had the highest positions in the kingdom.
Pea naʻe hoko mo ia ʻa Kasina, mo Setali, mo ʻAtimata, mo Tasisi, mo Melesi, mo Masina, mo Mimukani, ko e houʻeiki ʻe toko fitu ʻo Peasia mo Mitia, ʻaia naʻe mamata ki he fofonga ʻoe tuʻi, pea naʻe nofo ki muʻa ʻi he puleʻanga; )
15 “What does the law say should be done with Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She refused to obey the direct order of King Xerxes as delivered by the eunuchs!”
“Ko e hā te tau fai ki he tuʻi fefine, ko Vasiti ʻo fakatatau ki he fono, ko e meʻa ʻi he ʻikai te ne fai ʻae fekau ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo ʻi he kau talafekau?”
16 Memucan gave his answer before the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti hasn't just insulted the king but all the nobles and all the people of all the provinces of King Xerxes.
Pea naʻe lea ʻa Mimukani ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi mo e ngaahi houʻeiki, [ʻo pehē], “Naʻe ʻikai fai hala ʻe Vasiti ko e tuʻi fefine ki he tuʻi pē, ka ki he ngaahi houʻeiki kotoa pē, pea ki he kakai kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he ngaahi puleʻanga ʻoe tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo.
17 Once it gets out what the queen has done, all wives will despise their husbands, looking down on them and telling them, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti brought to him but she didn't come!’
Koeʻuhi ʻe ongo atu ki he mamaʻo ʻae ngāue ni ʻae tuʻi fefine ki he kau fefine kotoa pē, ko ia te nau mata manuki ai ki honau ngaahi husepāniti, ʻoka fakaongo atu ia, ‘Naʻe fekau ʻe he tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo ke ʻomi ʻae tuʻi fefine ki hono ʻao, ka naʻe ʻikai haʻu ia.’
18 By the end of the day, the wives of all the nobles throughout Persia and Media who have heard what the queen did will treat their noble husbands with angry contempt!
ʻE lea pehē pē foki ʻe he houʻeiki fefine ʻo Peasia mo Mitia he ʻaho ni ki he ngaahi houʻeiki ʻae tuʻi, ʻaia kuo ongoʻi ʻae ngāue ni ʻae tuʻi fefine. Ko ia ʻe tupu ai ʻae manuki lahi mo e ʻita.
19 If it please Your Majesty, issue a royal decree, in accordance with the laws of Persia and Media which cannot be changed, that Vashti is banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that Your Majesty will give her royal position to another, one who is better than her.
Pea kapau ʻoku lelei ki he tuʻi, ke fai ʻe ia ʻae fono fakatuʻi, pea tuku ke tohi ia ʻi he ngaahi fono ʻoe kakai Peasia mo e kakai Mitia, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa fakakehe ia, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa toe haʻu ʻa Vasiti ki he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi ko ʻAhasivelo: pea ke foaki ʻe he tuʻi hono tuʻunga fakatuʻi ki ha tokotaha ʻoku lelei lahi ʻiate ia.
20 When Your Majesty's decree is proclaimed throughout your vast empire, all wives will respect their husbands, highborn or lowborn.”
Pea ka fakaongo atu ʻae fono ʻae tuʻi ʻaia te ne fai ki he potu kotoa pē ʻo hono puleʻanga, (he ʻoku lahi ia, ) ʻe ʻatu ʻe he ngaahi fefine uaifi ʻae fakaʻapaʻapa ki honau ngaahi husepāniti, pē ko e lahi ia pē ko e siʻi.”
21 This advice looked good to the king and the nobles, so the king did what Memucan had said.
Pea naʻe mālie ai ʻae tuʻi mo e ngaahi houʻeiki ʻi he lea ko ia; pea naʻe fai ʻe he tuʻi ʻo fakatatau ki he lea ʻa Mimukani.
22 He sent letters to all provinces in the empire, in each province's script and language, that every man should rule his own home, and use his own mother tongue.
He naʻa ne ʻave ʻae ngaahi tohi ki he ngaahi potu kotoa pē ʻoe puleʻanga ʻoe tuʻi, ki he puleʻanga kotoa pē ʻo fakatatau ki he tohi ʻo hono lea, pea ki he kakai kotoa pē ʻo tatau mo ʻenau lea, koeʻuhi ke pule taki taha ʻae tangata ʻi hono fale ʻoʻona, pea koeʻuhi ke fanongonongo ia ʻi he lea ʻae kakai kotoa pē.
