< Esta 1 >
1 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.
In the days of Artaxerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces,
2 Nʼoge ahụ, isi ọchịchị obodo eze Sekses bụ Susa ebe ocheeze ya dịkwa.
when he sat on the throne of his kingdom, the city of Susa was the root of his kingdom.
3 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.
And so, in the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for all the leaders and his servants, for the most powerful among the Persians and the distinguished among the Medes, and for the rulers of the provinces before him,
4 Mmemme a were otu narị na iri ụbọchị asatọ. Eze jikwa oge a gosi akụnụba, na ịma mma na ebube nke alaeze ya.
so that he might show the glorious riches of his kingdom, as well as its greatness, and so boast of his power, for a long time, namely, one hundred and eighty days.
5 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.
And when the days of the feast were nearly completed, he invited all the people, who had been found in Susa, from the greatest even to the least, and he commanded a feast to be prepared, for seven days, in the court of the garden and the arboretum, which had been planted by the care and by the hand of the king.
6 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.
And, in every direction, tents the color of the sky and of flax as well as hyacinth were hung up, suspended by cords of linen and even purple, which had been placed through rings of ivory and were held up with marble columns. The couches also, of gold and silver, had been arranged over a pavement of emerald-green, bearing scattered jewels, which was decorated with a wonderful variety of images.
7 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.
Moreover, those who had been invited drank from golden cups, and dishes of foods were brought in one after another. Likewise, choice wine was presented in abundance, as was worthy of royal magnificence.
8 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.
Nor was anyone compelled to drink who was unwilling, but, just as the king had appointed, one of his nobles was set over each table, so that each one might select what he wanted.
9 Nʼotu oge ahụ, eze nwanyị Vashti, kpọkwara oke oriri nye ụmụ nwanyị niile nọ nʼụlọeze, Sekses.
Likewise, Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the palace where king Artaxerxes was accustomed to stay the night.
10 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,
And so, on the seventh day, when the king was more cheerful, and, after excessive drinking, had become warmed with wine, he ordered Mehuman, and Biztha, and Harbona, and Bigtha, and Abagtha, and Zethar, and Charkas, seven eunuchs who served in his presence,
11 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.
to bring in queen Vashti before the king, with the crown set upon her head, to show her beauty to the whole people and to the leaders, for she was very beautiful.
12 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.
She refused, and she showed contempt towards the king’s command, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs. Whereupon the king, being angry and inflamed with a very great fury,
13 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.
questioned the wise men, who, according to royal custom were always near him and all he did was by their counsel, who knew the laws as well as the judgments of their ancestors,
14 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.
(but first and foremost were Carshena, and Shethar, and Admatha, and Tarshish, and Meres, and Marsena, and Memucan, seven rulers of the Persians as well as the Medes, who saw the face of the king and who were accustomed to sitting down first after him, )
15 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?”
as to what sentence should fall upon Vashti the queen, who had refused to do the commandment of king Artaxerxes, which he had delivered to her by the eunuchs.
16 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.
And Memucan answered, in the hearing of the king as well as the rulers, “Queen Vashti has wounded not only the king, but also all the people and the leaders, who are in all the provinces of king Artaxerxes.
17 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.’
For word about the queen will go out to all the women, so that they will show contempt for their husbands, and they will say, ‘King Artaxerxes ordered that queen Vashti should enter before him, and she would not.’
18 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.
And so, by this example all the wives of the leaders of the Persians and the Medes will belittle the authority of their husbands; therefore, the indignation of the king is just.
19 “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.
If it pleases you, let an edict be sent out from your presence, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and the Medes, which it is forbidden to disregard, that Vashti shall no longer enter before the king, but let another, who is better than her, receive her queenship.
20 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.”
And let this be published in all the provinces of your empire, (which is very wide, ) and let all wives, the greater as much as the lesser, give honor to their husbands.”
21 Eze na ndịisi ọchịchị ya nabatara ndụmọdụ a, nʼihi ya, eze mere ihe Memukan kwuru.
His counsel pleased the king and the rulers, and the king acted according to the counsel of Memucan,
22 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.
and he sent letters to all the provinces of his kingdom, so that every nation was able to hear and to read, in various languages and letters, that husbands are to be the greater rulers in their own houses, and that this should be published to every people.