U-Esta 9

1 Ngelanga letshumi lantathu ngenyanga yetshumi lambili, inyanga ethiwa ngu-Adari, isimemezelo somlayo wenkosi kwakufanele senziwe. Ngalelilanga izitha zamaJuda zazisithi zizakuwanqoba, kodwa akusayanga njengokucabangela kwabo ngoba amaJuda aba yiwo anqobayo.

So on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said above is called Adar, when all the Jews were designed to be massacred, and their enemies were greedy after their blood, the case being altered, the Jews began to have the upper hand, and to revenge themselves of their adversaries.

2 AmaJuda abuthana emadolobheni awo kuzozonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru ukuhlasela labo ababefuna ukubachitha. Kakho owayengamelana labo, ngoba abantu bezizwe zonke ezinye babebesaba.

And they gathered themselves together in every city, and town, and place, to lay their hands on their enemies, and their persecutors. And no one durst withstand them, for the fear of their power had gone through every people.

3 Ngakho zonke izikhulu zezabelo, iziphathamandla, ababusi kanye lezisebenzi zenkosi bancedisa amaJuda, ngoba besesaba uModekhayi.

And the judges of the provinces, and the governors, and lieutenants, and every one in dignity, that presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mardochai:

4 UModekhayi wayesengumuntu omkhulu esigodlweni; udumo lwakhe lwamemetheka kuzozonke izabelo, waba lamandla amakhulu kakhulu.

For they knew him to be prince of the palace, and to have great power: and the fame of his name increased daily, and was spread abroad through all men’s mouths.

5 AmaJuda acakaza izitha zawo zonke ngenkemba, enza intando yawo ezitheni ezaziwazonda.

So the Jews made a great slaughter of their enemies, and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them:

6 Esigodlweni saseSusa, amaJuda abulala njalo achitha amadoda angamakhulu amahlanu.

Insomuch that even in Susan they killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Aman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews: whose names are these:

7 Abulala njalo uPharishandatha, uDalifoni, u-Asiphatha,

Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphatha,

8 uPhoratha, u-Adaliya, u-Aridatha,

And Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9 uPharimashitha, u-Arisayi, u-Aridayi loVayizatha,

And Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Jezatha.

10 amadodana alitshumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha samaJuda. Kodwa abazange bayithathe impango.

And when they had slain them, they would not touch the spoils of their goods.

11 Inani lalabo ababulawayo esigodlweni saseSusa labikwa enkosini ngalelolanga.

And presently the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king.

12 Inkosi yathi eNdlovukazini u-Esta, “AmaJuda asebulale njalo achitha amadoda angamakhulu amahlanu kanye lamadodana kaHamani alitshumi enqabeni yaseSusa. Kuyini asebekwenze kwezinye izabelo zenkosi? Tshono, siyini isicelo sakho? Uzakunikwa. Kuyini okucelayo na? Lakho uzakwenzelwa.”

And he said to the queen: The Jews have killed five hundred men in the city of Susan, besides the ten sons of Aman: how many dost thou think they have slain in all the provinces? What askest thou more, and what wilt thou have me to command to be done?

13 U-Esta wathi, “Nxa kuyithokozisa inkosi, phana imvumo kubaJuda abaseSusa ukuthi benze isimiso somlayo lo kusasa njalo uvumele ukuba amadodana kaHamani alitshumi alengiswe esakhiweni sokulengisa.”

And she answered: If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, to do tomorrow in Susan as they have done today, and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged upon gibbets.

14 Inkosi yalaya ukuba kwenziwe lokho. Isimiso somlayo samenyezelwa eSusa, alengiswa amadodana kaHamani alitshumi.

And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict was hung up in Susan, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.

15 AmaJuda aseSusa ahlangana ndawonye ngelanga letshumi lane ngenyanga ethiwa ngu-Adari, abulala amadoda angamakhulu amathathu eSusa, kodwa abazange bayithinte impango.

And on the fourteenth day of the month Adar the Jews gathered themselves together, and they killed in Susan three hundred men: but they took not their substance.

16 Kusenjalo, amaJuda ayesele ezabelweni zenkosi ahlangana ukuba azivikele lokuthi athole ukuphumula ezitheni zawo. Abulala izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu kodwa kawazange ayithinte impango.

Moreover through all the provinces which were subject to the king’s dominion the Jews stood for their lives, and slew their enemies and persecutors: insomuch that the number of them that were Billed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and no man took any of their goods.

17 Lokhu kwenzakala ngelanga letshumi lantathu ngenyanga ethiwa ngu-Adari, kwathi ngelanga letshumi lane aphumula alenza ilanga lentokozo ledili.

Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.

18 AmaJuda aseSusa wona ayehlangene ngelanga letshumi lantathu leletshumi lane, kwathi ngeletshumi lanhlanu aphumula alenza laba lilanga lentokozo lokudla.

But they that were killing in the city of Susan, were employed in the slaughter on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month: and on the fifteenth day they rested. And therefore they appointed that day to be a holy day of feasting and gladness.

19 Yikho amaJuda ahlala emaphandleni lemizini engelamithangala ethakazelela usuku lwetshumi lane olwenyanga ka-Adari njengelanga lentokozo ledili, ilanga lokuphana izipho.

But those Jews that dwelt in towns not walled and in villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for banquets and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day, and send one another portions of their banquets and meats.

20 UModekhayi wabhala ngalezizinto, wasethumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda kuzozonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru, eziseduze lezikhatshana,

And Mardochai wrote all these things, and sent them comprised in letters to the Jews that abode in all the king’s provinces, both those that lay near and those afar off,

21 ukuthi babeledili lokuthokoza minyaka yonke ngamalanga etshumi lane letshumi lanhlanu enyangeni ethiwa ngu-Adari

That they should receive the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always at the return of the year should celebrate them with solemn honour:

22 kube yisikhumbuzo sesikhathi lapho amaJuda athola khona ukuphumula ezitheni zawo, njalo kuyinyanga lapho usizi lwaba yintokozo lokulila kwaba lilanga lokujabula. Wawabhalela ukuba akhumbule lawo malanga abe zinsuku zokuthokoza lamadili njalo aphanane izipho zokudla kanye lokupha abayanga izipho.

Because on those days the Jews revenged themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, and that these should be days of feasting and gladness, in which they should send one to another portions of meats; and should give gifts to the poor.

23 Ngakho amaJuda avuma ukuqhubeka ngamadili entokozo ayewaqalile, esenza lokho uModekhayi ayewabhalele ngakho.

And the Jews undertook to observe with solemnity all they had begun to do at that time, which Mardochai by letters had commanded to be done.

24 Ngoba uHamani indodana kaHamedatha, umʼAgagi, isitha samaJuda wonke, wayecebe ukuwachitha amaJuda njalo wayenze inkatho okuthiwa yiphuri eyadala ukubhujiswa lencithakalo yawo.

For Aman, the son of Amadathi of the race of Agag, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and destroy them: and had cast Phur, that is, the lot.

25 Kodwa kwathi icebo lelo selivelile enkosini, yathumela imilayo ebhaliweyo ukuthi amaqhinga amabi kaHamani ayekade ewamisele amaJuda acine esephendukela yena, njalo yena lamadodana akhe balengiswe endaweni eyakhelwe lokho.

And afterwards Esther went in to the king, beseeching him that his endeavours might be made void by the king’s letters: and the evil that he had intended against the Jews, might return upon his own head. And so both he and his sons were hanged upon gibbets.

26 (Ngakho amalanga lawo athiwa yiPhurimi, kusuka ebizweni elithi phuri.) Ngenxa yakho konke okubhalwe encwadini le lakho konke ababekubonile lokwakwenzakale kubo,

And since that time these days are called Phurim, that is, of lots: because Phur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that were done, are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book:

27 amaJuda akwenza umlandu wawo ukuthi aqalise umkhuba wokuthi wona kanye lezizukulwane zawo labo bonke abahlanganyela lawo kumele loba kutheni baphumule ngezinsuku lezi ezimbili minyaka yonke, ngendlela eyayimisiwe langesikhathi esasiqanjiwe.

And the things that they suffered, and that were afterwards changed, the Jews took upon themselves and their seed, and upon all that had a mind to be joined to their religion, so that it should be lawful for none to pass these days without solemnity: which the writing testifieth, and certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.

28 Amalanga la kumele akhunjulwe njalo alandelwe kuzozonke izizukulwane zezimuli zonke, ezifundeni zonke lemadolobheni wonke. Akumelanga amalanga ePhurimi la ayekelwe ukuthakazelelwa ngamaJuda, loba ukuthi isikhumbuzo sawo sikhohlakale kumbe sitshabalale kuzizukulwane zawo.

These are the days which shall never be forgot: and which all provinces in the whole world shall celebrate throughout all generations: neither is there any city wherein the days of Phurim, that is, of lots, must not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which is bound to these ceremonies.

29 Ngakho, iNdlovukazi u-Esta, indodakazi ka-Abhihayili, kanye loModekhayi umJuda, babhala ngegunya langamandla amakhulu beqinisekisa incwadi yesibili eyayimayelana lePhurimi.

And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mardochai the Jew, wrote also a second epistle, that with all diligence this day should be established a festival for the time to come.

30 UModekhayi wathumela izincwadi kubo bonke abangamaJuda ezifundeni ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa embusweni ka-Ahasuweru, amazwi okubafisela ukuthula lokubaqinisa,

And they sent to all the Jews that were in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of king Assuerus, that they should have peace, and receive truth,

31 ukuba lezinsuku zePhurimi ngezikhathi ezazimisiwe, njengokumemezela kukaModekhayi umJuda leNdlovukazi u-Esta, lanjengalokhu ababeziqalisele khona kanye lezizukulwane zabo mayelana lezikhathi zokuzila lokulila.

And observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy in their proper time: as Mardochai and Esther had appointed, and they undertook them to be observed by themselves and by their seed, fasts, and cries, and the days of lots,

32 Isimemezelo sika-Esta saqinisa imithetho le emayelana lePhurimi, kwalotshwa phansi emibhalweni.

And all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.