U-Esta 2
1 Emva kokuba ukuthukuthela kweNkosi u-Ahasuweru sekudedile, yamkhumbula uVashithi kanye lalokho ayekwenzile, lalokho okwakumenyezelwe ngaye.
After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi kuyo, “Akudingelwe inkosi amantombazana agcweleyo, amahle.
Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
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.
Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
4 Besekusithi intombi ethokozisa inkosi ibe yiNdlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashithi.” Iseluleko lesi sayithokozisa inkosi, yasisilandela.
and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
5 Kwakukhona esigodlweni saseSusa umJuda owendlu yakoBhenjamini, okwakuthiwa nguModekhayi, indodana kaJayiri, indodana kaShimeyi, indodana kaKhishi,
There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
6 owayethunjwe eJerusalema nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, kanye loJekhoniya inkosi yakoJuda wayephakathi kwabathunjwayo.
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
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.
He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for 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.
So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the 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.
The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.
10 U-Esta wayengavezanga ukuthi udabuka ngaphi lembali yemuli yakibo, ngoba uModekhayi wayethe angakwenzi lokho.
Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.
11 Insuku zonke uModekhayi wayehamba eduzane leguma lendlu yabesifazane ukuze ezwe ukuba u-Esta uqhuba njani lokuthi uyaphila na.
Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of 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.
Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
13 Indlela intombi eyayisiya ngayo enkosini yile: loba yini intombi eyayiyifuna yayikuphiwa ukuze ihambe lakho esigodlweni senkosi isuka endlini yabesifazane.
The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.
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.
In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called 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.
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favour in the sight of all those who looked at her.
16 U-Esta wasiwa enkosini ngenyanga yetshumi, inyanga yeThebhethi, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kweNkosi u-Ahasuweru.
So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month 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.
The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favour and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and 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.
Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
19 Kwathi izintombi ezigcweleyo sezihlangene okwesibili, uModekhayi wayehlezi esangweni lenkosi.
When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in 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 made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.
21 Ngesikhathi uModekhayi ehlezi esangweni lenkosi, abathenwa benkosi ababili ababelinda emnyango, uBhigithani loThereshi, bathukuthela baceba ukuyibulala inkosi u-Ahasuweru.
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
22 Kodwa uModekhayi wakuzwa ababekuceba wasetshela iNdlovukazi u-Esta, owabika lokho enkosini, ebabaza isenzo esihle sikaModekhayi.
This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
23 Kwathi lowombiko usuhlolisisiwe kwatholakala ukuthi uliqiniso, iziphathamandla lezo zombili zalengiswa endaweni yokulenga. Konke lokhu kwalotshwa ogwalweni lwezindaba phambi kwenkosi.
When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
