< Esther 6 >

1 That night the king passed without sleep, and he commanded the histories and chronicles of former times to be brought him. And when they were reading them before him,
Ngalobobusuku ubuthongo benkosi babaleka; yasisithi kakulethwe ugwalo lwezikhumbuzo lwemilando; yasibalwa phambi kwenkosi.
2 They came to that place where it was written, how Mardochai had discovered the treason of Bagathan and Thares the eunuchs, who sought to kill king Assuerus.
Kwasekutholakala kubhaliwe ukuthi uModekhayi wabika ngoBigithana loTereshi, abathenwa ababili benkosi, abalindi bombundu, ababedinge ukwelulela isandla enkosini uAhasuwerusi.
3 And when the king heard this, he said: What honour and reward hath Mardochai received for this fidelity? His servants and ministers said to him: He hath received no reward at all.
Inkosi yasisithi: Dumo lobukhulu bani obenziwa kuModekhayi ngalokhu? Izinceku zenkosi ezaziyikhonza zasezisithi: Kakwenziwanga lutho kuye.
4 And the king said immediately: Who is in the court? for Aman was coming in to the inner court of the king’s house, to speak to the king, that he might order Mardochai to be hanged upon the gibbet which was prepared for him.
Inkosi yasisithi: Ngubani osegumeni? UHamani wayesengene egumeni elingaphandle lendlu yenkosi ukukhuluma enkosini ukuthi ilengise uModekhayi egodweni ayemlungisele lona.
5 The servants answered: Aman standeth in the court, and the king said: Let him come in.
Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi kuyo: Khangela, uHamani umi egumeni. Inkosi yasisithi: Kangene.
6 And when he was come in, he said to him: What ought to be done to the man whom the king is desirous to honour? But Aman thinking in his heart, and supposing that the king would honour no other but himself,
UHamani wasengena; inkosi yasisithi kuye: Kwenziweni kumuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe? UHamani wasesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: Ngubani inkosi engathokoza ukumnika udumo okwedlula mina?
7 Answered: The man whom the king desireth to honour,
UHamani wasesithi enkosini: Umuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe,
8 Ought to be clothed with the king’s apparel, and to be set upon the horse that the king rideth upon, and to have the royal crown upon his head,
kakulethwe isembatho sobukhosi inkosi uqobo esigqokayo, lebhiza inkosi eligadayo, lokuthi umqhele wobukhosi ubekwe enhlokweni yalo;
9 And let the first of the king’s princes and nobles hold his horse, and going through the street of the city, proclaim before him and say: Thus shall he be honoured, whom the king hath a mind to honour.
lesembatho lebhiza kunikwe esandleni somunye weziphathamandla zenkosi ezihloniphekayo, lokuthi bagqokise lowomuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe, bamgadise ibhiza adabule igceke lomuzi, bamemeze phambi kwakhe bathi: Kwenziwa nje emuntwini inkosi ethokoza ngodumo lwakhe.
10 And the king said to him: Make haste and take the robe and the horse, and do as thou hast spoken to Mardochai the Jew, who sitteth before the gates of the palace. Beware thou pass over any of those things which thou hast spoken.
Inkosi yasisithi kuHamani: Phangisa thatha isembatho lebhiza njengokutsho kwakho, wenze njalo kuModekhayi umJuda ohlala esangweni lenkosi; kungawi lalizwi kukho konke okukhulumileyo.
11 So Aman took the robe and the horse, and arraying Mardochai in the street of the city, and setting him on the horse, went before him, and proclaimed: This honour is he worthy of, whom the king hath a mind to honour.
UHamani wasethatha isembatho lebhiza, wagqokisa uModekhayi, wamgadisa wadabula igceke lomuzi, wamemeza phambi kwakhe wathi: Kwenziwa nje emuntwini inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe.
12 But Mardochai returned to the palace gate: and Aman made haste to go to his house, mourning and having his head covered:
Wasebuyela uModekhayi esangweni lenkosi, kodwa uHamani wahaluzela waya endlini yakhe elila embomboze ikhanda.
13 And he told Zares his wife, and his friends, all that had befallen him. And the wise men whom he had in counsel, and his wife answered him: If Mardochai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou canst not resist him, but thou shalt fall in his sight.
UHamani wasetshela uZereshi umkakhe labo bonke abangane bakhe konke okumehleleyo. Abahlakaniphileyo bakhe loZereshi umkakhe basebesithi kuye: Uba uModekhayi engowenzalo yamaJuda, osuqalise ukuwa phambi kwakhe, kawuyikumelana laye, kodwa uzakuwa lokuwa phambi kwakhe.
14 As they were yet speaking, the king’s eunuchs came, and compelled him to go quickly to the banquet which the queen had prepared.
Besakhuluma loHamani, abathenwa benkosi basondela, bahaluzela ukuletha uHamani edilini uEsta ayelenzile.

< Esther 6 >