< Esiteri 1 >

1 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.
This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
2 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,
In those days King Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa.
3 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.
In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
4 Nake akĩonania ũtonga mũnene wa ũthamaki wake na ũkengi na riiri wa ũnene wake, ihinda rĩa matukũ 180.
And for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness.
5 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.
At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest.
6 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.
Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.
7 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.
Beverages were served in an array of goblets of gold, each with a different design, and the royal wine flowed freely, according to the king’s bounty.
8 Kũringana na watho wa mũthamaki, o mũgeni nĩeetĩkĩrĩtio kũnyua kĩrĩa angĩendire, nĩ ũndũ mũthamaki nĩathĩte aheani othe a ndibei mahe o mũndũ kĩrĩa eendaga.
By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired.
9 O nake Vashiti, mũtumia wa mũthamaki, nĩarugithĩirie andũ-a-nja iruga o kũu nyũmba-inĩ ya ũthamaki ya Mũthamaki Ahasuerusu.
Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 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,
On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—
11 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.
to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.
12 No rĩrĩa ndungata icio ciakinyirie watho wa mũthamaki, Vashiti mũtumia wa mũthamaki akĩrega gũthiĩ. Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki akĩngʼũrĩka mũno na agĩcinwo nĩ marakara.
Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.
13 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.
Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice.
14 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.
His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.
15 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.”
“According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 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.
And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes.
17 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.’
For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’
18 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.
This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.
19 “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.
So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.
20 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.”
The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom—and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”
21 Mũthamaki na andũ ake arĩa maarĩ igweta magĩkenio nĩ mataaro macio, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Memukani oigĩte.
The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan had advised.
22 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.
He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.

< Esiteri 1 >