Esther 3
1 Some time later, King Xerxes (promoted/gave his most important job/work to) Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was a descendant of [King] Agag. Haman became more important than all his other officials. [Only the king was more important.]
Ngemva kwalezo zehlakalo, inkosi u-Ahasuweru wenza uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umʼAgagi waba lodumo ngokumphakamisa, wamupha isikhundla esiphakemeyo, esihloniphekayo ukwedlula esezinye zezikhulu zonke.
2 Then the king commanded that all the other officials had to bow down in front of Haman to honor him [when he walked by]. But Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman.
Zonke iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zaguqa phansi zamkhothamela uHamani, ngoba inkosi yayilaye lokho ngaye. Kodwa uModekhayi kazange amkhothamele loba amkhonze.
3 The [other] officials [saw that, and they] asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey what the king commanded?”
Ngakho iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zabuza uModekhayi zisithi, “Kungani ungalaleli umlayo wenkosi?”
4 Mordecai told them that he was a Jew, [and that Jews would bow down only to God]. Day after day the other officials spoke to Mordecai about that, but he still refused to obey. So they told Haman about it, to see if Haman would tolerate it.
Bakhuluma laye insuku ngezinsuku kodwa wala ukwenza lokho. Ngakho bamtshela uHamani ngalokho befuna ukubona kumbe isenzo sikaModekhayi sasizakwamukeleka, ngoba wayebatshelile ukuthi yena ungumJuda.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him, he became extremely angry.
Kwathi uHamani ebona ukuthi uModekhayi kamguqeli njalo kamkhonzi, wathukuthela kakhulukazi.
6 [After he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, ] he decided that it would not be enough to get rid of only Mordecai. He decided to kill all the Jews in all the area that Xerxes ruled.
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 So, during the twelfth year that Xerxes was ruling, during the month of April, [Haman told his advisors to] (cast lots/throw small marked stones) to determine the best month and the best day to kill the Jews. Haman’s advisors did that, and the day that was selected was March 7th [during the following/next year].
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 Then Haman [went to] the king [and] said to [him], “[Your majesty, ] there is a certain group of people who live in many areas [of your empire] whose customs are different from ours. They even refuse to obey your laws. So it would be good for you to get rid of them.
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 pleases you, command that they should all be killed. [If you do that, ] I will give (375 tons/750,000 pounds) of silver to your administrators so that you can use it for your government.”
Nxa lokhu kulungile enkosini, kakube lesimemezelo somthetho wokuba babhujiswe. Mina ngizafaka phakathi kwengcebo yesigodlweni amathalenta esiliva alitshumi lenkulungwane ukuphathisa amadoda azakwenza umsebenzi lo.”
10 The king liked [what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided], he gave the ring that had his official seal on it to Haman, who now hated the Jews.
Ngakho inkosi yakhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo emunweni yayipha uHamani indodana kaHamedatha, umʼAgagi, isitha samaJuda. Inkosi yathi kuHamani,
11 The king told Haman, “Keep your money, but do what you want to with those people [whom you talked about]!”
“Gcina imali le, wenze ebantwini njengokuthanda kwakho.”
12 On April 17th Haman summoned the king’s secretaries, and he dictated a letter to them that they [translated and] wrote to all the governors and administrators and other officials in all the provinces. They wrote copies of the letter in every language and every kind of writing/alphabet that was used in the empire. They wrote that all the Jews, [including] young people and old people, women and children, had to be killed on one day. That day was March 7th of the following year. They also wrote that [those who killed the Jews] could take everything that belonged to the Jews. [They signed] the king’s name [at the end of] the letters. Then they sealed the letters [with wax, and stamped the wax by] using the king’s ring. Then they sent the letters swiftly to every province in the empire,
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.
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 The king [also commanded that] copies of these letters should be [nailed up] where [all the people] could see them, in every province, so that the people would be ready to do on the day the king had set [what was written in the letter].
Amazwi esimemezelo leso ayezakhutshwa abe ngumthetho omisiweyo kuzozonke izabelo, aziswe bonke abantu bakuzo zonke izizwe ukuze bazilungiselele lolosuku.
15 Then, according to what the king commanded, men [riding horses] took those letters quickly to every province [in the empire]. And one of the letters was read [aloud to the people] in the capital city, Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down and drank [wine], but the people in Susa were very perplexed [about why this was going to happen].
Izithunywa zakhuthazwa ngumlayo wenkosi, zaphuma zakhupha umthetho omisiweyo esigodlweni saseSusa. Inkosi loHamani bahlala phansi banatha, kodwa abedolobho laseSusa badideka.
