1 N a i nga ra i a Ahahueruha, ara a Ahahueruha i kingi nei i Inia a tae noa ki Etiopia, kotahi rau e rua tekau ma whitu nga kawanatanga:

Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,

2 I aua ra, i te mea e ata noho ana a Kingi Ahahueruha i runga i te torona o tona kingitanga i Huhana, i te whare kingi,

in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa,

3 I te toru o nga tau o tona kingitanga, ka tukua e ia he hakari ma ana rangatira katoa ratou ko ana tangata; i tona aroaro ano te hunga nunui o Pahia, o Meria, nga tangata rarahi, me nga rangatira o nga kawanatanga:

in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence.

4 I a ia e whakakite ana i te taonga me te kororia o tona kingitanga, i tona honore, i tona ataahua nui, he maha nga ra, kotahi rau e waru tekau nga ra.

And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

5 N a, ka taka aua ra, ka tukua e te kingi he hakari ma te iwi katoa i reira i Huhana, i te whare kingi, ma te rahi, ma te iti, e whitu nga ra, i te marae i te kari te whare o te kingi;

When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.

6 K o nga hipoki he mea ma, he kakariki, he puru; ko nga aho he rinena pai he mea papura, ko nga mowhiti i mau ai, he hiriwa; ko nga pou he mapere; ko nga tokotoranga he koura, he hiriwa; a ko te papa o raro he mapere whero, ma, kowhai, mangu hoki.

There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones.

7 K o nga kapu inu i hoatu ma ratou he oko koura; rere ke tonu te ahua o tenei oko, o tenei oko; tona nui ano o te waina kingi, rite tonu ki ta te kingi tikanga.

Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king’s bounty.

8 I rite ano te inu ki ta te ture, kahore he tohe; na te kingi taua tikanga i whakatakoto ki nga rangatira katoa o tona whare, ko ta te tangata i pai ai ko tana tera e mea ai.

The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person.

9 I tukua ano e te kuini, e Wahati, he hakari ma nga wahine i roto i te whare kingi o Kingi Ahahueruha.

Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. Queen Vashti’s Refusal

10 I te whitu o nga ra, i te mea e koa ana te ngakau o te kingi i te waina, ka mea ia ki a Mehumana ratou ko Pitita, ko Harapona, ko Pikita, ko Apakata, ko Tetara, ko Karakaha, ki nga rangatira ruma tokowhitu i mahi i te aroaro o Kingi Ahahueruha,

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus,

11 K ia kawea mai te kuini, a Wahati, ki te aroaro o te kingi, me te karauna kuini, kia whakakitea atu ai tona ataahua ki nga iwi, ki nga rangatira: he pai hoki tona ahua.

to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful.

12 O tiia kihai a Kuini Wahati i pai kia haere mai i ta te kingi kupu i korerotia e ana rangatira ruma. Na reira i riri rawa ai te kingi, a mura ana tona riri i roto i a ia.

But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him.

13 K atahi te kingi ka korero ki nga tangata whai whakaaro i mohio nei ki nga taima, ko ta te kingi tikanga hoki ia, ki te hunga katoa e mohio ana ki te ture, ki te whakarite tikanga;

Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice

14 K o Karahena hoki i tata ki a ia, ko Hetara, ko Aramata, ko Tarahihi, ko Merehe, ko Marahena, ko Memukana, ara ko nga rangatira tokowhitu o Pahia, o Meria, i kite nei i te mata o te kingi, a i noho hei tuatahi i te kingitanga;

and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king’s presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom—

15 K i ta te ture, ko te aha kia meatia ki te kuini, ki a Wahati, mona kihai i whakarite i te kupu a Kingi Ahahueruha i kawea atu e nga rangatira ruma?

“According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?”

16 N a ka mea a Memukana i te aroaro o te kingi ratou ko nga rangatira, Ehara i te mea ki te kingi anake ta Kuini Wahati he; engari ki nga rangatira katoa ano, ki nga iwi katoa o nga kawanatanga katoa a Kingi Ahahueruha.

In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

17 K a haere hoki te rongo o tenei mahi a te kuini ki nga wahine katoa, a ka whakahawea o ratou kanohi ki a ratou tane, ina ka korerotia, i mea a Kingi Ahahueruha kia kawea mai a Kuini Wahati ki tona aroaro, a kihai tera i haere mai.

For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women causing them to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’

18 K a pena ano aianei te kupu a nga wahine rangatira o Pahia, o Meria. kua rongo nei ki te mahi a te kuini ki nga rangatira katoa a te kingi. Na tera e nui atu te whakahawea me te riri.

This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger.

19 K i te pai te kingi, kia puta he kupu kingi mana, me tuhituhi hoki ki roto ki nga ture o nga Pahi, o nga Meri, kei taka, ara kia kaua a Wahati e haere mai ki te aroaro o Kingi Ahahueruha; ko tona kuinitanga hoki kia hoatu e te kingi ki tetahi atu e pai ake ana i a ia.

If it pleases the king, let a royal edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is more worthy than she.

20 A , ka rangona ta te kingi tikanga e whakatakoto ai ia puta noa i tona kingitanga nui nei, katahi nga wahine katoa ka whakahonore i a ratou tane, i te iti, i te rahi.

When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.”

21 N a pai tonu te kupu ki te whakaaro o te kingi, o nga rangatira; a rite tonu ki te kupu a Memukana ta te kingi i mea ai.

This word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed.

22 I tukua hoki e ia he pukapuka ki nga kawanatanga katoa a te kingi, ki tenei kawanatanga, ki tenei kawanatanga, he mea whakarite ki to reira tikanga mo te tuhituhi, ki tenei iwi, ki tenei iwi, he mea whakarite ki to reira reo, ara ko nga tane kat oa hei rangatira i roto i o ratou whare; a kia korerotia i te reo o to reira iwi.

So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should be the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.