UESTERI 1

₁Kwathi emihleni ka-Ahashiveroshi — yena unguAhashiveroshi lowo owabusa kusukela eIndiya kuze kube-seKushe phezu kwezifunda eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa —

₂yebo, ngaleyomihla lapho inkosi uAhashiveroshi 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 lezozinsuku, inkosi yenzela abantu bonke ababekhona 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 egandaywé 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 uAhashiveroshi.

₁₀Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho inhliziyo yenkosi isithokoza ngewayini, yayala oMehumani, noBizitha, noHaribona, noBigitha, noAbagitha, 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;

₁₄ababeseduze naye kwakungoKarishena, noShethari, noAdimatha, 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 uAhashiveroshi ngesandla sezinduna, na?

₁₆UMemukhani wathi phambi kwenkosi nezikhulu: UVashiti inkosikazi akonanga enkosini kuphela, kepha nakuzo zonke izikhulu nakubantu bonke abasezifundeni zenkosi uAhashiveroshi.

₁₇Ngokuba lendaba yenkosikazi iyakuphumela kubo bonke abesifazane ukuba amadoda abo adeleleke emehlweni abo, lapho kuthiwa inkosi uAhashiveroshi yamyala uVashiti inkosikazi ukuba alethwe phambi kwayo, kepha akafikanga.

₁₈Namuhla amakhosikazi asePheresiya naseMediya ayizwile lendaba yenkosikazi ayakukusho ezikhulwini zenkosi, kube-ngukudelela nentukuthelo enkulu.

₁₉Uma kukuhle enkosini, makuphume izwi lobukhosi, lilotshwe phakathi kwemithetho yamaPheresiya namaMede, lingalahlwa, lokuba uVashiti angabe esangena phambi kwenkosi uAhashiveroshi, 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 lelozwi emehlweni enkosi nasezikhulwini; yenza-ke inkosi njengezwi likaMemukhani;

₂₂yathuma izincwadi ezifundeni zonke zenkosi, ezifundeni ngezifunda njengokubhala kwazo nasezizweni ngezizwe njengezilimi zazo ukuba yilowo nalowomuntu abuse endlini yakhe, akhulume ngolimi lwesizwe sakubo.