Esteri 1
1 Izvi ndizvo zvakaitika panguva yaZekisesi, uya Zekisesi akatonga nyika zana namakumi maviri nenomwe kubva kuIndia kusvika kuEtiopia:
King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
2 Panguva iyo mambo Zekisesi akatonga ari pachigaro chake choumambo munhare yeShushani
He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
3 uye mugore rake rechitatu akaitira makurukota ake ose navabati vake mabiko. Vakuru vehondo yePezhia neMedhia, machinda namakurukota enyika aivapo.
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 Akaratidza kuwanda kwepfuma youmambo hwake uye nokuyevedza nokubwinya kwoumambo hwake kwamazuva zana namakumi masere akazara.
[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 Mazuva aya akati apera, mambo akaita mabiko akapedza mazuva manomwe, mumunhanga webindu romuzinda wamambo achiitira vanhu vose kubva kuvadiki kusvikira kuvakuru, vaigara munhare yeShushani.
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 Bindu raiva nezvakarembedzwa zvichena nezvebhuruu zvomucheka, zvakanga zvakasungirirwa nezvisungo zvomucheka muchena nowepepuru, kuzvikochekedzo zvesirivha pamusoro pembiru dzamatombo akanga akavezwa. Paiva nezvigaro zvegoridhe nezvesirivha pamusoro penzira yamatombo mashava, machena namamwewo anokosha.
[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 Waini yaipiwa vanhu mumidziyo yegoridhe, yakasiyana-siyana, uye waini yamambo yakanga yakawanda, samambo, asingavanyimi napaduku.
[The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
8 Vakakokwa vakabvumirwa kunwa pamadiro, nokuti mambo akarayira vatariri vewaini vose kuti vagovere mumwe nomumwe sezvaaida.
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 VaHosi Vhashiti vakaitawo mabiko amadzimai mumuzinda waMambo Zekisesi.
[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 Pazuva rechinomwe, Mambo Zekisesi afara kwazvo mumwoyo make nokuda kwewaini, akarayira varanda vanomwe vaimushumira, Mehumani, Bhizita, Habhona, Bhigita, Abhagita, Zeta naKakasi,
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 kuti vauye navaHosi Vhashiti, vakapfeka korona youmambo, kuti aratidze runako rwavo kuvanhu nokumakurukota, nokuti vakanga vakanaka pakuonekwa.
He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
12 Asi pakasvika shoko rakanga rarayirwa namambo, vaHosi Vhashiti vakaramba kuuya. Ipapo mambo akashatirwa zvikuru uye akatsva nehasha.
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 Ipapo mambo akabvunza vachenjeri vaiziva murayiro uye vainzwisisa zvenguva sezvo yaiva tsika yamadzimambo kubvunza nyanzvi dzezvomurayiro nokururamisira,
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 uye vaiva pedyo kwazvo namambo vaiti: Kashena, Sheta, Adhumata, Tashishi, Meresi, Masena naMemukani, makurukota manomwe ePezhia neMedhia avo vaiva nekodzero yokupinda kuna mambo uye vaikudzwa muumambo.
15 Akabvunza achiti, “Pamurayiro chii chinofanira kuitwa kuna vaHosi Vhashiti? Havana kuteerera kurayira kwaMambo Zekisesi sokuudzwa kwavaitwa navaranda.”
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 Ipapo Memukani akapindura pamberi pamambo namakurukota akati, “VaHosi Vhashiti vaita zvakaipa, kwete kuna mambo chete asi nokumakurukota ose nokuvanhu vose venyika dzose dzamambo Zekisesi.
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 Nokuti zvaitwa navahosi zvichazivikanwa navakadzi vose, nokudaro vachazvidza varume vavo vachiti, ‘Inga wani Mambo Zekisesi vakarayira vaHosi Vhashiti kuti vauye vamire pamberi pavo, asi vakaramba kuuya.’
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 Iye nhasi uno vakadzi vamakurukota ePezhia neveMedhia vanzwa zvaitwa navahosi vachaitawo saizvozvo kumakurukota amambo. Kusakudzana nenyonganyonga hazvimbozoperi.
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 “Naizvozvo, kana mambo achifara nazvo, ngaateme chirevo chamambo uye ngachinyorwe mumirayiro yavaPezhia navaMedhia, isingagoni kushandurwa kuti Vhashiti haachazosvikizve pamberi paMambo Zekisesi. Uyezve mambo ngaape chinzvimbo chake muumambo kuno mumwe ari nani kupinda iye.
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 Ipapo kana chirevo chamambo chaziviswa muumambo hwake hwose, vakadzi vose vachakudza varume vavo, kubva kumudiki kusvikira kumukuru.”
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 Mambo namakurukota ake vakafadzwa nezano iri, saka mambo akaita sezvakanga zvarehwa naMemukani.
The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
22 Akatumira matsamba kumativi ose oumambo hwake, kunyika imwe neimwe norunyoro rwayo nokumunhu mumwe nomumwe nomutauro wake achizivisa norurimi rwavanhu kuti murume mumwe nomumwe ave nesimba pamusoro peimba yake.
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.
