U-Esta 2
1 Emva kokuba ukuthukuthela kweNkosi u-Ahasuweru sekudedile, yamkhumbula uVashithi kanye lalokho ayekwenzile, lalokho okwakumenyezelwe ngaye.
And so, after this had been carried out, and the indignation of king Artaxerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what had happened to her.
2 Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi kuyo, “Akudingelwe inkosi amantombazana agcweleyo, amahle.
And the servants of the king, and his ministers, said, “Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
3 Inkosi kayikhethe iziphathamandla kuzozonke izabelo zombuso wayo ukuthi zilethe wonke amantombazana amahle endlini yabesifazane esigodlweni saseSusa. Bafakwe ezandleni zikaHegayi, umthenwa wenkosi, okhangele abesifazane; zilungiswe kuhle njalo ziphiwe amakha okuziqhola.
and let investigators be sent throughout all the provinces for young women, beautiful and virgins. And let them bring them to the city of Susa, and deliver them to the house of the women under the hand of Hegai the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women. And let them receive feminine ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
4 Besekusithi intombi ethokozisa inkosi ibe yiNdlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashithi.” Iseluleko lesi sayithokozisa inkosi, yasisilandela.
And whoever among them all will please the king’s eyes, let her reign instead of Vashti.” The idea pleased the king, and so he ordered it to be done as they had suggested.
5 Kwakukhona esigodlweni saseSusa umJuda owendlu yakoBhenjamini, okwakuthiwa nguModekhayi, indodana kaJayiri, indodana kaShimeyi, indodana kaKhishi,
There was a Jewish man in the city of Susa, by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the house of Benjamin,
6 owayethunjwe eJerusalema nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, kanye loJekhoniya inkosi yakoJuda wayephakathi kwabathunjwayo.
who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried away Jeconiah king of Judah,
7 UModekhayi wayelomzawakhe okwakuthiwa nguHadasa, amondla ngoba engelayise lonina. Intombazana le yayisaziwa langokuthi ngu-Esta, yayibukeka kakhulu, inhle njalo uModekhayi wayeyondle njengendodakazi yakhe ize ifelwe nguyise lonina.
who had raised his brother’s daughter Hadassah, who by another name was called Esther. And she had lost both her parents. She was very beautiful, with a graceful appearance. Since her father and mother had both died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.
8 Kwathi umlayo wenkosi kanye lesimiso sekumenyezelwe, amantombazana amanengi alethwa esigodlweni saseSusa afakwa ezandleni zikaHegayi. U-Esta laye wathathwa wasiwa esigodlweni sobukhosi wanikelwa ngaphansi kukaHegayi, owayelinda indawo yabesifazane.
And when the king’s command became very well-known, in accordance with his command, many beautiful virgins were brought to Susa, and were delivered to Hegai the eunuch. Likewise, Esther, along with the other young women, was delivered to him, to be protected with the assembled women.
9 Intombazana le yamthokozisa wayithanda. Wahle wayinika okokuzilungisa kuhle lamakha okuziqhola kanye lokudla okuhle. Wayipha amantombazana ayisikhombisa okuyisebenzela ayekhethwe esigodlweni senkosi, wayisusa kanye lamantombazana ayo, wabafaka endaweni yabesifazane enhle kakhulu.
She was pleasing to him, and she found favor in his sight. And he commanded a eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver her share to her, along with seven of the most beautiful young women of the king’s house, so as to both adorn and honor her and her handmaids.
10 U-Esta wayengavezanga ukuthi udabuka ngaphi lembali yemuli yakibo, ngoba uModekhayi wayethe angakwenzi lokho.
She was not willing to reveal to him her people or her native land. For Mordecai had instructed her that she should keep silent about all these things.
11 Insuku zonke uModekhayi wayehamba eduzane leguma lendlu yabesifazane ukuze ezwe ukuba u-Esta uqhuba njani lokuthi uyaphila na.
He went for a walk every day, in the front courtyard of the house in which the chosen virgins were kept, having concern for Esther’s welfare and wanting to know what would happen to her.
12 Intombi yayiqeda izinyanga eziyisithupha igcotshwa, ilungiswa kuhle njalo iqholwa ngamakha njengalokho okwakulungiselelwa abesifazane; izinyanga eziyisithupha igcotshwa ngamafutha emure lezinye eziyisithupha iqholwa ngamakha lokunye okokuqhola, ingakayi eNkosini u-Ahasuweru.
But, when the time came for each in the line of young women to go in to the king, after everything had been completed concerning feminine grooming, the twelfth month had been reached, to the extent that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for another six months they used certain types of makeup and perfumes.
13 Indlela intombi eyayisiya ngayo enkosini yile: loba yini intombi eyayiyifuna yayikuphiwa ukuze ihambe lakho esigodlweni senkosi isuka endlini yabesifazane.
And when they were going in to the king, whatever they requested to adorn themselves, they received, and when each was pleased with herself, having been prepared in the chamber of the women, she passed on to the king’s chamber.
14 Ntambama yayisiya esigodlweni kuthi ekuseni ibuyele kweyinye indawo yabesifazane iyelondolozwa nguShahashigazi, umthenwa wenkosi owayegcina abafazi beceleni. Wayengabuyeli enkosini ngaphandle kokuba yona ithokoza ngaye njalo imbize ngebizo lakhe.
And whoever entered at evening, departed in the morning, and then from there she was led to the second house, which was under the hand of Shaashgaz the eunuch, who presided over the king’s concubines. Nor did she have the power to return again to the king, unless the king desired it and had summoned her by name.
15 Kwathi lapho ithuba lika-Esta (intombazana eyayondliwe nguModekhayi, indodakazi kamalumakhe u-Abhihayili) selifikile ukuthi aye enkosini, kacelanga lutho ngaphandle kwalokho okwakukhulunywe nguHegayi, umthenwa wenkosi owayelondoloza abesifazane. U-Esta wathakazelelwa yibo bonke abambonayo.
But, as the order continued to progress, the day arrived when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mordecai, whom he had adopted as his daughter, was required to go in to the king. She did not seek feminine ornaments, except that whatever Hegai the eunuch and keeper of the virgins chose, he gave her to adorn her. For she was very attractive, and her incredible beauty made her appear gracious and amiable in the eyes of all.
16 U-Esta wasiwa enkosini ngenyanga yetshumi, inyanga yeThebhethi, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kweNkosi u-Ahasuweru.
And so she was led to the chamber of king Artaxerxes, in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Inkosi yakhangwa ngu-Esta kakhulukazi okwedlula abanye bonke abesifazane, njalo yamthakazelela yathokoza ngaye okwedlula zonke ezinye izintombi ezigcweleyo. Ngakho yamethesa umqhele wobukhosi yamenza waba yindlovukazi endaweni kaVashithi.
And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favor and mercy in his eyes above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and he made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Inkosi yasisenza idili elikhulu kakhulu, idili lika-Esta, isenzela izikhulu kanye leziphathamandla zayo. Yamemezela usuku lwekhefu kuzozonke izabelo, yapha lezipho ngesandla esikhululekileyo sobukhosi.
And he ordered a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the rulers, and for his servants, because of the union and wedding of Esther. And he gave a holiday to all the provinces, and he bestowed gifts befitting of princely generosity.
19 Kwathi izintombi ezigcweleyo sezihlangene okwesibili, uModekhayi wayehlezi esangweni lenkosi.
And when the virgins were sought for the second time and gathered together, Mordecai remained at the king’s gate.
20 U-Esta wayekwenze kwaba yimfihlo okwemuli yakhe lalapho adabuka khona njengokutshelwa kwakhe nguModekhayi ukuba akwenze, njalo waqhubeka elandela imilayo kaModekhayi njengalokhu ayekwenza esamkhulisa.
Esther had not yet declared her native land and her people, according to his command. For whatever he instructed, Esther observed. And so she did all things as she had become accustomed in the time when he raised her from early childhood.
21 Ngesikhathi uModekhayi ehlezi esangweni lenkosi, abathenwa benkosi ababili ababelinda emnyango, uBhigithani loThereshi, bathukuthela baceba ukuyibulala inkosi u-Ahasuweru.
Therefore, at that time, when Mordecai was staying at the king’s gate, Bagatha and Thara, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were gatekeepers and who presided over the first entryway of the palace, were angry, and they decided to rise up against the king and kill him.
22 Kodwa uModekhayi wakuzwa ababekuceba wasetshela iNdlovukazi u-Esta, owabika lokho enkosini, ebabaza isenzo esihle sikaModekhayi.
But Mordecai did not keep this secret, and immediately he reported it to queen Esther, and she reported it to the king in Mordecai’s name, who had brought the matter to her.
23 Kwathi lowombiko usuhlolisisiwe kwatholakala ukuthi uliqiniso, iziphathamandla lezo zombili zalengiswa endaweni yokulenga. Konke lokhu kwalotshwa ogwalweni lwezindaba phambi kwenkosi.
It was inquired into and discovered, and they were both hanged on a gallows. And it was committed to the histories and the chronicles which are delivered in the sight of the king.
