< U-Esta 3 >

1 Emva kwalezizindaba inkosi uAhasuwerusi yamkhulisa uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, yamphakamisa, yabeka isihlalo sakhe phezu kwazo zonke iziphathamandla ezazilaye.
Some time after this, King Xerxes honored Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, giving him a position higher than all his fellow officials.
2 Ngakho zonke inceku zenkosi ezazisesangweni lenkosi zakhothama zamkhonza uHamani, ngoba inkosi yayilaye ngokunjalo ngaye. Kodwa uModekhayi kakhothamanga kakhonzanga.
All the officials in royal employment bowed down and showed respect to Haman, for this is what the king had commanded. But Mordecai would not bow down and show respect to him.
3 Izinceku zenkosi ezazisesangweni lenkosi zasezisithi kuModekhayi: Kungani useqa umlayo wenkosi?
The king's officials asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king's command?”
4 Kwasekusithi zikhuluma laye insuku ngensuku, kodwa engazizwanga, zamtshela uHamani ukuze zibone ukuthi amazwi kaModekhayi azakuma yini; ngoba wayezitshelile ukuthi ungumJuda.
They talked to him about it day after day, but he refused to listen. So they told Haman about it to see if he would put up with what Mordecai was doing, for Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.
5 UHamani esebonile ukuthi uModekhayi kakhothamanga njalo kakhonzanga kuye, uHamani wagcwala intukuthelo.
Haman was furious when he saw that Mordecai did not bow down and show respect to him.
6 Wesedelela emehlweni akhe ukumthela isandla uModekhayi yedwa, ngoba babemtshelile abantu bakibo kaModekhayi, ngakho uHamani wadinga ukuchitha wonke amaJuda, ayesembusweni wonke kaAhasuwerusi, abantu bakibo kaModekhayi.
Having found out who Mordecai's people were, he dismissed the idea of just killing Mordecai. He decided to kill every Jew in the whole Persian Empire—all of Mordecai's people!
7 Ngenyanga yokuqala, eyinyanga uNisani, ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wenkosi uAhasuwerusi, baphosa iPuri, eliyinkatho, phambi kukaHamani, kusukela osukwini kusiya osukwini, njalo kusukela enyangeni kusiya enyangeni yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari.
In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, “pur” (meaning a “lot”) was cast in Haman's presence to choose a day and month, taking each day and each month one at a time. The lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8 UHamani wasesithi enkosini uAhasuwerusi: Kukhona abantu abathile abahlakazeke basabalala phakathi kwabantu ezabelweni zonke zombuso wakho; lemilayo yabo yehlukile kweyabo bonke abantu, lemilayo yenkosi kabayenzi; ngakho kakufanelanga enkosini ukuthi ibayekele bahlale.
Haman went to King Xerxes and said, “There's a particular people living among others in many different places throughout the provinces of your empire who cut themselves off from everybody else. They have their own laws which are different to those of any other people, and what's more, they don't obey the king's laws. So it's not a good idea for Your Majesty to ignore them.
9 Uba kulungile enkosini, kakubhalwe ukuthi bachithwe, njalo ngizalinganisa amathalenta esiliva azinkulungwane ezilitshumi ezandleni zabenzi bomsebenzi, ukuze afakwe kokuligugu kwenkosi.
If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree to destroy them, and I will personally contribute 10,000 silver talents to those who carry out the king's business to be placed in the royal treasury.”
10 Inkosi yasikhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo esandleni sayo, yayinika uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha samaJuda.
The king took off his signet ring and handed it to Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
11 Inkosi yasisithi kuHamani: Isiliva usinikiwe, labantu, ukwenza ngabo njengokuhle emehlweni akho.
The king told Haman, “You can have the money, and do to the people whatever you want.”
12 Kwasekubizwa ababhali benkosi ngenyanga yokuqala ngosuku lwetshumi lantathu lwayo; kwasekubhalwa njengakho konke uHamani ayekulayile, ezikhulwini zenkosi lakubabusi ababephezu kwesabelo lesabelo, lakuziphathamandla zesizwe lesizwe sesabelo lesabelo, njengokombhalo waso, labantu ngabantu ngokolimi lwabo; kwabhalwa ebizweni lenkosi uAhasuwerusi, kwananyathiselwa ngendandatho yophawu lwenkosi.
On the thirteenth day of the first month the king's secretaries were summoned. A decree was issued in accordance with everything Haman demanded and sent to the king's chief officers, the governors of the different provinces and the nobles of the various peoples in the provinces. It was sent in the script of each province and in the language of every people, with the authorization of King Xerxes and sealed with his signet ring.
13 Incwadi zathunyelwa ngesandla sezigijimi kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi ukuchitha, ukubulala, lokubhubhisa wonke amaJuda, kusukela komutsha kusiya komdala, abantwanyana labesifazana, ngasuku lunye, ngolwetshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari, lokuthi kuphangwe impahla yawo.
Letters were sent by messenger to all the provinces in the king's empire with orders to destroy, kill, and annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, and confiscate their possessions, all in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
14 Ikhophi yombhalo yokuthi umlayo unikwe kuso sonke isabelo ngesabelo yayisobala kubo bonke abantu ukuze balungele lolosuku.
A copy of the decree was to be issued as law in every province and publicized to the people so that they would be ready for the day.
15 Izigijimi zaphuma ziphangisiswa yilizwi lenkosi, lomthetho wanikwa eShushani isigodlo. Inkosi loHamani basebehlalela ukunatha, kodwa umuzi iShushani wawusanganisekile.
By order of the king the messengers hurried on their way. The decree was also issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down for a drink while the people in city of Susa were very disturbed.

< U-Esta 3 >