Queen Vashti Defies King Xerxes
1-2 From his royal throne in Persia's capital city of Susa, King Xerxes ruled 127 provinces, all the way from India to Ethiopia.
3 In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and administrators. The armies of Persia and Media were present, as well as the governors and noblemen of the provinces. 4 For six whole months he made a show of the riches of the imperial court with all its splendor and majesty.
5 After that, the king gave a banquet for all the people in the capital city of Susa, rich and poor alike. It lasted a whole week and was held in the gardens of the royal palace. 6 The courtyard there was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains, tied by cords of fine purple linen to silver rings on marble columns. Couches made of gold and silver had been placed in the courtyard, which was paved with white marble, red feldspar, shining mother-of-pearl, and blue turquoise. 7 Drinks were served in gold cups, no two of them alike, and the king was generous with the royal wine. 8 There were no limits on the drinks; the king had given orders to the palace servants that everyone could have as much as they wanted.
9 Meanwhile, inside the royal palace Queen Vashti was giving a banquet for the women.
10 On the seventh day of his banquet the king was drinking and feeling happy, so he called in the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas. 11 He ordered them to bring in Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown. The queen was a beautiful woman, and the king wanted to show off her beauty to the officials and all his guests. 12 But when the servants told Queen Vashti of the king's command, she refused to come. This made the king furious.
13 Now it was the king's custom to ask for expert opinion on questions of law and order, so he called for his advisers, who would know what should be done. 14 Those he most often turned to for advice were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven officials of Persia and Media who held the highest offices in the kingdom. 15 He said to these men, “I, King Xerxes, sent my servants to Queen Vashti with a command, and she refused to obey it! What does the law say that we should do with her?”
16 Then Memucan declared to the king and his officials: “Queen Vashti has insulted not only the king but also his officials—in fact, every man in the empire! 17 Every woman in the empire will start looking down on her husband as soon as she hears what the queen has done. They'll say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to come to him, and she refused.’ 18 When the wives of the royal officials of Persia and Media hear about the queen's behavior, they will be telling their husbands about it before the day is out. Wives everywhere will have no respect for their husbands, and husbands will be angry with their wives. 19 If it please Your Majesty, issue a royal proclamation that Vashti may never again appear before the king. Have it written into the laws of Persia and Media, so that it can never be changed. Then give her place as queen to some better woman. 20 When your proclamation is made known all over this huge empire, every woman will treat her husband with proper respect, whether he's rich or poor.”
21 The king and his officials liked this idea, and the king did what Memucan suggested. 22 To each of the royal provinces he sent a message in the language and the system of writing of that province, saying that every husband should be the master of his home and speak with final authority.
Oshivilo shaAhasveros
Omumbada wohamba ta hengwa
1 Pomafiku aAhasveros, nokutya Ahasveros ou a pangela okudja kuIndia fiyo okuEtiopia, oitukulwalongo efele nomilongo mbali naiheyali, 2 pomafiku enya ohamba Ahasveros a kala omutumba kolukalwapangelo layo louhamba mohotengulu yomuSusa, 3 momudo omutitatu wepangelo layo, oya telekela omalenga ayo aeshe novapiya vayo aveshe oitendele. Omatanga ovakwaita vomuPersia novomuMedia novalumenhu ovanamadina novapangeli vomoitukulwalongo va li moipafi yayo; 4 ndele omafiku mahapu, heeno, omafiku efele nomilongo hetatu yo oye va ulikila oupuna woshinge shomouhamba wayo nefimano lihapu lounene wayo. 5 Nomafiku oo eshi a pita po, ohamba ya ningila ovanhu vayo aveshe, ava va kala mohotengulu yaSusa, ovakulunhu novapiya oitendele yomafiku ahetatu mehale loshikunino shongulu yohamba. 6 Omo mwa li mu noiyata yoliina itoka noiyata yomavala ya kwatakanifilwa kumwe keengodi ditoka nodapurpuri, ndele kwa endjelelifwa eengodo doisiliveli keengudi damarmori! Moluumbo mwa yalwa omamanya amalakiti nomarmori itoka nomamanya taa konita nomarmori i nomavala, mwa tulwa eembete doingoldo nodoisiliveli dokutulumukilwa mo. 7 Pa nwinwa momaholo oingoldo, nomaholo inaa faafana, ndele oko kwa li omaviinyu ohamba mahapu unene, omaviinyu e fike poupuna wohamba. 8 Ndele pa nuwa paufo kutya, kape na ou a fininikwa. Osheshi ohamba ya lombwela ngaha ovapiya aveshe vayo va fimana vomongulu yayo, nokutya ve nokuyakula pahalo lakeshe umwe. 9 Vasti, omumbada wohamba okwa ningila ovakainhu oitendele mongulu youhamba wohamba yaAhasveros.
10 Mefiku etiheyali, omutima wohamba eshi wa hafifwa komaviinyu, yo ya lombwela omalenga ayo aheyali omouhamba, Mehuman, Bista, Harbona, Bigta naAbagta, Setar naKarkas, oo a li a yakula koshipala shohamba 11 a ka tale ko omumbada Vasti, a djala oshishani shohamba, e uye koshipala shohamba, yo i ulikile ovanhu nomalenga ouwa nondjelo yaye, osheshi ye okwa li muwa moshipala. 12 Ndelenee omumbada Vasti a anya okuuya palombwelo, ohamba ye li lombwela omalenga. Opo nee ohamba ya handuka unene, noupyuhandu wayo wa xwama muyo.
13 Nohamba ya popya novalumenhu ovanongo, ovashiivi vomafimbo, osheshi onghedi yohamba ya li okukonga omayele kovanongo aveshe vomhango novouyuki. 14 Ndele ovo va li popepi nayo ovava: Karsena, Setar, Admata, Tarsis, Meres, Marsena, Memukan, omalenga aheyali Ovapersia nOvamedia, aa a li a tala oshipala shohamba, ndele va kala omutumba ngaashi ovakomesho vomouhamba, ndele ohamba ye va pula: 15 “Omumbada Vasti e nokuningwa ngahelipi pamhango, shaashi ye ina dulika kelombwelo lohamba Ahasveros ye li tumifa omalenga ayo?” 16 Opo nee Memukan ta ti kohamba nokomalenga: “Omumbada Vasti ina nyona kohamba aike, ndelenee komalenga aeshe nokovanhu aveshe ovo ve li moitukulwalongo yohamba Ahasveros. 17 Osheshi oshinima eshi shomumbada tashi ka shiivika kovalikadi aveshe, onghee hano ovalumenhu vavo tava ka dinika momesho avo ndele tava ka tya: ‘Ohamba Ahasveros ya lombwela omumbada Vasti, a etwe koshipala shayo, ndelenee ye ine uya.’ 18 Mefiku tuu eli lonena nokuli ovalikadi vomalenga omuPersia nomuMedia, eshi tava udu oshinima shomumbada ou, tave ke shi lombwela omalenga aeshe ohamba. Opo nee tapa ka kala okudinwa nokuhanduka kuhapu! 19 Ngeenge tashi wapalele ohamba, nai yandje oshipango shi shangelwe meemhango dihe shii kulundululwa, dOvapersia nodOvamedia, nokutya Vasti aha holoke vali koshipala shohamba Ahasveros. Nohamba nai yandje omumbada waye kuumwe ou e mu dule. 20 Oshipango shohamba eshi tashi ka shiivika moshilongo shayo ashishe, nande sho oshinene, ovalikadi aveshe tava ka fimaneka ovalumenhu vavo, ovanamadina novaxupi.” 21 Eendjovo edi oda wapalela ohamba nomalenga, nohamba ya ninga papukululo laMemukan. 22 Ndele yo ya tumina oitukulwalongo aishe yohamba eenhumwafo, koshitukulwalongo keshe pakushangwa kwasho, noshiwana keshe palaka lasho, nokutya omulumenhu keshe na kale omwene meumbo laye, ndele na itavelwe okupopya elaka loshiwana shavo.
