< Esiteri 5 >

1 Mũthenya wa gatatũ wakinya-rĩ, Esiteri akĩĩhumba nguo ciake cia ũthamaki na akĩrũgama nja ya na thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya ũthamaki, mbere ya nyũmba nene ya mũthamaki. Nake mũthamaki aikarĩire gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene nyũmba-inĩ ĩyo nene, angʼetheire itoonyero rĩayo.
On the third day, Esther put on her regalia and stood in the inner court of the royal palace opposite the king’s house. The king was sitting on his throne in the palace, opposite the entrance.
2 Rĩrĩa onire Esiteri, mũtumia wa mũthamaki arũngiĩ hau nja, akĩmũkenera na akĩmũtambũrũkĩria rũthanju rwake rwa ũnene rwa thahabu rũrĩa aanyiitĩte. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Esiteri agĩkuhĩrĩria, akĩhutia mũthia waruo.
When he saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she won his favour, and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Nake mũthamaki akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Esiteri, mũtumia ũyũ mũthamaki, ũbatairio nĩ kĩĩ? Ihooya rĩaku nĩ rĩrĩkũ? O na wahooya ũheo nuthu ya kũrĩa guothe thamakaga, nĩũkũheo.”
Then the king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? Whatever your request is, it will be granted, even if it is the half of the kingdom.’
4 Esiteri akĩmũcookeria akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũthamaki angĩona kwagĩrĩire, nĩetĩkĩre moke marĩ na Hamani ũmũthĩ iruga-inĩ rĩrĩa ngũrugithĩirie.”
‘If it seems best to the king,’ Esther said, ‘let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.’
5 Mũthamaki akiuga atĩrĩ, “Gĩĩrai Hamani o rĩu, nĩgeetha twĩke o ũguo Esiteri orĩtie.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki marĩ na Hamani magĩthiĩ iruga-inĩ rĩrĩa Esiteri aahaarĩirie.
Then the king ordered, ‘Bring Haman quickly, so that Esther’s wish may be gratified.’ So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 Na rĩrĩa maanyuuaga ndibei-rĩ, mũthamaki akĩũria Esiteri o ro rĩngĩ atĩrĩ, “Ihooya rĩaku nĩ rĩrĩkũ? Nĩũkũhingĩrio. Na nĩ kĩĩ ũrooria ũheo? O na wahooya ũheo nuthu ya kũrĩa guothe thamakaga-rĩ, nĩũkũheo.”
While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘Whatever your petition is, it will be granted. Your request, it will be done – even if it takes half of my kingdom.’
7 Esiteri agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũrĩa ndĩrooria, o na ihooya rĩakwa nĩ rĩĩrĩ:
Esther answered,
8 Kũngĩkorwo nĩnjĩtĩkĩrĩkĩte nĩ mũthamaki, na akorwo mũthamaki no etĩkĩre ihooya rĩakwa na aahingĩrie ũrĩa ndĩrooria-rĩ, mũthamaki na Hamani nĩmagooka rũciũ iruga-inĩ rĩrĩa ngaamarugithĩria. Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩguo ngaacookia kĩũria kĩa mũthamaki.”
‘If I have won the king’s favour and if it seems best to the king to grant my petition and to accede to my request, my petition and my request are that the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer the king’s question as he wishes.’
9 Mũthenya ũcio Hamani nĩoimire kũu akenete na agacanjamũka ngoro. No hĩndĩ ĩrĩa onire Moridekai hau kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa mũciĩ wa mũthamaki na akĩona atĩ ndaramũrũgamĩra kana akamwĩtigĩra, akĩngʼũrĩka mũno nĩ ũndũ wa Moridekai.
Haman went out that day joyful and elated, but when he saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and noticed that he neither stood up nor moved for him, he was furiously angry with Mordecai.
10 No rĩrĩ, Hamani nĩerigĩrĩirie gwĩka ũndũ, na akĩinũka mũciĩ. Hamani agĩĩta arata ake hamwe na mũtumia wake, Zereshu,
Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home. He called together his friends and Zeresh his wife
11 akĩmarahĩra ũhoro wa ũtonga wake mũingĩ, na ariũ ake aingĩ, na njĩra ciothe iria mũthamaki aamũtĩĩte nacio, na ũrĩa aamũtũũgĩrĩtie gũkĩra andũ arĩa angĩ maarĩ igweta na anene.
and recounted to them the greatness of his wealth, how many children he had, and all the ways in which the king had honoured him, and how he had promoted him above the officials and the royal courtiers.
12 Hamani agĩthiĩ na mbere kuuga atĩrĩ, “O na to ũguo wiki, niĩ no niĩ nyiki Esiteri mũtumia wa mũthamaki egwĩtĩte tũthiĩ na mũthamaki iruga-inĩ rĩrĩa ekũrugithĩtie. Na nĩanjĩtĩte tũthiĩ na mũthamaki rũciũ.
‘What is more,’ Haman said, ‘Queen Esther brought no one in with the king to the banquet which she had prepared except me, and tomorrow also I am invited by her along with the king.
13 No maũndũ macio mothe, matiratũma njiganĩre rĩrĩa rĩothe ndĩrona Moridekai, Mũyahudi ũcio, aikarĩte kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa mũciĩ wa mũthamaki.”
Yet all this does not satisfy me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.’
14 Zereshu mũtumia wake marĩ na arata ake othe makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Thondekithia mũtĩ wa gũcuuria mũndũ wa buti mĩrongo mũgwanja na ithano kũraiha na igũrũ, na rũciũ rũciinĩ ũrooke ũrie mũthamaki etĩkĩre Moridekai acuurio hau mũtĩ-igũrũ. Ũcooke ũthiĩ mũrĩ na mũthamaki iruga-inĩ ũrĩ mũkenu.” Rĩciiria rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩakenirie Hamani, nake agĩthondekithia mũtĩ ũcio.
Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows seventy-five feet high be erected, and in the morning speak to the king and let Mordecai be hanged on it. Then go merrily with the king to the banquet.’ The advice pleased Haman, and so he had the gallows erected.

< Esiteri 5 >