< Ester 1 >

1 Tala makambo oyo esalemaki na tango ya mokonzi Kizerisesi oyo azalaki kokamba bituka nkama moko na tuku mibale na sambo, longwa na Ende kino na Kushi.
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 Na tango wana, Kizerisesi akendeki kovanda na kiti na ye ya bokonzi kuna na Size, engumba mokonzi batonga makasi.
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 Na mobu ya misato ya bokonzi na ye, asalisaki feti monene mpo na bato na ye nyonso ya lokumu: bakalaka na ye, bakonzi ya basoda ya mokili ya Persi mpe ya Medi, bankumu mpe bayangeli ya bituka.
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.
4 Na feti yango, azalaki kolakisa ebele ya bomengo ya bokonzi na ye mpe kongenga ya lokumu monene oyo azalaki na yango. Feti yango esalaki mikolo nkama moko na tuku mwambe.
[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).
5 Sima na mikolo yango, mokonzi asalisaki kati na elanga ya ndako na ye ya bokonzi, feti mosusu oyo esalaki mikolo sambo mpo na bato nyonso, ezala babola to bazwi, oyo bazalaki kati na Size, engumba mokonzi batonga makasi.
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.
6 Elamba yango ezalaki na banzela ya langi ya mosaka, ya langi ya pembe mpe ya langi ya ble; bakangisaki yango na makonzi oyo basala na mabanga ya marbre, na basinga ya lino ya langi ya pembe mpe ya motane; bongo balekisaki yango kati na bapete ya palata. Batiaki bakiti minene ya wolo mpe ya palata, na etando ya lopango ya bakaro oyo basala na mabanga ya talo ya langi ya ndenge na ndenge: mabanga ya porfire, ya marbre, ya marbre ya mwindo mpe mabanga mosusu ya talo.
[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.
7 Bazalaki kokabola masanga ya vino na bakopo ya wolo; kopo na kopo ezalaki na lolenge na yango. Bongo vino ezalaki penza ebele kolanda motema ya kokaba ya mokonzi.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Mokonzi apesaki mitindo ete moto nyonso oyo abengami na feti amela masanga ndenge alingi, pamba te atindaki bato nyonso oyo bakabolaka masanga kopesa na moto nyonso masanga ya vino kolanda posa ya moto na moto.
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.
9 Vasti, mwasi ya mokonzi, ye mpe asalisaki feti mpo na basi, kati na ndako ya mokonzi Kizerisesi.
[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].
10 Na mokolo ya sambo, lokola mokonzi Kizerisesi alangwaki vino, atindaki basoda na ye sambo oyo baboma bango mokongo mpe bazalaki kosalela ye: Mewumani, Bizita, Aribona, Bigita, Abagita, Zetari mpe Karikasi.
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.
11 Atindaki bango ete bamema liboso na ye Vasti, mwasi ya mokonzi; bongo alata motole na ye ya bokonzi mpo ete alakisa kitoko na ye epai ya bato mpe epai ya bakalaka, pamba te azalaki penza kitoko.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Kasi tango basoda oyo baboma bango mokongo bayebisaki Vasti, mwasi ya mokonzi, mitindo oyo mokonzi apesaki; Vasti, mwasi ya mokonzi, aboyaki kokende. Mokonzi atombokaki makasi mpe apelaki na kanda.
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.
13 Asololaki na bato na ye ya bwanya oyo bayebaka kososola tango, pamba te ezalaki momesano ete makambo ya mokonzi esengeli koya liboso ya bato nyonso ya bwanya, ba-oyo bayebi malamu makambo etali mibeko mpe bosembo, mpo ete basosola yango.
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.
14 Nzokande, ezalaki na bato sambo ya lokumu, bato ya Persi mpe ya Medi, oyo bazalaki bapesi toli oyo mokonzi azalaki kolinga makasi; bazalaki kosangana na mayangani ya mokonzi mpe basimbaki misala oyo eleki minene. Bakombo na bango ezalaki: Karishena, Shetari, Adimata, Tarsisi, Meresi, Marisena mpe Memukani.
15 Mokonzi atunaki bango: — Kolanda mobeko, esengi kosala nini epai ya Vasti, mwasi ya mokonzi, mpo ete aboyi kotosa mitindo ya mokonzi Kizerisesi, mitindo oyo basoda oyo baboma bango mokongo bayebisaki ye?
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]?”
16 Memukani azongiselaki mokonzi liboso ya bakalaka na ye: — Vasti, mwasi ya mokonzi, asali mabe kaka liboso ya mokonzi te; kasi mpe, liboso ya bakalaka nyonso mpe ya bato nyonso kati bituka nyonso ya mokonzi Kizerisesi.
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).
17 Pamba te sango ya ezaleli mabe ya mwasi ya mokonzi ekoyebana kati na basi nyonso; na bongo, bakokoma kotiola bokonzi ya mibali na bango na koloba: « Mokonzi Kizerisesi kutu apesaki mitindo ete babenga Vasti mpo ete akende liboso na ye, kasi mwasi ya mokonzi aboyaki kokende! »
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.
18 Kaka na mokolo ya lelo, basi ya bakalaka ya bato ya Persi mpe ya Medi, oyo bayoki sango ya ezaleli mabe ya mwasi ya mokonzi, bakozongisela bakalaka nyonso ya mokonzi kaka ndenge moko. Boye, kozanga na bango limemia mpe botosi ekoluka ete mibali na bango bakoma na kanda.
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.
19 Yango wana, soki esepelisi mokonzi, tika ete mokonzi azwa mobeko oyo ekoki kobongwana te; mpe tika ete mobeko yango ekomama kati na mibeko ya Persi mpe ya Medi: Vasti akoki lisusu te kotelema liboso ya mokonzi Kizerisesi; mokonzi akopesa lokumu na ye ya mwasi ya mokonzi epai ya mwasi mosusu oyo azali malamu koleka ye.
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.
20 Boye tango mobeko ya mokonzi ekopanzana na mokili na ye mobimba, basi nyonso bakotosa mibali na bango, ezala babola to bazwi.
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.”
21 Toli oyo esepelisaki mokonzi elongo na bakalaka na ye. Mokonzi asalaki ndenge Memukani alobaki.
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 Atindaki mikanda na bituka nyonso ya mokili: etuka na etuka kolanda ndenge ezali ekomeli na yango; mpe bato na bato, kolanda lokota na bango. Mikanda yango elobaki ete mobali nyonso asengeli kozala mokonzi ya ndako na ye mpe koloba monoko ya mboka na ye.
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.

< Ester 1 >