1 Ezi ziziganeko zexesha likakumkani uAsuwerosi, ukumkani owayelawula amaphondo alikhulu elinamashumi amabini anesixhenxe, eqalela eIndiya, athi xhaxhe ngeKushe.
2 Ikomkhulu likakumkani uAsuwerosi lowo lalisebhotwe eSusa.
3 Ke kaloku kunyaka wakhe wesithathu elawula wenza itheko ewonga izikhulu namaphakathi akhe. Kwelo theko ke zazikho neengqwayi-ngqwayi zomkhosi wamaPeshiya namaMedi, kunye namatshawe nezikhulu zamaphondo.
4 Yaba ziintsuku ezininzi ezilikhulu elinamashumi asibhozo esenza umboniso ngaloo ntaphane yobutyebi bombuso wakhe kunye nobukhazikhazi bobungangamsha nobuhandiba bakhe.
5 Zithe ke zakuphela ezo ntsuku, ukumkani wenza elinye itheko elathatha isixhenxe seentsuku, lona elenzela kumyezo ongaphakathi apho ebhotwe. Lona ke wayelenzela umntu wonke, kusukela koyena uphantsi kuye koyena mkhulu, bonke ababelapho kwibhotwe laseSusa.
6 Lo myezo ke wawuhonjisiwe, uqhelezela, kujinga amalaphu amhlophe naluhlaza. La malaphu ayeqhinwe ngemisonto emhlophe nemfusa, ebotshelelwe kumakhonkco esiliva anxityelelwe kwiintsika ezakhiwe ngelitye elimhlophe lemabhula. Kwakukho nezitulo ezimfuma-mfuma zegolide nesiliva, zikwinkundla eyandlalwe ngamatye abomvu, namhlophe, nabengezelayo, namanye angamabala-bala.
7 Kwathungwa iwayini kwiindebe zegolide iyileyo yahlukile kwenye, yabe ke newayini leyo ingeninzi izizantyala-ntyala ngokwezinwe zikakumkani.
8 Ngokomyalelo kakumkani ke wonke umntu kwezo ndwendwe wavunyelwa ukuba ayisele ngendlela yakhe, njengoko ukumkani wayeyalele iinjoli zewayini ukuba zithungele umntu ngamnye ngangoko afuna ngako.
9 Ke kaloku nokumkanikazi uVashiti wenzela amakhosikazi itheko kwalapho ebhotwe kwakumkani uAsuwerosi.
10 Kuthe ke ngosuku lwesixhenxe, xa kanye ukumkani uAsuwerosi wayenomqhele yiwayini, suka wabiza amaphakathi akhe asebhotwe asixhenxe: uMehuman, uBhizeta, uHabhona, uBhigeta, uAbhageta, uZetare, noKakasi.
11 Wona wawayalela ukuba ezise ukumkanikazi uVashiti, ammise phambi kwakhe evathile, ethwele iqhiya yobukumkanikazi, khon' ukuze aqhayise ngobo bunzwakazi bakhe ebantwini ndawonye nezikhulu zakhe. Kaloku wayeyinzwakazi ethi ndijonge.
12 Kambe ke amaphakathi lawo athe akuwudlulisa loo myalelo kakumkani, suka ukumkanikazi uVashiti wala ukuza. Hayi ke, yeka ukuvutha kukakumkani ngumsindo.
13 Njengoko yayilisiko ukuba ukumkani athetha-thethane neengcali kwimicimbi yomthetho nobulungisa, naye ke wadlan' iindlebe namadoda azizilumko awuqondayo umthetho,
14 engawona ayintong' esekhosi kakumkani: uKashena, uShetare, uAdemata, uTashishe, uMeresi, uMasena, noMemukan. La madoda asixhenxe ayezizikhulu zamaPeshiya namaMedi, esondele ngendlela eyodwa kukumkani, futhi ekwezona zikhundla ziphambili apho embusweni.
15 Ukumkani wabuza wathi: “Ngokomthetho makwenziwe ntoni ngokumkanikazi uVashiti? Kaloku yena akawuthobelanga umyalelo kakumkani uAsuwerosi awuxelelwe ngamaphakathi.”
16 Ke uMemukan wamphendula ukumkani lowo zikho nezinye izikhulu, wathi: “Ukumkanikazi uVashiti lo akonanga ukumkani kuphela, koko uzonile zonke izikhulu nabo bonke abantu bamaphondo onke kakumkani uAsuwerosi.
17 Ngoko ke esi simo sokumkanikazi siza kwaziwa ngabo bonke abanye abafazi, baze ke nabo bawadele amadoda abo, besithi: ‘Nkqu nokumkani uAsuwerosi ngokwakhe wathi akuyalela ukuba ukumkanikazi uVashiti eziswe phambi kwakhe wasuka wala ukumkanikazi ukuza.’
18 Kunamhlanje-nje bonke abafazi bezikhulu zamaPeshiya namaMedi abevileyo ngesi simo sikakumkanikazi baza kwenza kwangolo hlobo kwizikhulu zikakumkani. Ngenxa yalo mzekelo ukungevisisani nentswela-mbeko soze ziphinde ziphele.
19 “Ngoko ke xa kukholekile kukumkani, umhlekazi makenze isihlokomiso ngokwasemthethweni, agunyazise ukuba sibhalwe kwimithetho yamaPeshiya namaMedi engenakuguqulwa. Isihlokomiso eso masimvalele ukumkanikazi uVashiti angaze aphinde athi cakatha kwibhotwe likakumkani uAsuwerosi. Kananjalo ke, ukumkani esi sikhundla sikaVashiti makasinikezele kumntu wumbi olungileyo kunaye.
20 Xa sithe sabhengezwa esi sihlokomiso sikakumkani kuwo wonke loo mmandla wakhe ubanzi kangakanana, bonke abafazi baya kutsho bawahlonele amadoda abo, kuqalela koyena uphantsi kuye koyena uphezulu.”
21 Ke kaloku ukumkani ndawonye nezikhulu zakhe baneliseka leli cebiso, waza ke ukumkani wenza ngokwecebiso likaMemukan.
22 Wathumela iincwadi kuzo zonke iindawo eziphantsi kokumkani, incwadi nganye ibhalwe ngolwimi nendlela yokubhala yephondo ngalinye, esithi yonke indoda mayibe ngumlawuli endlwini yayo, ithethe ngokubona kwayo.