Esther 3
1 And after this king Artaxerxes highly honored Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.
Ngemva kwalezo zehlakalo, inkosi u-Ahasuweru wenza uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umʼAgagi waba lodumo ngokumphakamisa, wamupha isikhundla esiphakemeyo, esihloniphekayo ukwedlula esezinye zezikhulu zonke.
2 And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.
Zonke iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zaguqa phansi zamkhothamela uHamani, ngoba inkosi yayilaye lokho ngaye. Kodwa uModekhayi kazange amkhothamele loba amkhonze.
3 And they in the king's palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why do you transgress the commands of the king?
Ngakho iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zabuza uModekhayi zisithi, “Kungani ungalaleli umlayo wenkosi?”
4 [Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he listened not to them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochaeus had shown to them that he was a Jew.
Bakhuluma laye insuku ngezinsuku kodwa wala ukwenza lokho. Ngakho bamtshela uHamani ngalokho befuna ukubona kumbe isenzo sikaModekhayi sasizakwamukeleka, ngoba wayebatshelile ukuthi yena ungumJuda.
5 And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,
Kwathi uHamani ebona ukuthi uModekhayi kamguqeli njalo kamkhonzi, wathukuthela kakhulukazi.
6 and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.
Kwathi ngoba esekwazi ukuthi uModekhayi udabuka ngaphi, wawulahla umqondo wokubulala uModekhayi yedwa. Kodwa uHamani wadinga indlela yokubulala bonke abomhlobo kaModekhayi, amaJuda, kuwo wonke umbuso ka-Ahasuweru.
7 And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to kill in one day the race of Mardochaeus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokubusa kuka-Ahasuweru, ngenyanga yakuqala, inyanga ethiwa nguNisani, benza inkatho ethiwa yiphuri phambi kukaHamani ukuze bakhethe usuku lenyanga. Inkatho yadla inyanga yetshumi lambili, inyanga ethiwa yi-Adari.
8 And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all your kingdom, and their laws differ from [those of] all the [other] nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.
UHamani wasesithi eNkosini u-Ahasuweru, “Kukhona abantu abathile abahlakazeke basabalala phakathi kwabantu abasezabelweni zonke zombuso wakho abalemikhuba eyehlukene leyabantu bonke, njalo abangalaleli imithetho yenkosi. Inkosi akumelanga ibayekelele kulokho.
9 If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king's treasury ten thousand talents of silver.
Nxa lokhu kulungile enkosini, kakube lesimemezelo somthetho wokuba babhujiswe. Mina ngizafaka phakathi kwengcebo yesigodlweni amathalenta esiliva alitshumi lenkulungwane ukuphathisa amadoda azakwenza umsebenzi lo.”
10 And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.
Ngakho inkosi yakhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo emunweni yayipha uHamani indodana kaHamedatha, umʼAgagi, isitha samaJuda. Inkosi yathi kuHamani,
11 And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as you will.
“Gcina imali le, wenze ebantwini njengokuthanda kwakho.”
12 So the king's recorders were called in the first month, on the thirteenth [day], and they wrote as Aman commanded to the captains and governors in every province, from India even to Ethiopia, to a hundred and twenty-seven provinces; and to the rulers of the nations according to their [several] languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes.
Kwathi ngosuku lwetshumi lantathu ngenyanga yokuqala onobhala besigodlweni babizwa. Babhala ngokulotshwa kwesabelo sinye ngasinye njalo ngolimi lwabantu balesosabelo, yonke imilayo kaHamani eyayisiya kuziphathamandla zenkosi, ababusi bezabelo ezehlukeneyo kanye lasezikhulwini ezaziphethe abantu abehlukeneyo. Yayibhalwe ngebizo leNkosi u-Ahasuweru ngokwakhe njalo yadindwa ngophawu lwendandatho yakhe.
13 And [the message] was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods.
Izincwadi zathunyelwa ngezithunywa kuzozonke izabelo zenkosi kulomlayo wokuba kubhujiswe, kubulawe njalo kutshabalaliswe wonke amaJuda, abatsha labadala, abesifazane labantwana ngelanga elilodwa, ilanga letshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili, enyangeni ethiwa ngu-Adari, njalo lokuphanga impahla yabo.
14 And the copies of the letters were published in every province; and an order was given to all the nations to be ready against that day.
Amazwi esimemezelo leso ayezakhutshwa abe ngumthetho omisiweyo kuzozonke izabelo, aziswe bonke abantu bakuzo zonke izizwe ukuze bazilungiselele lolosuku.
15 And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled.
Izithunywa zakhuthazwa ngumlayo wenkosi, zaphuma zakhupha umthetho omisiweyo esigodlweni saseSusa. Inkosi loHamani bahlala phansi banatha, kodwa abedolobho laseSusa badideka.
