1 Ke kaloku kwathi ngemihla ka-Ahaswerosi (lo Ahaswerosi ke ubengukumkani, ethabathela eIndiya, wezisa kwaKushi: kumazwe alikhulu elinamanci mabini anesixhenxe),
2 ngaloo mihla, xa wayehleli ukumkani uAhaswerosi etroneni yobukumkani bakhe, eseShushan komkhulu,
3 ngomnyaka wesithathu wobukumkani bakhe, wabenzela isidlo bonke abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe; xa impi yamaPersi neyamaMedi, amawaba nabathetheli bamazwe,
4 bebephambi kwakhe; akubon' ukuba ubonisa abantu ubutyebi obuzukileyo bobukumkani bakhe, nesihombo esinqabileyo sobukhulu bakhe imihla emininzi, imihla elikhulu elinamanci asibhozo.
5 Ekuzalisekeni kwaloo mihla, ukumkani wabenzela isidlo bonke abantu abafumaneka eShushan komkhulu, kwathabathela kwabakhulu, kwesa kwabancinane, imihla yasixhenxe, entendelezweni yomyezo wendlu yokumkani.
6 Amalengalenga ayengawelinen emhlophe, necikizekileyo, nemsi, ebotshwe ngeentsontelo zelinen ecikizekileyo nemfusa kumakhonkco esilivere, nakwiintsika zemarmore* emhlophe; izingqengqelo izezegolide nezesilivere, phezu kombekelelo wamatye aluhlaza, namhlophe, naziiperile,* namnyama.
7 Kwaye kuselwa ngeempahla zegolide, ziziimpahla ngeempahla; ininzi iwayini yakomkhulu ngokwamandla okumkani.