< Eseza 3 >

1 Oluvannyuma lw’ebyo Kabaka Akaswero n’akuza Kamani mutabani wa Kammedasa, Omwagaagi era n’amusukkiriza n’amuwa n’entebe ey’ekitiibwa okusinga abakungu abalala bonna.
Ngemva kwalezo zehlakalo, inkosi u-Ahasuweru wenza uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umʼAgagi waba lodumo ngokumphakamisa, wamupha isikhundla esiphakemeyo, esihloniphekayo ukwedlula esezinye zezikhulu zonke.
2 Era abaddu ba Kabaka bonna abaabeeranga ku wankaaki wa Kabaka baamufukaamiriranga ne bamuwa ekitiibwa, kubanga kyali kiragiro ekyava eri Kabaka. Naye Moluddekaayi teyamufukaamirira wadde okumussaamu ekitiibwa.
Zonke iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zaguqa phansi zamkhothamela uHamani, ngoba inkosi yayilaye lokho ngaye. Kodwa uModekhayi kazange amkhothamele loba amkhonze.
3 Awo abagalagala ba Kabaka ab’oku wankaaki ne babuuza Moluddekaayi nti, “Nsonga ki ekulobera okugondera ekiragiro kya Kabaka?”
Ngakho iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zabuza uModekhayi zisithi, “Kungani ungalaleli umlayo wenkosi?”
4 Buli lunaku baayogeranga naye ku nsonga eyo naye ye n’agaana okubawuliriza. Ekyavaamu kwe kubuulira Kamani ku nsonga y’emu, balabe oba Moluddekaayi anaakyusa ku nneeyisa ye, kubanga yali yabategeezaako nti Muyudaaya.
Bakhuluma laye insuku ngezinsuku kodwa wala ukwenza lokho. Ngakho bamtshela uHamani ngalokho befuna ukubona kumbe isenzo sikaModekhayi sasizakwamukeleka, ngoba wayebatshelile ukuthi yena ungumJuda.
5 Awo Kamani bwe yalaba nga Moluddekaayi tamufukaamirira wadde okumussaamu ekitiibwa, Kamani n’asunguwala nnyo.
Kwathi uHamani ebona ukuthi uModekhayi kamguqeli njalo kamkhonzi, wathukuthela kakhulukazi.
6 Bwe yategeera abantu ba Moluddekaayi kye bali, Kamani n’alaba ng’okumutta yekka tekigasa. Kamani n’anoonya engeri gy’ayinza okuzikiriza abantu ba Moluddekaayi, Abayudaaya bonna mu bwakabaka bwonna obwa Akaswero.
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 Awo mu mwezi ogw’olubereberye ogwa Nisani, mu mwaka ogw’ekkumi n’ebiri ogwa kabaka Akaswero, ne bakuba Puli, ke kalulu, mu maaso ga Kamani okufuna olunaku n’omwezi, era omwezi ogw’ekkumi n’ebiri ogwa Adali ne gulondebwa.
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 Awo Kamani n’agamba Kabaka Akaswero nti, “Waliwo abantu abasaasaanye ate nga beeyawudde ku mawanga mu bitundu byonna eby’obwakabaka bwo; n’amateeka gaabwe ga njawulo ku g’abantu abalala bonna, era tebakuuma mateeka ga Kabaka. Noolwekyo tekigasa Kabaka kubagumiikiriza.
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 Kabaka bw’anasiima, kiwandiikibwe era kiyisibwe, n’okuzikirizibwa bazikirizibwe: nange ndisasula ttalanta eza ttani ebikumi bisatu mu nsavu mu ttaano ebya ffeeza mu ggwanika lya Kabaka.”
Nxa lokhu kulungile enkosini, kakube lesimemezelo somthetho wokuba babhujiswe. Mina ngizafaka phakathi kwengcebo yesigodlweni amathalenta esiliva alitshumi lenkulungwane ukuphathisa amadoda azakwenza umsebenzi lo.”
10 Awo kabaka n’aggya empeta ye ku ngalo ye n’agiwa Kamani mutabani wa Kammedasa Omwagaagi omulabe w’Abayudaaya.
Ngakho inkosi yakhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo emunweni yayipha uHamani indodana kaHamedatha, umʼAgagi, isitha samaJuda. Inkosi yathi kuHamani,
11 Ate era Kabaka n’agamba Kamani nti, “Ensimbi zikuweereddwa n’abantu bakole nga bw’osiima.”
“Gcina imali le, wenze ebantwini njengokuthanda kwakho.”
12 Ne bayita abawandiisi ba Kabaka ku lunaku olw’ekkumi n’essatu mu mwezi ogw’olubereberye, ne bawandiika byonna nga Kamani bwe yalagira, ne bawandiikira abaamasaza ne bagavana ba buli kitundu, n’abakungu ba buli ggwanga; era n’eri buli kitundu ng’empandiika yaakyo bwe yali, n’eri buli ggwanga ng’olulimi lwabwe bwe lwali; byawandiikibwa mu linnya lya Kabaka Akaswero era ne biteekebwako akabonero n’empeta ya Kabaka.
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 Ebbaluwa zaatwalibwa ababaka mu bitundu byonna ebya Kabaka n’ekiragiro, eky’okuzikiriza, n’okutta n’okumalawo Abayudaaya bonna, abato n’abakadde, abaana abato n’abakazi mu lunaku lumu olw’ekkumi n’essatu mu mwezi ogw’ekkumi n’ebiri ogwa Adali, awamu n’okunyaga ebyabwe byonna.
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 Ebyaggyibwa mu kiwandiike ne biraalikibwa eri amawanga gonna, ekiragiro ne kirangirirwa mu buli kitundu, balyoke beeteekereteekere olunaku olwo.
Amazwi esimemezelo leso ayezakhutshwa abe ngumthetho omisiweyo kuzozonke izabelo, aziswe bonke abantu bakuzo zonke izizwe ukuze bazilungiselele lolosuku.
15 Awo ababaka ne banguwa okugenda olw’ekiragiro kya Kabaka, etteeka ne libuulirwa mu lubiri lw’e Susani. Awo Kabaka ne Kamani ne batuula okunywa; naye ekibuga kya Susani ne kisasamala.
Izithunywa zakhuthazwa ngumlayo wenkosi, zaphuma zakhupha umthetho omisiweyo esigodlweni saseSusa. Inkosi loHamani bahlala phansi banatha, kodwa abedolobho laseSusa badideka.

< Eseza 3 >