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.