Esther 1
International Standard Version
The Wealth of King Ahasuerus
1 This is a record of[a] what happened during the reign[b] of Ahasuerus,[c] the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush.[d] 2 At that time King Ahasuerus was ruling from[e] Susa the capital.[f] 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers,[g] and the military leaders[h] of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were present.[i] 4 He displayed the enormous wealth of his kingdom, along with its splendid beauty and greatness for many days—for 180 days in all.[j]
The Banquet of King Ahasuerus
5 When those days were over, the king held a seven-day banquet in the courtyard of the garden of his[k] palace for all the people who were present in Susa the capital, from the greatest to the least important. 6 There were curtains of white and blue linen tied with cords of fine linen and purple material[l] to silver rings on[m] marble columns. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in gold vessels of various kinds, and there was plenty of royal wine because the king was generous.[n] 8 According to the king’s[o] decree the drinking was not compulsory because the king instructed[p] every steward in his house to serve each individual what he desired. 9 Queen Vashti also held a banquet in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus for the women.
Vashti Refuses to Obey the King
10 A week later, when the king was under the influence of all that wine,[q] he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti to the king, wearing[r] the royal crown to display her beauty to the people and the officials, since she was lovely to look at. 12 Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s order that was brought by the eunuchs.
The King Removes Vashti as Queen
Then the king flew into a rage. 13 The king spoke to the wise men who understood the times, for it was the king’s custom to consult[s] all those who understood law and justice. 14 (His closest advisors[t] were: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had direct access[u] to the king and who held the highest rank[v] in the kingdom.) 15 The king inquired,[w] “According to law, what should be done to Queen Vashti because she did not obey the order of King Ahasuerus that was delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and his officials, “It is not the king alone whom Vashti has wronged, but rather all of the officials and all of the people who are in the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 When the report about the queen goes out to all the women, it will cause them to despise their husbands.[x] They’ll say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she wouldn’t come.’ 18 This very day the wives of the officials[y] of Persia and Media who hear the report about the queen will speak in the same way to all the officials of the king, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger. 19 If it seems good to the king, let a royal decree go out from him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. Let the king give her royal position to another woman who is better than she. 20 When the edict of the king that he issues is heard throughout his kingdom—for it’s vast—then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least important.”
21 This seemed like a good idea[z] to the king and his officials, so the king did what Memucan suggested.[aa] 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in the script of that province,[ab] and to each people in their own language, ordering that every man should be the master in his house and speak the language of his own people.
Footnotes
- Esther 1:1 The Heb. lacks a record of
- Esther 1:1 Lit. days
- Esther 1:1 Or possibly Xerxes, and so throughout the book
- Esther 1:1 I.e. the upper Nile region
- Esther 1:2 Lit. was sitting on his royal throne in
- Esther 1:2 Or Susa the fortress, and so throughout the book
- Esther 1:3 Or his servants
- Esther 1:3 Lit. army
- Esther 1:3 Lit. before him
- Esther 1:4 The Heb. lacks in all
- Esther 1:5 Lit. the king’s
- Esther 1:6 The Heb. lacks material
- Esther 1:6 Lit. and
- Esther 1:7 Lit. wine according to the hand of the king
- Esther 1:8 The Heb. lacks king’s
- Esther 1:8 Lit. established
- Esther 1:10 Lit. the heart of the king was happy with wine
- Esther 1:11 Lit. with
- Esther 1:13 Lit. to speak before
- Esther 1:14 Lit. Those closest to him
- Esther 1:14 Lit. saw the face of
- Esther 1:14 Lit. sat first in the kingdom
- Esther 1:15 The Heb. lacks The king inquired
- Esther 1:17 Lit. husbands in their eyes
- Esther 1:18 Or women of nobility
- Esther 1:21 The Heb. lacks idea
- Esther 1:21 Lit. according to the word of Memucan
- Esther 1:22 Lit. to each province according to its writing
Eseza 1
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
Nnabagereka Vasuti Aggyibwa ku Bukulu
1 (A)Kino kye kyabaawo ku mirembe gya Akaswero, eyafuga amasaza kikumi mu abiri mu musanvu (127) okuva e Buyindi okutuuka e Buwesiyopya. 2 (B)Mu kiseera ekyo Kabaka Akaswero we yafugira mu lubiri e Susani,[a] 3 (C)mu mwaka ogwokusatu ogw’obufuzi bwe, yagabula abakungu n’abaami be abakulu embaga. Abaduumizi ba magye aga Buperusi ne Bumeedi, n’abalangira n’abakungu b’amasaza bonna baagiriko.
4 Yayolesa obugagga n’ekitiibwa n’ettendo eby’obwakabaka bwe okumala emyezi mukaaga. 5 (D)Ennaku ezo bwe zaggwaako, Kabaka n’agabula abantu bonna okuva ku asemberayo ddala okutuuka ku asingirayo ddala ekitiibwa embaga endala eyali mu luggya, mu lubiri e Susani okumala ennaku musanvu. 6 (E)Oluggya lwalimu entimbe ez’engoye enjeru n’eza bbululu, nga zisibiddwa n’emiguwa egya linena omulungi n’olugoye olwa kakobe nga lusibiddwa n’empeta eza ffeeza ku mpagi ez’amayinja aganyirira. Waaliwo n’ebitanda[b] ebya zaabu n’effeeza ku lubalaza olwaliire n’amayinja aganyirira, amamyufu, n’ameeru, n’aga kyenvu n’amaddugavu. 7 (F)Mu kugabula kwa kabaka, wayini yaweerezebwa mu bikopo bya zaabu, nga buli kimu tekifanagana na kinnaakyo, ne wayini wa Kabaka yali mungi ddala. 8 Buli mugenyi yanywanga nga bwe yayagala kubanga kabaka yalagira nti, “Buli mugenyi anywe nga bw’ayagala.”
9 (G)Ne Nnabagereka Vasuti naye n’agabula abakyala embaga mu lubiri lwa Kabaka Akaswero.
10 (H)Awo ku lunaku olwomusanvu, Kabaka Akaswero mu ssanyu lingi olwa wayini gwe yali anywedde, n’alagira abalaawe musanvu, abaamuweerezanga: Mekumani, ne Bizusa, ne Kalubona, ne Bigusa, ne Abagusa, ne Zesali ne Kalukasi, 11 (I)okugenda okuyita Nnabagereka Vasuti ajje mu maaso ge ng’atikkiddwa engule eya Nnabagereka, asobole okulaga obubalagavu bwe eri abantu n’abakungu, kubanga yali mulungi, mubalagavu okukamala. 12 (J)Naye abaweereza bwe baatuusa ekiragiro kya kabaka, Nnabagareka Vasuti n’agaana okugenda. Era ekyavaamu kabaka n’asunguwala, era obusungu bwe ne bubuubuuka. 13 (K)Naye Kabaka yalina empisa ey’okwebuuzanga ku bakugu mu by’amateeka, era n’ateesa n’abasajja abagezigezi abategeera ebifa ku nsonga eyo. 14 (L)Amannya ga bakungu abo abakulu omusanvu mu bwakabaka bwe Buperusi ne Bumeedi ge gano: Kalusena, ne Sesali, ne Adumasa, ne Talusiisi, ne Meresi, ne Malusema ne Memukani. Bano be baamubeeranga ku lusegere.
15 Awo Kabaka n’ababuuza nti, “Okusinziira ku mateeka, Nnabagereka Vasuti agwanidde kibonerezo ki olw’obutagondera kiragiro kya Kabaka Akaswero ekimutuusibbwako abalaawe?” 16 Memukani n’addamu Kabaka n’abakungu nti, “Nnabagereka Vasuti asobezza nnyo, ate si eri Kabaka yekka, naye n’eri abakungu n’abantu bonna ab’omu bitundu byonna Kabaka Akaswero by’afuga. 17 Era olw’enneeyisa Nnabagereka gye yeeyisizaamu, bwe kinaamanyibwa abakyala, nabo bajja kunyoomanga ba bbaabwe nga bagamba nti, ‘Nga Kabaka Akaswero yalagira Nnabagereka Vasuti okuleetebwa gy’ali, n’ajeema.’ 18 (M)Era olunaku lwa leero abakyala bonna mu Buperusi ne Bumeedi aba bakungu abawulidde ku nneeyisa ya Nnabagereka bajjanga kweyisa mu ngeri y’emu eri abakungu ba Kabaka. Era obunyoomi wamu n’obutabanguko tebuggwengawo mu maka. 19 (N)Noolwekyo Kabaka bw’anaasiima, awe ekiragiro, era kiwandiikibwe mu mateeka ga Buperusi ne Bumeedi agatakyuka, nti Vasuti aleme okujja nate mu maaso ga Kabaka Akaswero. Ate n’ekifo kye eky’Obwannabagereka, kiweebwe omukazi omulala amusinga. 20 Awo ekiragiro kya kabaka bwe kinaabuna mu bwakabaka bwonna, abakyala bonna banassangamu ba bbaabwe ekitiibwa okuva ku wawagulu okutuukira ddala ku wawansi asembayo.”
21 Ekigambo ekyo kyasanyusa nnyo Kabaka n’abakungu be, era Kabaka n’akola ng’ekiteeso kya Memukani bwe kyali. 22 (O)N’aweereza obubaka eri ebitundu byonna eby’obwakabaka buli ssaza ebbaluwa yaayo, era buli bantu mu lulimi lwabwe nga bugamba nti buli musajja afugenga mu nnyumba ye.
Footnotes
- 1:2 Susani kye kimu ku bibuga ebikulu ebina eby’Obwakabaka. Ebibuga ebirala byali Babulooni, Perusiyapoliisi ne Ekubatoni. Susani ky’ekibuga bakabaka b’e Buperusi abasatu gye baabeeranga mu biseera eby’obutiti. Ekibuga ekyo kyali mu kiwonvu ky’omugga Tigiriisi.
- 1:6 Abaperusi baalyanga bagalamidde ku bitanda
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