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].
Nke a bụ ihe mere nʼoge ọchịchị eze Sekses, bụ Sekses nke chiri alaeze nwere mpaghara dị iche iche nke karịrị otu narị na iri abụọ na asaa, nke gbasakwara site nʼIndia rụọ Kush.
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
Nʼoge ahụ, isi ọchịchị obodo eze Sekses bụ Susa ebe ocheeze ya dịkwa.
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.
Nʼafọ nke atọ nke ọchịchị ya, o mere mmemme oke oriri nye ndịisi ọrụ ya niile. Ndị ọzọ ọ kpọkwara bụ ndịisi agha nke Peshịa na Midia, na ụmụ eze, na ndị ọchịchị sitere na mba dị iche iche ọ na-achị.
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).
Mmemme a were otu narị na iri ụbọchị asatọ. Eze jikwa oge a gosi akụnụba, na ịma mma na ebube nke alaeze ya.
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.
Mgbe ụbọchị ndị a gafesịrị, eze kpọrọ oke oriri nọrọ ụbọchị asaa nʼubi a gbara ogige dị nʼụlọeze, nye ndị niile nọ na Susa, site nʼonye ukwu ruo nʼonye nta.
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.
Ihe ịchọ mma e ji dozie ogige ahụ bụ ezi akwa mgbochi dị ọcha, nke e ji ogho ọcha kpaa na nke e jikwa ogho na-acha anụnụ anụnụ kpaa. E jikwa eriri ogho dị ezi ọcha na nke na-acha odo odo kekọtaa akwa mgbochi ndị ahụ, nʼihe mgbaaka ọlaọcha dị nʼogidi nkume dị oke ọnụahịa e wuru nʼebe ahụ. A dọbakwara oche ọlaọcha na ọlaedo ndị ahụ nʼebe e wulitụrụ elu, nke e ji nkume mabụl na nkume ndị ọzọ dị oke ọnụahịa, ndị na-acha ezi ọcha, ndị na-acha odo odo na nke na-eji oji wuo ala ya.
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
E jikwa iko ọlaedo ṅụọ ihe ọṅụṅụ. Iko ọlaedo ọbụla e wepụtara nʼụbọchị ahụ dị iche nʼiche. O nweghị nke yiri ibe ya. E mekwara ka mmanya eze baa ụba dịka afọ ọma aka eze si dị.
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.
E nyeghịkwa iwu ọbụla banyere iko mmanya ole mmadụ kwesiri ịṅụ kama ndị chọrọ ga-aṅụ dịka o si masị ha. Nʼihi na eze agwalarị ndịisi ozi ya na onye ọbụla kwesiri ịṅụ dịka o si chọọ.
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].
Nʼotu oge ahụ, eze nwanyị Vashti, kpọkwara oke oriri nye ụmụ nwanyị niile nọ nʼụlọeze, Sekses.
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.
Nʼụbọchị nke asaa, mgbe obi dị eze Sekses mma nʼihi mmanya ọ ṅụrụ, ọ nyere ndị onozi asaa ndị a na-ejere ya ozi iwu, ha bụ, Mehuman, na Bizta, na Habona, na Bigta, na Abagta, na Zeta, na Kakas,
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
sị ha gaa kpọọ Vashti nwunye eze ka ọ bịakwute ya. Eze nyekwara iwu ka Vashti kpuru okpueze nʼisi ya, maka igosi ndị mmadụ niile na ndị a na-asọpụrụ nọ nʼebe ahụ ịma mma ya. Nʼihi na Vashti mara mma.
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.
Ma mgbe e mere ka ozi eze ruo ya ntị, eze nwanyị, bụ Vashti jụrụ ịbịa. Nke a mere ka iwe wee eze nke ukwuu.
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.
Dịka eze Sekses na-eme, ọ kpọkwara ndị ọkachamara nʼihe gbasara iwu na ikpe ziri ezi. Eze na ndị a mara ihe, bụ ndị maara ihe ụbọchị nyere kparịtara ụka.
Ha bụkwa ndị na-anọkarị eze nso. Aha ha bụ Kashena, na Sheta, na Admata, na Tashish, na Meres, na Masena, na Memukan. A maara aha mmadụ asaa ndị a nʼala Midia na Peshịa. Ha bụ ndị na-aga nʼihu eze mgbe ọbụla ha chọrọ, bụrụkwa ndị dịkarịsịrị elu nʼalaeze ahụ.
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]?”
Eze jụrụ sị, “Dịka iwu si dị, gịnị ka a ga-eme Vashti bụ nwunye eze nʼihi na o nupuru isi nʼiwu eze Sekses nyere nke o zigaara ya site nʼọnụ ndị onozi ya?”
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 kwuchitere ọnụ ndị ọzọ sị, “Ihe Vashti nwunye eze mere jọrọ njọ. O mehiela eze, mehiekwa ndị ọchịchị niile, na ndị niile bi nʼakụkụ niile nke alaeze Sekses.
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.
Nʼihi na ndị inyom niile ga-amata ihe eze nwanyị mere, malite ilelị ndị di ha anya, ma na-ekwu sị, ‘Eze Sekses nyere Vashti nwunye ya iwu ka ọ bịa nʼihu ya, ma ọ jụrụ ịbịa.’
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.
Nʼụbọchị taa ka ndị inyom ndịisi nke Peshịa na Midia, bụ ndị nụrụ banyere omume nwunye eze mere, ga-azakwa ndịisi ọchịchị alaeze gị nʼụzọ dị otu a. A ga-enwe nleda anya na esemokwu nʼala a mgbe niile.
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.
“Ya mere, ọ bụrụ na ọ masị eze, ya nye iwu, nke a ga-edepụta, ka ọ bụrụ iwu nʼala Peshịa na Midia, nke na-agaghị agbanwe, na Vashti agaghị abatakwa nʼihu eze Sekses ọzọ. Ka eze werekwa ọnọdụ eze nwanyị ahụ nye onye ọzọ ka ya mma.
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.”
Ọ ga-erukwa na mgbe a gụpụtara iwu a eze nyere nʼakụkụ alaeze a niile, ndị inyom niile ga-asọpụrụ ndị di ha site nʼonye dịkarịsịrị nta nʼetiti ha ruo nʼonye dị ukwuu.”
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
Eze na ndịisi ọchịchị ya nabatara ndụmọdụ a, nʼihi ya, eze mere ihe Memukan kwuru.
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.
O zipụrụ akwụkwọ ozi a nye akụkụ niile a na-achị achị nke alaeze ahụ. E dekwara akwụkwọ ozi ahụ nʼasụsụ dị iche iche, na-ekwupụta nʼasụsụ ọbụla na nwoke ọbụla kwesiri ịbụ onye na-achị ezinaụlọ ya.
