U-Esta 2
1 Emva kwalezizinto, ulaka lwenkosi uAhasuwerusi seludedile, wamkhumbula uVashiti, lalokho ayekwenzile, lalokho okwaqunywa ngaye.
After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Izinceku zenkosi ezaziyisebenzela zasezisithi: Kakudingelwe inkosi amantombazana, izintombi ezikhangeleka kuhle.
Then said the young men of the king, who waited upon him, —Let them seek out for the king young virgins, of pleasing appearance;
3 Inkosi imise-ke ababonisi kuzo zonke izabelo zombuso, ukuze babuthanise wonke amantombazana, izintombi ezikhangeleka kuhle, eShushani isigodlo, endlini yabesifazana, esandleni sikaHegayi, umthenwa wenkosi, umlondolozi wabesifazana, lokunika okokuqhola kwawo.
and let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather together every young virgin of pleasing appearance unto Shusan the palace, unto the house of the women, into the custody of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and let there be given the things needed for their purification;
4 Kuthi intombazana enhle emehlweni enkosi ibe yindlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti. Indaba yayilungile-ke emehlweni enkosi, yenza njalo.
and, the maiden that is pleasing in the eyes of the king, let her be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.
5 Kwakukhona indoda engumJuda eShushani isigodlo, obizo layo lalinguModekhayi indodana kaJayiri indodana kaShimeyi indodana kaKishi, umBhenjamini,
A certain Jew, there was, in Shusan the palace, —whose, name, was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a man of Benjamin;
6 owayethunjwe eJerusalema kanye labathunjwa ababethunjwe loJekoniya inkosi yakoJuda, uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni owayebathumbile.
who had been exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, —whom, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, exiled.
7 Njalo wayesondla uHadasa, onguEsta, umntakamalumakhe, ngoba wayengelayise kumbe unina; njalo intombi yayinhle ngesimo njalo ikhangeleka kuhle; ekufeni-ke kukayise lonina uModekhayi wayithatha yaba yindodakazi yakhe.
And it came to pass, that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same, was Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, —and, the maiden, was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
8 Kwasekusithi sekuzwakele ilizwi lenkosi lomthetho wayo, lapho sekubuthaniswe izintombi ezinengi eShushani isigodlo esandleni sikaHegayi, uEsta laye wathathwa wasiwa endlini yenkosi esandleni sikaHegayi, umlondolozi wabesifazana.
So it came to pass, when the king’s command and decree was heard, and there had been gathered together many maidens unto Shusan the palace, unto the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the house of the king, unto the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women;
9 Lentombi yayinhle emehlweni akhe, yazuza umusa phambi kwakhe; wasehle eyinika amakha ayo lezabelo zayo, lamantombazana akhethiweyo ayisikhombisa ukuyinika avela endlini yenkosi; wayisusa wayifaka yona lamantombazana ayo endaweni enhle yendlu yabesifazana.
and the maiden was pleasing in his eyes, and she received lovingkindness before him, and he hastened to give her, the things needed for her purification, and things apportioned her, and to give her, seven select maidens, out of the house of the king, —and he removed her and her maidens to the best place in the house of the women.
10 UEsta wayengakhulumanga abantu bakwabo lomhlobo wakhe, ngoba uModekhayi wayemlayile ukuthi angakukhulumi.
Esther had not told of her people, nor of her kindred, —for, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, that she should not tell.
11 Langalo lonke usuku ngosuku uModekhayi wayehambahamba phambi kweguma lendlu yabesifazana ukwazi impilakahle kaEsta lokuthi kuyini okuzakwenzeka kuye.
And, throughout every day, Mordecai, used to walk to and fro, before the court of the house of the women, —to get to know the welfare of Esther, and what would be done with her.
12 Lekufikeni kwezopha lentombi ngentombi ukungena enkosini uAhasuwerusi ekucineni sekwenziwe kuye njengomthetho wabesifazana, inyanga ezilitshumi lambili, ngoba ngokunjalo kwagcwaliseka insuku zamakha awo, inyanga eziyisithupha ngamafutha emure, lenyanga eziyisithupha ngamakha okuqhola, langamanye amakha abesifazana.
Now, when the turn of each maiden came, to go in unto King Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her according to the law of the women for twelve months, for, so, were filled the days of their purification, —six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with things for the purification of the women,
13 Ngalokho-ke intombi yangena enkosini; loba kuyini ekutshoyo izakunikwa ukuthi ihambe lakho isuka endlini yabesifazana isiya endlini yenkosi.
then, indeed, the maiden came in unto the king, —whatsoever she might mention, was given her, to go with her, out of the house of the women up to the house of the king:
14 Ntambama yangena, lekuseni ibuyele endlini yesibili yabesifazana, esandleni sikaShashigazi umthenwa wenkosi umlondolozi wabafazi abancinyane; kayingenanga futhi enkosini ngaphandle kokuthi inkosi ithokoze ngayo, ibizwe ngebizo.
in the evening, she went in, and, in the morning, she returned—unto the second house of the women, unto the custody of Shaashgaz the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines, —she went not in again unto the king, except the king delighted in her, and she were called by name.
15 Kwathi selifikile izopho likaEsta, indodakazi kaAbihayili umalumakhe kaModekhayi owayemthethe waba yindodakazi yakhe, lokuthi angene enkosini, kacelanga lutho ngaphandle kwalokho uHegayi umthenwa wenkosi umlondolozi wabesifazana akutshoyo. UEsta wayesemukela-ke umusa emehlweni abo bonke abambonayo.
But, when the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai—who had taken her as his own daughter—to go in unto the king, she requested nothing, save what Hegai the king’s eunuch who kept the women might direct, —but so it was, that Esther obtained favour in the eyes of all who beheld her.
16 Ngokunjalo uEsta wasiwa enkosini uAhasuwerusi endlini yayo yesikhosini ngenyanga yetshumi, eyinyanga kaTebethi, ngomnyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kwayo.
So then Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, into his royal house, in the tenth month, the same, was the month Tebeth, —in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Inkosi yasimthanda uEsta okwedlula bonke abesifazana, wemukela umusa lesihe phambi kwayo okwedlula zonke intombi, yasibeka umqhele wobukhosi ekhanda lakhe, yamenza indlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti.
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favour and lovingkindness before him, above all the virgins, —so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen, instead of Vashti.
18 Inkosi yasisenzela zonke iziphathamandla zayo lenceku zayo idili elikhulu, idili likaEsta. Yenzela izabelo ikhefu, yapha izipho njengokwamandla enkosi.
Then the king made a great banquet, for all his rulers and his servants, the banquet of Esther, —and, a remission, for all the provinces, made he, and gave a present, according to the bounty of a king.
19 Kwathi intombi sezibuthanisiwe okwesibili, uModekhayi wayehlezi esangweni lenkosi.
Now, when virgins were gathered together second time, then, Mordecai, was sitting in the gate of the king.
20 UEsta wayengakhulumanga umhlobo wakhe labantu bakibo, njengoba uModekhayi wamlaya, ngoba uEsta wenza umlayo kaModekhayi njengalapho esondliwa elaye.
Esther had not told of her kindred, nor her people, as, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, —and, the command of Mordecai, Esther performed, like as when she was being brought up with him.
21 Ngalezozinsuku uModekhayi ehlezi esangweni lenkosi, oBigithani loTereshi abathenwa ababili benkosi, abalindi bombundu, bathukuthela, badinga ukuyithela isandla inkosi uAhasuwerusi.
In those days, when, Mordecai, was sitting in the gate of the king, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the eunuchs of the king who guarded the threshold, were wroth, and sought to thrust a hand upon King Ahasuerus;
22 Njalo udaba lwaziwa kuModekhayi, waselutshela uEsta indlovukazi; njalo uEsta wayitshela inkosi ebizweni likaModekhayi.
but the thing became known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen, —and Esther told it unto the king, in the name of Mordecai.
23 Lolodaba seluhlolwa, lwatholakala lunjalo; ngakho bobabili baphanyekwa esihlahleni. Kwasekubhalwa egwalweni lwemilando phambi kwenkosi.
And, when the thing was searched into and found [true], then were they two hanged upon the gallows, and it was written, in the book of the chronicles, before the king.
