< U-Esta 8 >
1 Ngalolosuku inkosi uAhasuwerusi yanika uEsta indlovukazi indlu kaHamani isitha samaJuda. UModekhayi wasesiza phambi kwenkosi ngoba uEsta wayeselandisile ukuthi wayeyini kuye.
2 Inkosi yasikhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo eyayiyithathele uHamani, yayinika uModekhayi. UEsta wasebeka uModekhayi phezu kwendlu kaHamani.
3 UEsta wasebuya ekhuluma phambi kwenkosi, wawa phambi kwenyawo zayo wakhala inyembezi wayincenga ukuthi isuse ububi bukaHamani umAgagi, logobe lwakhe ayelucebe ngamaJuda.
4 Inkosi yasiselulela intonga yobukhosi yegolide kuEsta. UEsta wasesukuma wema phambi kwenkosi,
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.
6 Ngoba ngingaba lakho njani ukubona ububi obuzathola isizwe sakithi? Kumbe ngingaba lakho njani ukubona ukubhujiswa kwezihlobo zami?
7 Inkosi uAhasuwerusi yasisithi kuEsta indlovukazi lakuModekhayi umJuda: Khangelani, indlu kaHamani ngiyinike uEsta, yena-ke bamlengise egodweni, ngenxa yokuthi welulela isandla sakhe kumaJuda.
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.
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.
10 Wasebhala ebizweni lenkosi uAhasuwerusi, wanameka ngophawu lwendandatho yenkosi, wathumela izincwadi ngesandla sezigijimi ezigade amabhiza, ezigade amabhiza alejubane awesikhosini, amabhizakazi amatsha.
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,
12 ngasuku lunye kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi uAhasuwerusi, ngolwetshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari.
13 Ikhophi yombhalo yomthetho ozamiswa kuso sonke isabelo ngesabelo yayisobala kubo bonke abantu, ukuthi amaJuda azilungisele lolusuku ukuziphindiselela ezitheni zawo.
14 Izigijimi zigade amabhiza esikhosini alejubane zaphuma, ziphangisiswa zicindezelwa yilizwi lenkosi, lomthetho wanikwa eShushani isigodlo.
15 UModekhayi wasephuma phambi kwenkosi ekusembatho sobukhosi sobuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka lesimhlophe, lomqhele omkhulu wegolide, lesembatho selembu elicolekileyo kakhulu leliyibubende. Umuzi weShushani wasuthokoza wathaba.
16 AmaJuda ayelokukhanya lentokozo lenjabulo lodumo.
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.
