Queen Vashti Disobeys King Xerxes
1-2 King Xerxes of Persia lived in his capital city of Susa and ruled 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. 3 During the third year of his rule, Xerxes gave a big dinner for all his officials and officers. The governors and leaders of the provinces were also invited, and even the commanders of the Persian and Median armies came. 4 For 180 days he showed off his wealth and spent a lot of money to impress his guests with the greatness of his kingdom.
5 At the end of this time, King Xerxes gave another dinner and invited everyone in the city of Susa, no matter who they were. The eating and drinking lasted seven days in the beautiful palace gardens. 6 The area was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains tied back with purple linen cords that ran through silver rings fastened to marble columns. Couches of gold and silver rested on pavement that had all kinds of designs made from costly bright-colored stones and marble and mother-of-pearl.
7 The guests drank from gold cups, and each cup had a different design. The king was generous 8 and said to them, “Drink all you want!” Then he told his servants, “Keep their cups full.”
9 While the men were enjoying themselves, Queen Vashti gave the women a big dinner inside the royal palace.
10 By the seventh day, King Xerxes was feeling happy because of so much wine. And he asked his seven personal servants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, 11 to bring Queen Vashti to him. The king wanted her to wear her crown and let his people and his officials see how beautiful she was. 12 The king's servants told Queen Vashti what he had said, but she refused to go to him, and this made him terribly angry.
13-14 The king called in the seven highest officials of Persia and Media. They were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were very wise and understood all the laws and customs of the country, and the king always asked them what they thought about such matters.
15 The king said to them, “Queen Vashti refused to come to me when I sent my servants for her. What does the law say I should do about that?”
16 Then Memucan told the king and the officials:
Your Majesty, Queen Vashti has not only embarrassed you, but she has insulted your officials and everyone else in all the provinces.
17 The women in the kingdom will hear about this, and they will refuse to respect their husbands. They will say, “If Queen Vashti doesn't obey her husband, why should we?” 18 Before this day is over, the wives of the officials of Persia and Media will find out what Queen Vashti has done, and they will refuse to obey their husbands. They won't respect their husbands, and their husbands will be angry with them.
19 Your Majesty, if you agree, you should write for the Medes and Persians a law that can never be changed. This law would keep Queen Vashti from ever seeing you again. Then you could let someone who respects you be queen in her place.
20 When the women in your great kingdom hear about this new law, they will respect their husbands, no matter if they are rich or poor.
21 King Xerxes and his officials liked what Memucan had said, 22 and he sent letters to all of his provinces. Each letter was written in the language of the province to which it was sent, and it said that husbands should be in charge of their wives and children.
Omunyekadhi Vashti ta hengwa
1-2 Oshipangelapundi shomukwaniilwa Kserkses, ngoka a li ta lele iitopolwa 127 okuza kuIndia sigo kuEtiopia, osha li moshilandolelo Susa.
3 Momumvo omutitatu gwepangelo lye Kserkses okwa hiya aakwanepangelo noongoloneya ye ayehe komatelekela. Oondjayi dhiita dhaPersia naMedia oko dha li, osho wo aaniikandjo noomvalekele dhomiikandjo ayihe. 4 Muule woomwedhi hamano okwe ya ulukile uuyamba woupakwaniilwa we nuunene wesimano lye.
5 Konima yaambika omukwaniilwa okwa ningile aantu ayehe, aayamba noohepele, yomoshilandolelo Susa oshituthi shomasiku gaheyali sha dhanenwa moshikunino shuuwa shokuvululukilwa. 6 Kehale okwa li kwa tsilikwa omalapi omambulau nomatokele ga dhitikilwa muulinga wiisiliveli wokoongudhi dhomarmera nuupaya wooliina uutiliganembwilili. Okwa li wo kwa tulwa iipundi yiingoli noyiisiliveli. Olupanda lwalyo olwa li lwa ningwa nomarmera ontokele nongeline, moomba nomuumanya wondilo uumbulau. 7 Aantu oya li taa nwine miitenga yiingoli, oshitenga kehe oshi na olupe lwi ili. Pamukalo gwopakwaniilwa, omaviinu oga li ogendjigendji. 8 Mokunwa kamwa li nando ondjele yontumba; omukwaniilwa okwa li a lombwela aapindi ayehe yoondjupa, ya pe kehe ngoka ngaashi a hala.
9 Manga shika tashi ningwa, ye omunyekadhi Vashti okwa li a telekela wo aakiintu oshituthi komuhandjo gwe.
10 Mesiku etiheyali lyoshituthi, omukwaniilwa sho a li i idhenga mo naanaa a nyanyukwa, okwi ithana omalenga ge gopothingo, aathonwantu yaheyali: Mehuman, Bista, Harbona, Bigta, Abagta, Setar naKarkas. 11 Okwe ya lombwele, ya ete mo omunyekadhi Vashti a zala oshishani she shuunyekadhi. Omunyekadhi okwa li a shitika, nomukwaniilwa okwa li a hala oku mu ulika kaayenda nokomalenga. 12 Ihe aapiya sho ya lombwele Vashti elaka lyomukwaniilwa, okwa tindi okuya ko. Shika osha geyitha omukwaniilwa.
13 Omukwaniilwa okwa li e na omukalo gwokupula omayele kombinga yompango nuuyuuki, onkee okwi ithanitha aagandjindunge ye, mboka taa tseya shoka shi na okuningwa. 14 Mongundu yaagandjindunge yopothingo omwa li Karshena, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena naMemukan — omalenga gaheyali gaPersia naMedia ngoka ga li komeho gaagehe moshilongo. 15 Omukwaniilwa okwe ga pula a ti: “Pampango otu na okuninga ngiini nomunyekadhi Vashti, oshoka ina vulika kelombwelo lyomukwaniilwa Kserkses ndyoka omalenga ge ge mu faalele?”
16 Nena Memukan okwa lombwele omukwaniilwa nomalenga ge a ti: “Omunyekadhi Vashti ina yona ashike komukwaniilwa, ihe okomalenga ge agehe wo nokomulumentu kehe moshilongo ashihe! 17 Omukulukadhi kehe moshilongo ashihe shampa tuu a kundana shoka omunyekadhi a ningi, ota ka dhina omulumentu gwe. Otaa ka tya: ‘Omukwaniilwa Kserkses okwa lombwele omunyekadhi Vashti e ye kuye, ihe okwa tindi.’ 18 Nokuli nena, manga etango inaali ningina, aakulukadhi yomalenga gaPersia naMedia otaa ka uva, nkene omunyekadhi a ningi, e taye ke shi hokololela aalumentu yawo. Aakulukadhi ayehe otaa ka dhina aalumentu yawo, naasamane otaa ka geela aakiintu yawo. 19 Nkeyama, ngele tashi ku opalele, gandja eutho lyopakwaniilwa kutya Vashti ke na mpoka na holoka we koshipala shomukwaniilwa. Eutho ndika nali nyolwe moompango dhokwaalunduluka dhaPersia naMedia. Omukwaniilwa na konge omukiintu gulwe omwaanawa e vule Vashti, a ninge omunyekadhi. 20 Shampa eutho lyoye lya tseyika noshilongo ashihe oshinene, omukulukadhi kehe ota vulika komulumentu gwe nesimaneko, na kale omuyamba nenge ohepele.”
21 Omukwaniilwa nomalenga ge oya hokwa ondunge ndjika, omukwaniilwa nokwa gwanitha shoka Memukan a faneke. 22 Koshitopolwa kehe shoshilongo okwa tumu ko etumwalaka lya nyolwa melaka lyasho nomoondanda dhelaka ndyoka. Etumwalaka otali ti kutya omusamane kehe na pangele egumbo lye, noohapu dhe nadhi kale ompango yegumbo.
