< U-Esta 4 >
1 Kwathi uModekhayi esezwile ngakho konke okwasekwenziwe, wadabula iziqgoko zakhe, wagqoka amasaka okulila, wazihuqa ngomlotha, waphuma wangena phakathi komuzi ekhala kakhulu njalo kabuhlungukazi.
Modhekai paakanzwa zvose zvakanga zvaitwa, akabvarura nguo dzake, akapfeka masaga, akazvizora madota, akapinda muguta achiungudza neshungu kwazvo.
2 Kodwa wahamba wayafika esangweni lenkosi, ngoba akulamuntu owayevunyelwa ukungena egqoke amasaka okulila.
Asi akangosvika pasuo ramambo chete, nokuti munhu akapfeka masaga akanga asingabvumirwi kupinda.
3 Kuzozonke izabelo lapho isimiso somthetho lomlayo wenkosi okwafika khona, kwaba lokulila okukhulu kubaJuda, bazila ukudla, bakhala njalo belila. Abanengi balala emlotheni begqoke amasaka okulila.
Munyika ipi neipi makasvika chirevo nomurayiro wamambo, maiva nokuchema kukuru pakati pavaJudha, nokutsanya, kuchema, nokuungudza. Vazhinji vakapfeka masaga vakarara mumadota.
4 Kwathi izinceku zika-Esta kanye labathenwa bakhe befika bemtshela ngoModekhayi, waba lokudabuka okukhulu. Wamthumela izembatho zokuthi agqoke endaweni yamasaka okulila, kodwa wala ukuzamukela.
Varandakadzi vaEsteri navaranda vake pavakasvika vakamuudza nezvaModhekai, akatambudzika zvikuru. Akamutumira mbatya kuti apfeke panzvimbo yamasaga ake, asi haana kuzvigamuchira.
5 U-Esta wasebiza uHathakhi, omunye wabathenwa benkosi owayekhethwe ukuba yinceku yakhe, wamlaya ukuba ayedingisisa lokho okwakukhathaza uModekhayi lembangela yakho.
Ipapo Esteri akatuma Hataki, mumwe wavaranda vamambo vaimushandira, akamurayira kuti atsvake kuti dambudziko raModhekai raiva rei uye kuti rakanga ravapo nokuda kwei.
6 Ngakho uHathakhi waya kuModekhayi egcekeni ledolobho phambi kwesango lenkosi.
Saka Hataki akabuda akaenda kuna Modhekai pachivara cheguta pamberi pesuo ramambo.
7 UModekhayi wamtshela konke okwakwenzakale kuye, kugoqela inani lemali uHamani ayethembise ukulibhadala lingene enothweni yenkosi kusenzelwa ukubhujiswa kwamaJuda.
Modhekai akamuudza zvose zvakanga zvaitika kwaari, pamwe chete nemari chaiyoiyo yakanga yavimbiswa naHamani kuti achaisa mudura ramambo kuti vaJudha vaparadzwe.
8 Wamupha njalo amazwi esimemezelo leso ayesekhutshwe aba ngumthetho omisiweyo wokubhujiswa kwabo, owawumenyezelwe eSusa, ukuze awutshengise u-Esta njalo amchazele ngawo; njalo wamtshela ukuthi amkhuthaze ukuba aye enkosini ukuyacela isihawu sayo encengela abantu bakibo.
Akamupawo gwaro rechirevo chezvokuparadzwa zvachose kwavo, rakanga raparadzirwa muShushani, kuti andoratidza Esteri uye amutsanangurire nezvaro, uye akamuudza kuti amukurudzire kuti aende andomira pamberi pamambo akumbire kuti vanzwirwe ngoni uye agoreverera vanhu vake kwaari.
9 UHathakhi wabuyela wayamtshela u-Esta lokho okwakukhulunywe nguModekhayi.
Hataki akadzokerazve akandozivisa Esteri zvakanga zvarehwa naModhekai.
10 Yena wasemlaya ukuba athi kuModekhayi,
Ipapo akamurayira kuti andoti kuna Modhekai,
11 “Zonke iziphathamandla zenkosi kanye labasezigodlweni ezabelweni bayakwazi ukuthi inkosi ilomthetho owodwa zwi kuloba yiphi indoda loba owesifazane osondela enkosini angene endlini ephakathi engabizwanga; kufanele abulawe, ngaphandle kokuba inkosi yelule intonga yayo yegolide imkhombe ngayo ukuze impilo yakhe iphephe. Kodwa, sekwedlule amalanga angamatshumi amathathu selokhu ngacina ukubizelwa enkosini.”
“Vabati vose vamambo navanhu vomunyika dzamambo vanoziva kuti mambo vanongova nomurayiro mumwe wokuti, murume upi zvake kana mukadzi anosvika pana mambo muruvazhe rwomukati asina kudaidzwa anofanira kuurayiwa. Anongoraramiswa chete kana mambo atambanudzira tsvimbo yake yegoridhe kwaari. Asi mazuva makumi matatu atopfuura mushure mokunge ndadaidzwa kuti ndiende kuna mambo.”
12 Kwathi amazwi ka-Esta ebikwa kuModekhayi,
Mashoko aEsteri akati aziviswa kuna Modhekai,
13 waphendula wathi: “Ungacabangi ukuthi ngoba wena usendlini yenkosi nguwe wedwa kuwo wonke amaJuda ozaphepha.
iye akapindura achiti, “Usafunga kuti zvauri mumba mamambo iwe woga pakati pavaJudha uchapunyuka.
14 Nxa ungala uthule ngalesisikhathi, usizo lokukhululwa kwamaJuda kuzavela kwenye indawo, kodwa wena kanye lemuli kayihlo lizabhubha. Njalo kwazi bani, ukuthi uze kulesi sikhundla sobukhosi ngenxa yesikhathi esinjengalesi na?”
Nokuti kana iwe ukanyarara panguva ino, kusunungurwa nokurwirwa kwavaJudha zvichabva kune imwe nzvimbo, asi iwe nemhuri yababa vako muchaparara. Zvino ndiani angaziva zvakaita kuti uve muimba youmambo nenguva yakaita seino?”
15 U-Esta wasethumela impendulo le kuModekhayi:
Ipapo Esteri akatumira mhinduro kuna Modhekai achiti,
16 “Hamba uyebuthanisa ndawonye wonke amaJuda aseSusa, lingizilele ukudla. Lingaze ladla loba ukunatha okwensuku ezintathu, ebusuku lemini. Mina kanye lezincekukazi zami sizazila njengani. Nxa lokhu sekwenziwe, ngizakuya enkosini loba nje lokho kungekho emthethweni. Nxa ngisifa, ngiyabe ngifile.”
“Enda unounganidza vaJudha vose vari muShushani, muzvinyime zvokudya nokuda kwangu. Musadya kana kunwa kwamazuva matatu, usiku namasikati. Ini navarandakadzi vangu tichazvinyima zvokudya sezvamuchaita imi. Kana izvi zvaitwa, ndichaenda kuna mambo, kunyange zvisingatenderwi nomurayiro. Uye kana ndichiparara, ndichaparara hangu.”
17 Ngakho uModekhayi wasuka wayakwenza lokho okwakulaywe ngu-Esta.
Saka Modhekai akaenda akaita zvose zvakanga zvarayirwa naEsteri.