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1 Ke kaloku kwathi ngemihla ka-Ahaswerosi (lo Ahaswerosi ke ubengukumkani, ethabathela eIndiya, wezisa kwaKushi: kumazwe alikhulu elinamanci mabini anesixhenxe),2 ngaloo mihla, xa wayehleli ukumkani uAhaswerosi etroneni yobukumkani bakhe, eseShushan komkhulu,3 ngomnyaka wesithathu wobukumkani bakhe, wabenzela isidlo bonke abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe; xa impi yamaPersi neyamaMedi, amawaba nabathetheli bamazwe, bebephambi kwakhe;4 akubon’ ukuba ubonisa abantu ubutyebi obuzukileyo bobukumkani bakhe, nesihombo esinqabileyo sobukhulu bakhe imihla emininzi, imihla elikhulu elinamanci asibhozo.5 Ekuzalisekeni kwaloo mihla, ukumkani wabenzela isidlo bonke abantu abafumaneka eShushan komkhulu, kwathabathela kwabakhulu, kwesa kwabancinane, imihla yasixhenxe, entendelezweni yomyezo wendlu yokumkani.6 Amalengalenga ayengawelinen emhlophe, necikizekileyo, nemsi, ebotshwe ngeentsontelo zelinen ecikizekileyo nemfusa kumakhonkco esilivere, nakwiintsika zemarmore emhlophe; izingqengqelo izezegolide nezesilivere, phezu kombekelelo wamatye aluhlaza, namhlophe, naziiperile, namnyama.7 Kwaye kuselwa ngeempahla zegolide, ziziimpahla ngeempahla; ininzi iwayini yakomkhulu ngokwamandla okumkani.8 Ukusela kwaye kungokomthetho kungekho unyanzelayo: kuba wenjenjalo ukumkani ukumisela zonke izikhulu zendlu yakhe, ukuba enze elowo nalowo ngokuzithandela kwakhe.9 Kananjalo uVashti ukumkanikazi wenzela abafazi isidlo endlwini yakomkhulu, ebiyekakumkani uAhaswerosi.

10 Ngomhla wesixhenxe, xa intliziyo yokumkani yayimnandi yiwayini, wabayalela ooMehuman, noBhizeta, noHarbhona, noBhigeta, noAbhageta, noZetare, noKarkasi, ababusi abasixhenxe abalungiselelayo ebusweni bokumkani, wathi,11 mabamzise uVashti ukumkanikazi phambi kokumkani enonkontsho lobukumkanikazi, ukuba abonise abantu nabathetheli ubuhle bakhe; ngokuba ebeyinzwakazi, imbonakalo yakhe.12 Akavumanga ukumkanikazi uVashti ukuza ngelizwi lokumkani ngababusi abo.13 Waba noburhalarhume obukhulu ukumkani, bavutha ubushushu bakhe kuye.14 Wathi ke ukumkani kwizilumko eziwaziyo amaxesha (ngokuba ibisenjiwa njalo into yokumkani phambi kwabo bonke abawaziyo umthetho nesiko; ababekufuphi kuye, ooKarshena, noShetare, noAdemata, noTarshishe, noMeres, noMarsena, noMemukan, abathetheli abasixhenxe bamaPersi namaMedi, ababebubona ubuso bokumkani, ababehlala ezihlalweni zobukhulu ebukumkanini), wathi,15 Ngokomthetho angenziwa ntoni na ukumkanikazi uVashti, ngenxa yokuba engalenzanga ilizwi lokumkani uAhaswerosi ngababusi?16 Wathi uMemukan phambi kokumkani nabathetheli, UVashti ukumkanikazi akaphosise kukumkani yedwa; uphosise nakubathetheli bonke, nakwizizwe zonke ezisemazweni onke okumkani uAhaswerosi.17 Kuba le ndawo yokumkanikazi iya kuphuma, ifikelele kubafazi bonke, adeleke amadoda abo emehlweni abo, xa kuthiwa, Ukumkani uAhaswerosi wathi makeziswe uVashti ukumkanikazi phambi kwakhe, akeza.18 Kananjalo amakhosikazi asePersi naseMedi ayivayo le nto yokumkanikazi, aya kuyixela kwanamhlanje kubathetheli bonke bokumkani, kwande ke ukudela noburhalarhume.19 Ukuba kuthe kwalunga kukumkani, makuphume ilizwi lokumkani ebusweni bakhe, libhalwe emithethweni yamaPersi namaMedi, ukuze lingatshitshi, lokuba uVashti angabi seza phambi kokumkani uAhaswerosi, ukumkani abunikele ubukumkanikazi bakhe kuwabo olungileyo kunaye.20 Wothi ke wakuvakala umthetho wokumkani, aya kuwenza ebukumkanini bakhe bonke (ngokuba bukhulu), bonke abafazi bawabeke amadoda abo, kuthabathele kwenkulu, kuse kwencinane.21 Ilizwi elo lalunga emehlweni okumkani nabathetheli. Wenza ke ukumkani ngokwelizwi likaMemukan.22 Wathumela iincwadi emazweni onke kakumkani, kwilizwe ngelizwe, njengokubhala kwalo, kwizizwe ngezizwe ngokweentetho zazo, okokuba amadoda onke alawule ezindlwini zawo, athethe ngentetho yakowawo.