Ester 1

Ka Tutea e Kīngi Ahuahueruha a Kuīni Wahati

1 Nā, i ngā rā i a Ahahueruha, arā a Ahahueruha i kīngi nei i Inia, ā tae noa ki Etiopia, kotahi rau e rua tekau mā whitu ngā kāwanatanga. 2 I aua rā, i te mea e āta noho ana a Kīngi Ahahueruha i runga i te torōna o tōna kīngitanga i Huhana, i te whare kīngi. 3 I te toru o ngā tau o tōna kīngitanga, ka tukua e ia he hākari mā āna rangatira katoa rātou ko āna tāngata. I tōna aroaro anō te hunga nunui o Pahia, o Meria, ngā tāngata rarahi, me ngā rangatira o ngā kāwanatanga, 4 i a ia e whakakite ana i te taonga me te korōria o tōna kīngitanga, i tōna hōnore, i tōna ātaahua nui, he maha ngā rā, kotahi rau e waru tekau ngā rā.

5 Nā, ka taka aua rā, ka tukua e te kīngi he hākari mā te iwi katoa i reira i Huhana, i te whare kīngi, mā te rahi, mā te iti, e whitu ngā rā, i te marae i te kāri i te whare o te kīngi. 6 Ko ngā hīpoki he mea mā, he kākāriki, he purū; ko ngā aho he rīnena pai, he mea pāpura, ko ngā mōwhiti i mau ai, he hiriwa; ko ngā pou he mapere; ko ngā takotoranga he kōura, he hiriwa; ā, ko te papa o raro he mapere whero, mā, kōwhai, mangu hoki. 7 Ko ngā kapu inu i hoatu mā rātou he oko kōura; rerekē tonu te āhua o tēnei oko, o tēnei oko; tōna nui anō o te wāina kīngi, rite tonu ki tā te kīngi tikanga. 8 I rite anō te inu ki tā te ture, kāhore he tohe; nā te kīngi taua tikanga i whakatakoto ki ngā rangatira katoa o tōna whare, ko tā te tangata i pai ai ko tāna tērā e mea ai.

9 I tukua anō e te kuīni, e Wahati, he hākari mā ngā wāhine i roto i te whare kīngi o Kīngi Ahahueruha.

10 I te whitu o ngā rā, i te mea e koa ana te ngākau o te kīngi i te wāina, ka mea ia ki a Mehumana rātou ko Pitita, ko Harapona, ko Pikita, ko Apākata, ko Tetara, ko Karakaha, ki ngā rangatira rūma tokowhitu i mahi i te aroaro o Kīngi Ahahueruha, 11 kia kawea mai te kuīni, a Wahati, ki te aroaro o te kīngi, me te karauna kuīni, kia whakakitea atu ai tōna ātaahua ki ngā iwi, ki ngā rangatira; he pai hoki tōna āhua. 12 Otiia kīhai a Kuīni Wahati i pai kia haere mai i tā te kīngi kupu i kōrerotia e āna rangatira rūma. Nā reira i riri rawa ai te kīngi, ā, mura ana tōna riri i roto i a ia.

13 Kātahi te kīngi ka kōrero ki ngā tāngata whai whakaaro i mōhio nei ki ngā tāima, ko tā te kīngi tikanga hoki ia, ki te hunga katoa e mōhio ana ki te ture, ki te whakarite tikanga; 14 ko Karahena hoki i tata ki a ia, ko Hetara, ko Aramata, ko Tarahihi, ko Merehe, ko Marahena, ko Memukana, arā ko ngā rangatira tokowhitu o Pahia, o Meria, i kite nei i te mata o te kīngi, ā, i noho hei tuatahi i te kīngitanga.

15 "Ki tā te ture, ko te aha kia meatia ki te kuīni, ki a Wahati, mōna kīhai i whakarite i te kupu a Kīngi Ahahueruha i kawea atu e ngā rangatira rūma?"

16 Nā, ka mea a Memukana i te aroaro o te kīngi rātou ko ngā rangatira, "Ehara i te mea ki te kīngi anake tā Kuīni Wahati hē; engari ki ngā rangatira katoa anō, ki ngā iwi katoa o ngā kāwanatanga katoa a Kīngi Ahahueruha. 17 Ka haere hoki te rongo o tēnei mahi a te kuīni ki ngā wāhine katoa, ā, ka whakahāwea ō rātou kanohi ki ā rātou tāne, ina ka kōrerotia, ‘I mea a Kīngi Ahahueruha kia kawea mai a Kuīni Wahati ki tōna aroaro, ā, kīhai tērā i haere mai.’ 18 Ka pēnā anō āianei te kupu a ngā wāhine rangatira o Pahia, o Meria, kua rongo nei ki te mahi a te kuīni, ki ngā rangatira katoa a te kīngi. Nā, tērā e nui atu te whakahāwea me te riri.

19 "Ki te pai te kīngi, kia puta he kupu kīngi māna, me tuhituhi hoki ki roto ki ngā ture o ngā Pahi, o ngā Meri, kei taka, arā kia kaua a Wahati e haere mai ki te aroaro o Kīngi Ahahueruha; ko tōna kuīnitanga hoki kia hoatu e te kīngi ki tētahi atu e pai ake ana i a ia. 20 Ā, ka rangona tā te kīngi tikanga e whakatakoto ai ia puta noa i tōna kīngitanga nui nei, kātahi ngā wāhine katoa ka whakahōnore i ā rātou tāne, i te iti, i te rahi."

21 Nā, pai tonu te kupu ki te whakaaro o te kīngi, o ngā rangatira; ā, rite tonu ki te kupu a Memukana tā te kīngi i mea ai. 22 I tukua hoki e ia he pukapuka ki ngā kāwanatanga katoa a te kīngi, ki tēnei kāwanatanga, ki tēnei kāwanatanga, he mea whakarite ki tō reira tikanga mō te tuhituhi, ki tēnei iwi, ki tēnei iwi, he mea whakarite ki tō reira reo, arā ko ngā tāne katoa hei rangatira i roto i ō rātou whare; ā, kia kōrerotia i te reo o tō reira iwi.

1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces), 2 that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, 3 in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him; 4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days. 5 And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were hangings of white cloth, of green, and of blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and white, and yellow, and black marble. 7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king. 8 And the drinking was according to the law; none could compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.

9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, 11 to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on. 12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by the chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

13 Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment; 14 and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom), 15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? 16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. 17 For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not. 18 And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king’s princes. So will there arise much contempt and wrath. 19 If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she. 20 And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small. 21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: 22 for he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.