Indlovukazi uVashiti iyala ukulalela inkosi uAhasuwerusi

1Kwasekusithi ngensuku zikaAhasuwerusia, uAhasuwerusi lo owabusa kusukela eIndiyab kuze kube seEthiyophiyac, izabelod ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisae, 2 ngalezonsuku lapho inkosi uAhasuwerusi wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wakhef esasiseShushani isigodlog, 3 ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wenzela iziphathamandla zakhe lenceku zakhe zonke idilih. Amandla ePerisiya leMede, izinduna lababusi bezabelo babephambi kwakhei, 4 lapho etshengisa inotho yenkazimulo yombuso wakhe lobugugu bobuhle bobukhulu bakhe insuku ezinengi, insuku ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili. 5 Kwathi lezonsuku sezigcwalisekile, inkosi yenzela bonke abantu abatholakala eShushani isigodlo idili, kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyane, insuku eziyisikhombisa, egumeni lesivande sesigodlo senkosij. 6 Kwakulamalembu amhlophe, amalembu acolekileyo, laluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, ebotshelwe ngentambo zelembu elicolekileyo kakhulu leziyibubende emasongweni esilivak lezinsikeni zelitshe le-alibasta*. Imibheda yayingeyegolide lesiliva phezu kwendawo egandelwe ngamatshe abomvu, le-alibasta, lamapharele*, lamnyamal. 7 Basebenathisa ngezitsha zegolide, lezitsha zaziyizitsha ezehlukeneyo, lewayini lesikhosini laba linengi njengokwesandla senkosi. 8 Lokunatha kwakungokomthetho, kungekho obamba ngamandla; ngoba ngokunjalo inkosi yayilayile kwabakhulu bonke bendlu yayo ukuthi benze njengokufisa komuntu lomuntu. 9 UVashiti indlovukazi laye wenzela abesifazana idili endlini yesikhosini inkosi uAhasuwerusi ayelayo.

10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, inhliziyo yenkosi isithokozile ngewayinim, yathi kuboMehumani, uBhizitha, uHaribonan, uBhigitha, loAbhagitha, uZethari, loKarikasio, abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababesebenza phambi kwenkosi uAhasuwerusi, 11 ukuthi balethe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwenkosi elomqhele wesikhosinip, ukutshengisa abantu leziphathamandla ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayekhangeleka kuhle. 12 Kodwa indlovukazi uVashiti yala ukubuya ngelizwi lenkosi elalingesandla sabathenwa. Ngakho inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, lolaka lwayo lwavutha phakathi kwayo.

13 Inkosi yasisithi kwabahlakaniphileyoq ababesazi izikhathi (ngoba lalinjalo ilizwi lenkosi phambi kwabo bonke abaziyo umthetho lesahlulelor, 14 lalabo ababeseduze layo babengoKarishena, uShethari, uAdimatha, uTarshishi, uMeresi, uMarisena, uMemukanis, iziphathamandla eziyisikhombisa zePerisiya leMedet, ezazibona ubuso benkosi, ezazihlala phambili embusweni)u: 15 Ngokomthetho kungenziwani ngendlovukazi uVashiti ngenxa yokuthi kayenzanga ilizwi lenkosi uAhasuwerusi ngesandla sabathenwa? 16 UMemukani wasesithi phambi kwenkosi leziphathamandla: UVashiti indlovukazi wonile kungeyisikho enkosini kuphela, kodwa lakuziphathamandla zonke lebantwini bonke abasezabelweni zonke zenkosi uAhasuwerusi. 17 Ngoba isenzo sendlovukazi sizaphumela kubo bonke abesifazana, kuze kuthi badelele omkabo emehlweni abo, nxa besithi: Inkosi uAhasuwerusi watshela ukuthi kulethwe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwayo, kodwa kayizanga. 18 Yebo mhlalokho amakhosikazi ePerisiya leMede ezwe isenzo sendlovukazi azakuthi kuzo zonke iziphathamandla zenkosi, kube khona ukudelela lokuthukuthela okwedlulisayo. 19 Uba kulungile enkosini kakuphume umthetho wesikhosini kuyo, kakubhalwe emithethweni yamaPerisiya lamaMedev, ongeguqulwe, ukuthi uVashiti kayikungena phambi kwenkosi uAhasuwerusi; inkosi inike-ke ubukhosikazi bakhe komunye onjengaye ongcono kulaye. 20 Usuzwakele umthetho wenkosi ezawenza embusweni wayo wonke (ngoba mkhulu) bonke abesifazana bazanika inhlonipho kubomkabow, kusukela komkhulu kusiya komncinyanex. 21 Njalo indaba yayilungile emehlweni enkosi leziphathamandla; inkosi yasisenza njengokwelizwi likaMemukani. 22 Yasithumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosiy, kusabelo lesabelo njengombhalo waso, lakubo abantu labantu njengokolimi lwabo, ukuthi ileyo laleyondoda ibe ngumbusi endlini yayo, ikhulume njengokolimi lwabantu bakibo.