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