Esther 5
1 On the third day, Esther put on her regalia and stood in the inner court of the royal palace opposite the king’s house. The king was sitting on his throne in the palace, opposite the entrance.
Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu uEsta wagqoka ezobundlovukazi, wema egumeni elingaphakathi lendlu yenkosi, maqondana lendlu yenkosi. Inkosi yayihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wayo endlini yesikhosini iqondene lomnyango wendlu.
2 When he saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she won his favour, and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre.
Kwasekusithi inkosi ibona uEsta indlovukazi emi egumeni, wazuza umusa emehlweni ayo; inkosi yasimelulela uEsta intonga yobukhosi yegolide eyayisesandleni sayo. Wasesondela uEsta wathinta isihloko sentonga yobukhosi.
3 Then the king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? Whatever your request is, it will be granted, even if it is the half of the kingdom.’
Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ulani, ndlovukazi Esta? Lesicelo sakho siyini? Uzasinikwa ngitsho kuze kube yingxenye yombuso.
4 ‘If it seems best to the king,’ Esther said, ‘let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.’
UEsta wasesithi: Uba kukuhle enkosini, kayize inkosi loHamani edilini engiyenzele lona.
5 Then the king ordered, ‘Bring Haman quickly, so that Esther’s wish may be gratified.’ So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Inkosi yasisithi: Phangisisani uHamani ukuthi enze ilizwi likaEsta. Ngakho yeza inkosi loHamani edilini uEsta ayelenzile.
6 While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘Whatever your petition is, it will be granted. Your request, it will be done – even if it takes half of my kingdom.’
Inkosi yasisithi kuEsta edilini lewayini: Siyini isicelo sakho? Njalo uzasinikwa. Siyini-ke isifiso sakho? Kuzakwenziwa ngitsho kuze kube yingxenye yombuso.
7 Esther answered,
UEsta wasephendula wathi: Isicelo sami lesifiso sami yilokhu:
8 ‘If I have won the king’s favour and if it seems best to the king to grant my petition and to accede to my request, my petition and my request are that the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer the king’s question as he wishes.’
Uba ngithole umusa emehlweni enkosi, futhi uba kukuhle enkosini ukupha isicelo sami lokwenza isifiso sami, inkosi loHamani kabeze edilini engizalenzela bona. Kusasa-ke ngizakwenza njengokwelizwi lenkosi.
9 Haman went out that day joyful and elated, but when he saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and noticed that he neither stood up nor moved for him, he was furiously angry with Mordecai.
UHamani wasephuma mhlalokho ethokoza elenhliziyo enhle. Kodwa uHamani ebona uModekhayi esangweni lenkosi ukuthi kasukumanga lokuthi kamthuthumelelanga, uHamani wagcwala ulaka ngoModekhayi.
10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home. He called together his friends and Zeresh his wife
Kodwa uHamani wazithinta, wafika endlini yakhe; wasethuma walanda abangane bakhe loZereshi umkakhe.
11 and recounted to them the greatness of his wealth, how many children he had, and all the ways in which the king had honoured him, and how he had promoted him above the officials and the royal courtiers.
UHamani wasebalandisela udumo lwenotho yakhe, lobunengi bamadodana akhe, lakho konke inkosi eyayimkhulise ngakho, leyamphakamisa ngakho phezu kweziphathamandla lenceku zenkosi.
12 ‘What is more,’ Haman said, ‘Queen Esther brought no one in with the king to the banquet which she had prepared except me, and tomorrow also I am invited by her along with the king.
UHamani wasesithi: Yebo, uEsta indlovukazi kangenisanga muntu kanye lenkosi edilini alenzileyo ngaphandle kwami; njalo lakusasa nginxuselwe kuye lenkosi.
13 Yet all this does not satisfy me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.’
Kanti konke lokhu kakungenelisi ngalutho ngaso sonke isikhathi ngibona uModekhayi umJuda ehlezi esangweni lenkosi.
14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows seventy-five feet high be erected, and in the morning speak to the king and let Mordecai be hanged on it. Then go merrily with the king to the banquet.’ The advice pleased Haman, and so he had the gallows erected.
UZereshi umkakhe labo bonke abangane bakhe basebesithi kuye: Kakwenziwe ugodo ubude obuzingalo ezingamatshumi amahlanu; kusasa-ke uthi enkosini kabalengise uModekhayi kulo, ubusungena lenkosi edilini uthokozile. Njalo loludaba lwalulungile phambi kukaHamani, waselwenza ugodo.
