< U-Esta 6 >
1 Ngalobobusuku ubuthongo benkosi babaleka; yasisithi kakulethwe ugwalo lwezikhumbuzo lwemilando; yasibalwa phambi kwenkosi.
2 Kwasekutholakala kubhaliwe ukuthi uModekhayi wabika ngoBigithana loTereshi, abathenwa ababili benkosi, abalindi bombundu, ababedinge ukwelulela isandla enkosini uAhasuwerusi.
3 Inkosi yasisithi: Dumo lobukhulu bani obenziwa kuModekhayi ngalokhu? Izinceku zenkosi ezaziyikhonza zasezisithi: Kakwenziwanga lutho kuye.
4 Inkosi yasisithi: Ngubani osegumeni? UHamani wayesengene egumeni elingaphandle lendlu yenkosi ukukhuluma enkosini ukuthi ilengise uModekhayi egodweni ayemlungisele lona.
5 Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi kuyo: Khangela, uHamani umi egumeni. Inkosi yasisithi: Kangene.
6 UHamani wasengena; inkosi yasisithi kuye: Kwenziweni kumuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe? UHamani wasesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: Ngubani inkosi engathokoza ukumnika udumo okwedlula mina?
7 UHamani wasesithi enkosini: Umuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe,
8 kakulethwe isembatho sobukhosi inkosi uqobo esigqokayo, lebhiza inkosi eligadayo, lokuthi umqhele wobukhosi ubekwe enhlokweni yalo;
9 lesembatho lebhiza kunikwe esandleni somunye weziphathamandla zenkosi ezihloniphekayo, lokuthi bagqokise lowomuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe, bamgadise ibhiza adabule igceke lomuzi, bamemeze phambi kwakhe bathi: Kwenziwa nje emuntwini inkosi ethokoza ngodumo lwakhe.
10 Inkosi yasisithi kuHamani: Phangisa thatha isembatho lebhiza njengokutsho kwakho, wenze njalo kuModekhayi umJuda ohlala esangweni lenkosi; kungawi lalizwi kukho konke okukhulumileyo.
11 UHamani wasethatha isembatho lebhiza, wagqokisa uModekhayi, wamgadisa wadabula igceke lomuzi, wamemeza phambi kwakhe wathi: Kwenziwa nje emuntwini inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe.
12 Wasebuyela uModekhayi esangweni lenkosi, kodwa uHamani wahaluzela waya endlini yakhe elila embomboze ikhanda.
13 UHamani wasetshela uZereshi umkakhe labo bonke abangane bakhe konke okumehleleyo. Abahlakaniphileyo bakhe loZereshi umkakhe basebesithi kuye: Uba uModekhayi engowenzalo yamaJuda, osuqalise ukuwa phambi kwakhe, kawuyikumelana laye, kodwa uzakuwa lokuwa phambi kwakhe.
14 Besakhuluma loHamani, abathenwa benkosi basondela, bahaluzela ukuletha uHamani edilini uEsta ayelenzile.
