U-Esta 8
1 Ngalolosuku inkosi uAhasuwerusi yanika uEsta indlovukazi indlu kaHamani isitha samaJuda. UModekhayi wasesiza phambi kwenkosi ngoba uEsta wayeselandisile ukuthi wayeyini kuye.
On that day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews’ enemy, to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.
2 Inkosi yasikhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo eyayiyithathele uHamani, yayinika uModekhayi. UEsta wasebeka uModekhayi phezu kwendlu kaHamani.
The king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3 UEsta wasebuya ekhuluma phambi kwenkosi, wawa phambi kwenyawo zayo wakhala inyembezi wayincenga ukuthi isuse ububi bukaHamani umAgagi, logobe lwakhe ayelucebe ngamaJuda.
Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his plan that he had planned against the Jews.
4 Inkosi yasiselulela intonga yobukhosi yegolide kuEsta. UEsta wasesukuma wema phambi kwenkosi,
Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before the king.
5 wasesithi: Uba kukuhle enkosini, uba-ke ngithole umusa phambi kwayo, lodaba lulungile phambi kwenkosi, lami ngilungile emehlweni ayo, kakubhalwe ukubuyisela emuva izincwadi, ugobe lukaHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, ayelubhalele ukubhubhisa amaJuda asezabelweni zonke zenkosi.
She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.
6 Ngoba ngingaba lakho njani ukubona ububi obuzathola isizwe sakithi? Kumbe ngingaba lakho njani ukubona ukubhujiswa kwezihlobo zami?
For how can I endure to see the evil that would come to my people? How can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?”
7 Inkosi uAhasuwerusi yasisithi kuEsta indlovukazi lakuModekhayi umJuda: Khangelani, indlu kaHamani ngiyinike uEsta, yena-ke bamlengise egodweni, ngenxa yokuthi welulela isandla sakhe kumaJuda.
Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, “See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he laid his hand on the Jews.
8 Ngakho lina bhalelani amaJuda ebizweni lenkosi, njengokuhle emehlweni enu, likunameke ngophawu lwendandatho yenkosi, ngoba umbhalo obhalwe ngebizo lenkosi wananyekwa ngophawu lwendandatho yenkosi, kakho ongawubuyisela emuva.
Write also to the Jews as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be reversed by any man.”
9 Kwasekubizwa ababhali benkosi ngalesosikhathi ngenyanga yesithathu, eyinyanga uSivani, ngolwamatshumi amabili lantathu lwayo; kwasekubhalwa njengakho konke uModekhayi akulaya kumaJuda, lezikhulwini lakubabusi lakuziphathamandla zezabelo ezisukela eIndiya kuze kufike eEthiyophiya, izabelo ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa, isabelo lesabelo njengokombhalo waso, lesizwe ngesizwe njengokolimi lwaso, lakumaJuda njengokombhalo wawo lanjengokolimi lwawo.
Then the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the local governors, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing, and in their language.
10 Wasebhala ebizweni lenkosi uAhasuwerusi, wanameka ngophawu lwendandatho yenkosi, wathumela izincwadi ngesandla sezigijimi ezigade amabhiza, ezigade amabhiza alejubane awesikhosini, amabhizakazi amatsha.
He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by courier on horseback, riding on royal horses that were bred from swift steeds.
11 Ukuthi inkosi yavumela amaJuda ayesemzini ngomuzi wonke ukuthi ahlangane amele impilo yawo ukubhubhisa abulale aqede wonke amandla abantu lesabelo abawahlaseleyo, abantwanyana labesifazana, lokuphanga impango yabo,
In those letters, the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together and to defend their lives—to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions,
12 ngasuku lunye kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi uAhasuwerusi, ngolwetshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari.
on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
13 Ikhophi yombhalo yomthetho ozamiswa kuso sonke isabelo ngesabelo yayisobala kubo bonke abantu, ukuthi amaJuda azilungisele lolusuku ukuziphindiselela ezitheni zawo.
A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that the Jews should be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 Izigijimi zigade amabhiza esikhosini alejubane zaphuma, ziphangisiswa zicindezelwa yilizwi lenkosi, lomthetho wanikwa eShushani isigodlo.
So the couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. The decree was given out in the citadel of Susa.
15 UModekhayi wasephuma phambi kwenkosi ekusembatho sobukhosi sobuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka lesimhlophe, lomqhele omkhulu wegolide, lesembatho selembu elicolekileyo kakhulu leliyibubende. Umuzi weShushani wasuthokoza wathaba.
Mordecai went out of the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and was glad.
16 AmaJuda ayelokukhanya lentokozo lenjabulo lodumo.
The Jews had light, gladness, joy, and honor.
17 Lakuso sonke isabelo ngesabelo lakuwo wonke umuzi ngomuzi endaweni lapho ilizwi lenkosi lomthetho wayo okwafika khona amaJuda aba lentokozo, lenjabulo, idili, losuku oluhle. Labanengi babantu belizwe baba ngamaJuda, ngoba ukwesaba amaJuda kwabehlela.
In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness, joy, a feast and a holiday. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
