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