< Esther 1 >

1 NOW IT came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus — this is Ahasuerus who reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces —
Na rĩrĩ, ũũ nĩguo gwekĩkire matukũ-inĩ ma Ahasuerusu, o we Ahasuerusu ũrĩa waathaga mabũrũri 127 marĩa moimĩte kuuma bũrũri wa Ahĩndĩ o nginya bũrũri wa Akushi.
2 that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the castle,
Matukũ-inĩ macio-rĩ, Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu aathamakaga arĩ gĩtĩ-inĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya ũthamaki kũu gĩikaro kĩgitĩre kĩa mũthamaki gĩa Shushani,
3 in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;
na mwaka wa gatatũ wa wathani wake, nĩarugithĩirie andũ ake othe arĩa maarĩ igweta na anene iruga. Nao atongoria a mbũtũ cia ita cia Perisia na cia Media, na abarũthi na andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta a mabũrũri maarĩ kuo.
4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty, many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.
Nake akĩonania ũtonga mũnene wa ũthamaki wake na ũkengi na riiri wa ũnene wake, ihinda rĩa matukũ 180.
5 And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the castle, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
Matukũ macio maathira, mũthamaki nĩarugithirie iruga, rĩrĩa rĩaikarire mĩthenya mũgwanja, narĩo rĩarĩ thĩinĩ wa mũgũnda ũrĩa warĩ mũirigĩre wa nyũmba ya mũthamaki, rĩkĩrugĩrwo andũ othe kuuma ũrĩa mũnini nginya ũrĩa mũnene, arĩa maarĩ kũu thĩinĩ wa gĩikaro kĩrĩa kĩarĩ kĩirigĩre gĩa Shushani.
6 there were hangings of white, fine cotton, and blue, bordered with cords of fine linen and purple, upon silver rods and pillars of marble; the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and shell, and onyx marble.
Mũgũnda ũcio warĩ na mĩcuurio ya gatani ya rangi mwerũ na ya rangi wa bururu, nayo yohanĩtio na mĩkanda ya gatani ya rangi mwerũ na ya rangi wa ndathi, ikoohererwo icũhĩ-inĩ cia betha iria cianyiitithanĩtio na itugĩ cia mahiga marĩa mega merũ. Nĩ kwarĩ na itĩ cia gũikarĩra cia thahabu na cia betha iria ciaigĩtwo kũndũ kwarĩtwo mahiga ma nyaigĩ, na mahiga mega merũ, na mahiga ma rangi wa ngoikoni, na mahiga mangĩ ma goro mũno.
7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold — the vessels being diverse one from another — and royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king.
Ndibei yaheanagwo na ikombe cia thahabu, na gũtirĩ kĩahaanaine na kĩrĩa kĩngĩ, na ndibei ya nyũmba ya ũthamaki yarĩ nyingĩ mũno o ta ũrĩa ũtaana wa mũthamaki watariĩ.
8 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.
Kũringana na watho wa mũthamaki, o mũgeni nĩeetĩkĩrĩtio kũnyua kĩrĩa angĩendire, nĩ ũndũ mũthamaki nĩathĩte aheani othe a ndibei mahe o mũndũ kĩrĩa eendaga.
9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
O nake Vashiti, mũtumia wa mũthamaki, nĩarugithĩirie andũ-a-nja iruga o kũu nyũmba-inĩ ya ũthamaki ya Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu.
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
Mũthenya wa mũgwanja, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu aakenete nĩ ũndũ wa kũnyua ndibei, agĩatha ndungata iria mũgwanja ciarĩ hakũre iria ciamũtungatagĩra, nĩcio Mehumani, na Bizatha, na Haribona, na Bigatha, na Abagutha, na Zetharu, na Karikasi,
11 to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on.
irehe Vashiti, ũcio mũtumia wa mũthamaki mbere yake ekĩrĩte tanji yake ya ũthamaki, nĩgeetha onanie ũthaka wake kũrĩ andũ, o na ningĩ kũrĩ andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta, nĩgũkorwo aarĩ kĩĩrorerwa.
12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by the chamberlains; therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
No rĩrĩa ndungata icio ciakinyirie watho wa mũthamaki, Vashiti mũtumia wa mũthamaki akĩrega gũthiĩ. Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki akĩngʼũrĩka mũno na agĩcinwo nĩ marakara.
13 Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times — for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment;
Na tondũ warĩ mũtugo wa mũthamaki gũtuĩria maũndũ ma watho na ma kĩhooto, akĩaria na andũ arĩa oogĩ na mooĩ ũhoro wa matukũ ma tene.
14 and the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat the first in the kingdom:
Nao arĩa maakuhĩrĩirie mũthamaki mũno maarĩ Karishena, na Shetharu, na Adamatha, na Tarashishi, na Meresu, na Marisena na Memukani, andũ mũgwanja arĩa maarĩ igweta a Perisia na Media, arĩa meetĩkĩrĩtio kuonanaga na mũthamaki, na nĩo maarĩ anene mũno ũthamaki-inĩ ũcio.
15 'What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, forasmuch as she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?'
Mũthamaki akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Kũringana na watho-rĩ, Vashiti mũtumia wa mũthamaki agĩrĩirwo nĩ gwĩkwo atĩa? Nĩaregete gwathĩkĩra watho wa Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu ũrĩa akinyĩirio nĩ andũ acio ahakũre.”
16 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 peoples, that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
Memukani agĩcookia arĩ mbere ya mũthamaki na andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta atĩrĩ, “Vashiti mũtumia wa mũthamaki nĩekĩte mahĩtia, na to mũthamaki wiki ahĩtĩirie, no ahĩtĩirie o na andũ othe arĩa marĩ igweta na andũ othe a mabũrũri ma Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu.
17 For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it will be said: The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
Nĩgũkorwo ũndũ ũyũ wĩkĩtwo nĩ mũtumia wa mũthamaki nĩũkũmenyeka nĩ andũ-a-nja othe, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩmarĩmenagĩrĩria athuuri ao makoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu araathanire Vashiti mũtumia wa mũthamaki arehwo mbere yake, no ndaigana gũthiĩ.’
18 And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king's princes. So will there arise enough contempt and wrath.
Ũmũthĩ-rĩ, andũ-a-nja arĩa marĩ igweta a Perisia na Media arĩa maiguĩte ũndũ ũyũ wĩkĩtwo nĩ mũtumia wa mũthamaki noguo nao marĩĩkaga andũ arĩa marĩ igweta a mũthamaki. Kĩnyararo na ngarari itigathira.
19 If it please the king, let there go forth 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 that the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, mũthamaki angĩona arĩ wega, nĩarute watho wa ũthamaki na etĩkĩre wandĩkwo mawatho-inĩ ma Perisia na Media, marĩa matagarũragwo, atĩ Vashiti ndarĩ hĩndĩ ĩngĩ agooka mbere ya Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu. Naho handũ ha Vashiti-rĩ, mũthamaki acarie mũndũ-wa-nja ũngĩ mwega kũmũkĩra.
20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, great though it be, all the wives will give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.'
Rĩrĩa watho ũcio wa mũthamaki ũrĩanĩrĩrwo kũndũ guothe kũrĩa mũthamaki aathanaga-rĩ, andũ-a-nja othe nĩmarĩtĩĩaga athuuri ao, kuuma ũrĩa mũnini nginya ũrĩa mũnene.”
21 And the word pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan;
Mũthamaki na andũ ake arĩa maarĩ igweta magĩkenio nĩ mataaro macio, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Memukani oigĩte.
22 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 speak according to the language of his people.
Agĩtũma marũa kũndũ guothe ũthamaki-inĩ ũcio, o bũrũri na mwandĩkĩre waguo na o rũrĩrĩ na mwarĩrie waruo, akĩanĩrĩrithia na thiomi cia andũ othe atĩ mũthuuri o wothe nĩwe mwathi wa mũciĩ wake.

< Esther 1 >