Ester 1
1 Fia Ahasuerus nye fia ɖe Media kple Persianyigbawo dzi. Eɖu fia ɖe dukɔ alafa ɖeka kple blaeve-vɔ-adre dzi, tso India yi keke Kus.
And it came to pass after these things in the days of Artaxerxes, —(this Artaxerxes ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India)—
2 Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Fia Ahasuerus nɔ eƒe fiazikpui dzi le Susa mɔ gã la me.
in those days, when king Artaxerxes was on the throne in the city of Susa,
3 Le eƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe etɔ̃lia me la, eɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe ɖe Susa fiasã la me. Ekpe bubumewo, fiaŋumewo kple aʋakplɔlawo kple ame ŋkutawo tso Media kple Persia ƒe nutowo katã me.
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps.
4 Woɖu ŋkekenyui sia ŋkeke alafa ɖeka kple blaenyi sɔŋ, eye wòɖe dziɖuɖu ƒe kesinɔnuwo kple bubu fia.
And after this, after he had shewn to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during a hundred and eighty days,
5 Esi wowu ŋkekenyui gã sia ɖuɖu nu la, Fia la ɖo kplɔ̃ tɔxɛ na fiasã la me nɔlawo, amegãwo kple subɔlawo siaa, ŋkeke adre le xɔxɔnu si le abɔ la ŋgɔ le Susa mɔ gã la me.
when, [I say], the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet to the nations who were present in the city six days, in the court of the king’s house,
6 Wotsi avɔ, ɣitɔ kple blɔtɔ siwo ŋu wosa aklala kple aɖabɛ dzĩtɔ ƒe kawo ɖo la ɖe klosalosigɛ siwo wowɔ ɖe sɔti siwo wotu kple kpe xɔasiwo me la ŋu. Sikazikpuiwo kple klosalozikpuiwo nɔ gbadzaƒe si wowɔ kple kpe xɔasi yibɔtɔwo, dzĩtɔwo, ɣitɔwo kple aŋgbaɖiɖitɔwo.
[which was] adorned with [hangings] of fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of Parian marble and stone: [there were] golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, [having] roses worked round about;
7 Wona wain ameawo ɖe sikakplu siwo to vovo tso wo nɔewo gbɔ la me. Wain si fia la na amewo la sɔ gbɔ ŋutɔ.
gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank.
8 Le fia la ƒe sedede nu la, ame sia ame ano wain agbɔsɔsɔ si eya ŋutɔ di be yeano la. Fia la ɖo na eƒe ahakulawo be woaɖe asi le ame sia ame ŋu wòawɔ nu si dze eŋu.
And this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.
9 Fianyɔnu Vasti hã ɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe na nyɔnu siwo nɔ Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiasã la me ɣe ma ɣi tututu.
Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes [dwelt].
10 Le ŋkeke adrea gbe esime wain na be Fia Ahasuerus mu aha afã kple afã, eye wònɔ dzidzɔ kpɔm la, eyɔ ŋutsusubɔla adre siwo wotia be woanɔ esubɔm la va eɖokui gbɔe. Ame siawoe nye Mehuman, Bizta, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Zetar kple Karkas.
Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Tharrha, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes,
11 Fia la ɖe gbe na wo be woakplɔ Fianyɔnu Vasti vɛ, wòaɖɔ eƒe fiakuku, ale be ameawo katã nakpɔ eƒe tugbedzedze. Nyateƒe, Fianyɔnu Vasti dze tugbe ŋutɔŋutɔ.
to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to shew her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful.
12 Ke esi dɔlawo gblɔ nɛ be fia la be wòava la, egbe meyi o. Fia la do dɔmedzoe ŋutɔ.
But queen Astin hearkened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered.
13 Ke asi wònye woƒe kɔnu be fia la naxɔ aɖaŋu le se kple afiatsotso ƒe nyawo me le ame siwo nya se nyuie gbɔ la, eƒo nu kple nunyala siwo se ɣeyiɣiawo gɔme nyuie.
And he said to his friends, Thus has Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this [case] law and judgment.
14 Fiaŋume siwo fia la ƒo nu kplii la woe nye, Karsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena kple Memukan. Ame adre siawoe nye Persia kple Media bubumewo, wonye ame siwo tena ɖe fia la ŋu kpokploe, eye wonye ame siwo si ɖoƒe kɔkɔtɔwo kekeake le le fiaɖuƒe la me.
So Arkesæus, and Sarsathæus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief [in rank] by the king, drew near to him,
15 Fia la bia wo be, “Le sea nu ɖe, nu ka wòle be woawɔ Fianyɔnu Vasti? Mewɔ ɖe gbe si Fia Ahasuerus ɖo ɖee to ŋutsu tatawo dzi la dzi o.”
and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king by the chamberlains.
16 Memukan ƒo nu ɖe bubumeawo nu gblɔ be, “Fianyɔnu Vasti da vo, menye ɖe fia la ɖeɖe ko ŋu o, ke boŋ ɖe fiaŋume ɖe sia ɖe kple ame sia ame si le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuƒea me la ŋu.
And Muchæus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king’s rulers and princes:
17 Ne Persia kple Media nyɔnu ɖe sia ɖe se nu si Fianyɔnu Vasti wɔ ɖe fia la ŋu la, woade asi aglãdzedze me ɖe wo srɔ̃wo ŋu, eye wòagblɔ be Fia Ahasuerus ɖe gbe be woakplɔ Fianyɔnu Vasti va ye ŋkume, gake egbe vava.
for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, [said he], she refused [to obey] king Artaxerxes,
18 Hafi zã nado la, mí, wò aɖaŋuɖolawo katã srɔ̃wo ase nu si fiasrɔ̃ la wɔ, eye woade asi nuƒoƒo me na mí bubumewo, wo srɔ̃wo hã nenema tututu, ekema vlodoame kple dɔmedzoe koe anɔ wò fiaɖuƒe blibo la me. Nuwuwu manɔ anyi na amemabumabu kple tɔtɔ sia o,
so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands.
19 eya ta míele edom ɖa be, ne fia la lɔ̃ la, ekema nàde se tɔxɛ aɖe na Mediatɔwo kple Persiatɔwo, se si womate ŋu atrɔ gbeɖegbeɖe o la, be Fianyɔnu Vasti magado ɖe Fia Ahasuerus ŋkume gbeɖegbeɖe o, eye nàtia fianyɔnu bubu si nyo wu Vasti.
If then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter [it]: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she.
20 Ne wode se sia le wò fiaɖuƒe gã la me la, nyɔnuwo ade bubu wo srɔ̃ŋutsuwo ŋu tso tsitsiawo dzi va se ɖe ɖeviawo dzi.”
And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.
21 Fia la kple eƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo kpɔ ŋudzedze le Memukan ƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo la ŋu, ale fia la wɔ ɖe Memukan ƒe susu la dzi.
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Muchæus had said,
22 Woɖo agbalẽwo ɖe nuto ɖe sia ɖe me le fiaɖuƒe la me le gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe me, eye wote gbe ɖe edzi le gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe me be ŋutsu ɖe sia ɖe naɖu eƒe aƒe dzi, eye wòana ame sia ame nade bubu eŋu abe aƒea ƒe tatɔ ene.
and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, in order that men might be feared in their own houses.
