1 Kwathi emihleni ka-Ahashiveroshi yena ungu-Ahashiveroshi lowo owabusa kusukela e-Indiya kuze kube seKushe phezu kwezifunda eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa
2 yebo, ngaleyo mihla lapho inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wayo, esasiseShushani endlini yenkosi,
3 ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwayo, yenzela izikhulu zayo zonke nezinceku zayo idili, amaqhawe asePheresiya naseMediya, nabakhulu nezikhulu zezifunda bephambi kwayo,
4 lapho iyibonakalisa ingcebo yombuso wayo odumileyo, nobukhosi nobuhle bobukhulu bayo izinsuku eziningi, izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili.
5 Seziphelile lezo zinsuku, inkosi yenzela abantu bonke ababe khona eShushani endlini yenkosi, abakhulu nabancane, idili izinsuku eziyisikhombisa egcekeni lensimu yendlu yenkosi.
6 Kwakukhona izilenge ezimhlophe neziluhlaza, ziboshelwe ngezintambo zelineni elicolekileyo nezibubende emasongweni esiliva nasezinsikeni zamatshe amhlophe; imibhede yayiyigolide nesiliva phezu kwendawo egandaywe ngamatshe abomvu, nangamaparele,* nangamatshe amnyama.
7 Baphuziswa ngezitsha zegolide, izitsha zahlukene, ezinye nezinye, iwayini lamakhosi eliningi njengokwesandla senkosi.
8 Ukuphuza kwaya ngomthetho wokuba kungacindezelwa muntu, ngokuba inkosi yayiyalile zonke izinduna zendlu yayo ukuba zenze njengokuthanda kwabantu abanye ngabanye.
9 Naye uVashiti, inkosikazi, wenzela abesifazane idili endlini yenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho inhliziyo yenkosi isithokoza ngewayini, yayala oMehumani, noBizitha, noHaribona, noBigitha, no-Abagitha, noZethari, noKarikasi, izinduna eziyisikhombisa ezazikhonza ebusweni buka-Ahashiveroshi inkosi
11 ukuba zimlethe uVashiti inkosikazi phambi kwenkosi, abe nomqhele wobukhosi ukuba abonise abantu nezikhulu ubuhle bakhe, ngokuba wayebukeka kahle.
12 Kepha inkosikazi uVashiti yenqaba ukuza ngesiyalezo senkosi ngesandla sezinduna; ngalokho inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, ulaka lwayo lwashisa phakathi kwayo.
13 Yayisisho inkosi kwabahlakaniphileyo abazazi izikhathi ngokuba yayinendlela enjalo inkosi phambi kwabo bonke ababewazi umthetho nokwahlulela;
14 ababe seduze naye kwakungoKarishena, noShethari, no-Adimatha, noTharishishi, noMeresi, noMarisena, noMemukhani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePheresiya naseMediya ezaziphambi kobuso benkosi, zihlala emqoka embusweni
15 yathi: “Siyakwenze njani kuyo inkosikazi uVashiti njengomthetho, ngokuba ayenzanga izwi lenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ngesandla sezinduna, na?”
16 UMemukhani wathi phambi kwenkosi nezikhulu: “UVashiti, inkosikazi, akonanga enkosini kuphela, kepha nakuzo zonke izikhulu nakubantu bonke abasezifundeni zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
17 Ngokuba le ndaba yenkosikazi iyakuphumela kubo bonke abesifazane ukuba amadoda abo adeleleke emehlweni abo, lapho kuthiwa inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yamyala uVashiti, inkosikazi, ukuba alethwe phambi kwayo, kepha akafikanga.
18 Namuhla amakhosikazi asePheresiya naseMediya ayizwile le ndaba yenkosikazi ayakukusho ezikhulwini zenkosi, kube ngukudelela nentukuthelo enkulu.
19 “Uma kukuhle enkosini, makuphume izwi lobukhosi, lilotshwe phakathi kwemithetho yamaPheresiya namaMede, lingalahlwa, lokuba uVashiti angabe esangena phambi kwenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, inkosi inike omunye omuhle kunaye ubukhosikazi bakhe.
20 Lapho isimemezelo senkosi eyakusenza sesiyakuzwakala embusweni wayo wonke, ngokuba mkhulu bonke abafazi bayakuwahlonipha amadoda abo, amakhulu namancane.”
21 Laba lihle lelo zwi emehlweni enkosi nasezikhulwini; yenza-ke inkosi njengezwi likaMemukhani;
22 yathuma izincwadi ezifundeni zonke zenkosi, ezifundeni ngezifunda njengokubhala kwazo nasezizweni ngezizwe njengezilimi zazo ukuba yilowo nalowo muntu abuse endlini yakhe, akhulume ngolimi lwesizwe sakubo.