< 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].
Teo tañandro’ i Akasverose, i Akas­verose nifehe boake Hodò pake Kose, nifeleke tane zato-tsi-roapolo-fito’ ambiy,
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
tamy andro rezay, te niambesatse am-piambesam-pifehea’e am-positse e Sosane ao t’i Akasverose,
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.
amy taom-paha-telo’ i fifehea’ey le nanao sabadidake ho a’ o roandria’e naho mpitoro’e iabio, o mpiaolom-balobohò’ i Parasè miharo Madaio, o androanavy naho roandriam-pifeleha’e miatrek’ azeo;
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).
le nisengea’e andro maro o vara’ i fifehea’e fanjakao naho ty asi’ i volonahe’e ra’elahiy, toe zato-tsi-valom-polo andro.
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.
Ie niheneke i andro rezay, le nanao sabadidake e Sosane am-positse ao i mpanjakay, ho amy ze hene ondaty ty bey naho ty kede, fito andro, an-kiririsan-kodobo’ i anjom­bam-panjakay ao;
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.
niradorado eo ty hasiñe marerarera naho manga, niarifehèñe taly leny malòmavo, ami’ty boda volafoty naho faham-bato-hara’e; naho fiambesatse volamena naho volafoty, an-tane nilafiheñ’ antsetra naho foty naho sakatsike vaho vato-haran-gero’e.
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
Nanjotsoañe rano am-pitovy volamena—fanake sambe mifañambake—naho divaim-panjaka tsifotofoto, ty amy fiotrotròam-panjakay.
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.
Ty lili’ i finomañey, le t’ie tsy an-jitse, ami’ty nafanto’ i mpanjakay amy mpifehen’ anjomba’ey, te sindre hanao an-tsatri’e ondatio.
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].
Nanao takataka ho amo rakembao ka t’i Vastý mpanjaka-ampela, añ’ anjombam-panjaka’ i Akasverose ao.
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.
Ie amy andro faha-fitoy, ie navarimbarin-divay ty arofo’ i mpanjakay, le linili’e t’i Mehomane, i Biztà, i Karbonà, i Bigtà naho i Abagtà, i Zetare vaho i Karkase, i mpiatrake fito mpitoroñe añatrefa’ i Akasverose mpanjaka rey,
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
te hasese aolo’ i mpanjakay t’i Vastý mpanjaka-ampela rekets’ i sabakan-engeñey hisenge ty hamontramontra’e am’ ondatio naho amo mpifelekeo, amy t’ie homozohozo am-pahaisahañe.
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.
F’ie nifoneñe tsy nimb’ amy linili’ i mpanjakay añamo mpiatrakeoy; aa le niforoforo i mpanjakay, nisolebotse ty haviñera’e.
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.
Le hoe i mpanjakay amo mahihitse mahafohiñe o sào; (toe Izay ty nisata’ i mpanjakay añatrefa’ o mpahay lily naho zakao;
naho o narine azeo: t’i Karsenà, i Setare, i Admatà, i Tarsise, i Merese, i Marsenà vaho i Memokane, i mpifehe fito’ i Parase naho i Maday mpahaisake ty lahara’ i mpanjakay rey, ie mpiambesatse an-dohà’ i fifeheañey; )
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]?”
Ino ty hanoan-tika amy Vastý mpanjaka-ampela ty amy liliy kanao tsy hinao’e ty nandilia’ i Akasverose mpanjaka añamo mpiatra’eo?
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).
Le hoe ty natoi’ i Memokane añatrefa’ i mpanjakay naho o roandriañeo, Tsy vaho amy mpanjakay avao ty nanoa’ i Vastý mpanjaka-ampela hakeo, fa toe amo roandriañe iabio naho amy ze hene ondaty am-pifeleha’ i Akasverose mpanjaka.
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.
Amy te hiboele amy ze hene rakemba i nanoe’ i mpanjaka-ampelaiy vaho songa hanirìka’ i vali’ey, ami’ty hoe: Linili’ i Akasverose mpanjaka te hase­se añatrefa’e eo t’i Vastý mpanjaka ampela, f’ie tsy nimb’eo.
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.
Fonga hanao i hoe zay te anito o tañanjomba’ i Parase naho i Maday mahajanjiñe ty sata’ i mpanjaka ampelaio amo mpifele’ i mpanjakaio, le ho ra’elahy ty sirika naho fombo.
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.
Aa naho no’ i mpanjakay, ee te haboele’e ty nafèm-panjaka naho ho sokireñe amo lili’ i Parase naho i Madaio, tsy hiova’e, te tsy hiheo añatrefa’ i Akasverose mpanjaka eo ka t’i Vastý vaho hatolo’ i mpanjakay ami’ty lombolombo’e ty fandilia’e.
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.”
Ie hanitsike ty fifehea’e ty fijanjiñañe i tsey hanoe’ i mpanjakaiy, ndra te ie bey henehene, le songa hiasy ty vali’e o tañanjombao, ty bey naho ty kede.
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
Niteà’ i mpanjakay naho o roandriañeo i saontsy zay vaho nanoe’ i mpanjakay i nitaroñe’ i Memokaney;
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.
le hene nampihitrife’e amy ze fifeleha’ i mpanjakay ty taratasy ty amy sinoki­tsey naho mb’amy ze karaza’ ondaty amy saontsi’ey, soa te songa hanandily añ’anjomba’e ao o lahilahio vaho haboele amy ze fonga saontsi’ ondaty Izay.

< Esther 1 >