U-Esta 9
1 Kwathi ngenyanga yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari, ngosuku lwetshumi lantathu lwayo, sekusondele ilizwi lenkosi lomlayo wayo ukuthi kwenziwe, ngosuku izitha zamaJuda ezazithemba ukuwabusa ngalo, kwaguquka, ngoba amaJuda ngokwawo abusa kwababewazonda.
Therefore, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said before is called Adar, when all the Jews were prepared to be executed and their enemies were greedy for their blood, the situation turned around, and the Jews began to have the upper hand and to vindicate themselves of their adversaries.
2 AmaJuda abuthana emizini yawo kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi uAhasuwerusi ukwelulela isandla kulabo ababedinge ukulinyazwa kwawo; njalo kakho owayengema phambi kwawo, ngoba ukwesabeka kwawo kwakwehlele bonke abantu.
And they gathered together throughout each city, and town, and place, so as to extend their hands against their enemies and their persecutors. And no one dared to resist them, because their great power had pierced all the peoples.
3 Zonke-ke iziphathamandla zezabelo, lezikhulu, lababusi, labenzi bomsebenzi inkosi eyayilabo, basiza amaJuda, ngoba ukwesabeka kukaModekhayi kwakubehlele.
For even the judges of the provinces, and the rulers, and the procurators, and everyone of dignity, who presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mordecai.
4 Ngoba uModekhayi wayemkhulu endlini yenkosi, lodumo lwakhe lwahamba kuzo zonke izabelo, ngoba lindoda uModekhayi yaqhubeka ikhula.
For they knew him to be the leader of the palace and to have much power. Likewise, the fame of his name increased daily and flew everywhere through word of mouth.
5 Ngakho amaJuda atshaya phakathi kwezitha zawo zonke ngokutshaya kwenkemba lokubulala lokubhubhisa, enza ngabazondi bawo ngokwentando yawo.
And so the Jews struck their enemies like a great plague and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them,
6 EShushani isigodlo amaJuda asebulala abhubhisa abantu abangamakhulu amahlanu,
so much so that even in Susa they executed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Haman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, and their names are these:
7 loParishanidatha, loDalifoni, loAsiphatha,
Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha
8 loPoratha, loAdaliya, loAridatha,
and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
9 loParimashita, loArisayi, loAridayi, loVayizatha.
and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha.
10 Amadodana alitshumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha samaJuda, awabulala; kodwa kawelulelanga isandla sawo empangweni.
When they had slain them, they were unwilling to touch the spoils of their belongings.
11 Ngalolosuku inani lababulawayo eShushani isigodlo lafika phambi kwenkosi.
And immediately the number of those who had been killed in Susa was reported to the king.
12 Inkosi yasisithi kuEsta indlovukazi: EShushani isigodlo amaJuda abulele abhubhisa abantu abangamakhulu amahlanu lamadodana alitshumi kaHamani. Enzeni kwezinye izabelo zenkosi? Siyini-ke isicelo sakho? Njalo uzasinikwa. Siyini-ke isifiso sakho futhi? Njalo sizakwenziwa.
He said to the queen, “In the city of Susa, the Jews have executed five hundred men, and also the ten sons of Haman. How many executions do you think that they have carried out in all the provinces? What more do you ask, and what do you wish, so that I may order it to be done?”
13 UEsta wasesithi: Uba kulungile enkosini kawavunyelwe amaJuda aseShushani ukwenza lakusasa njengokomthetho walamuhla; lamadodana alitshumi kaHamani kabawalengise egodweni.
And she answered, “If it pleases the king, may power be granted to the Jews, so as to do tomorrow in Susa just as they have done today, and that the ten sons of Haman may be hung up the gallows.”
14 Inkosi yasisithi kwenziwe njalo; kwasekunikwa umthetho eShushani, lamadodana alitshumi kaHamani bawalengisa.
And the king instructed that it should be so done. And immediately the edict was hung up in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hung up.
15 AmaJuda eyeseShushani asebuthana futhi ngosuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga uAdari, abulala abantu abangamakhulu amathathu eShushani; kodwa kawelulelanga isandla sawo empangweni.
On the fourteenth day of the month Adar, the Jews gathered themselves together, and they executed in Susa three hundred men, but they did not seize their belongings from them.
16 Amanye kumaJuda ayesezabelweni zenkosi abuthana-ke amela impilo yabo, aphumula ezitheni zawo, abulala kwabawazondayo izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu; kodwa kawelulelanga isandla sawo empangweni.
Moreover, throughout all the provinces which were subject to the king’s dominion, the Jews made a stand for their lives, and they executed their enemies and their persecutors, so much so that the number of those who were killed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and yet no one touched any of their belongings.
17 Kwakungosuku lwetshumi lantathu lwenyanga uAdari. Asephumula ngolwetshumi lane lwayo, alwenza lwaba lusuku lwedili lentokozo.
Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with all of the executions, and on the fourteenth day they ceased the killing. This day they established to be sacred, so that in all times hereafter they would be free for feasting, joyfulness, and celebration.
18 Kodwa amaJuda aseShushani abuthana ngolwetshumi lantathu lwayo langolwetshumi lane lwayo; asephumula ngolwetshumi lanhlanu lwayo, alwenza lwaba lusuku lwedili lentokozo.
But, as for those who were carrying out the killings in the city of Susa, they turned to killing on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month. But on the fifteenth day they ceased to attack. And for that reason they established that day as sacred, with feasting and with gladness.
19 Ngenxa yalokhu amaJuda emaphandleni ahlala emizini emaphandleni enza usuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga uAdari lwaba ngolwentokozo ledili, losuku oluhle, lolokuthumelana izabelo.
But in truth, those Jews who were staying in unwalled towns and villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for celebration and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day and send one another portions of their feasts and their meals.
20 UModekhayi wasezibhala lezizinto, wathumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda ayekuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi uAhasuwerusi, aseduze lakhatshana,
And so Mordecai wrote down all these things and sent them, composed in letters, to the Jews who were staying in all the king’s provinces, as much to those in nearby places as to those far away,
21 ukumisa phakathi kwabo ukwenza usuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga uAdari losuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwayo kuwo wonke umnyaka ngomnyaka,
so that they would accept the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always, at the return of the year, would celebrate them with sacred esteem.
22 njengokwensuku amaJuda aphumula ngazo ezitheni zawo, lenyanga eyaphendulwa kuwo kusuka osizini kusiya kuntokozo, lekulileni kube lusuku oluhle, azenze zibe zinsuku zedili lentokozo, lezokuthumelana izabelo, lezipho kubayanga.
For on those days, the Jews vindicated themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, so that these would be days of feasting and gladness, in which they would send one another portions of their feasts, and would grant gifts to the poor.
23 AmaJuda emukela lokho ayesekuqalile ukukwenza, lalokho uModekhayi ayewabhalele khona.
And the Jews accepted as a solemn ritual all the things which they had begun to do at that time, which Mordecai had commanded with letters to be done.
24 Ngoba uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha sawo wonke amaJuda, wayecebe mayelana lamaJuda ukuwachitha, waphosa iPuri, eyinkatho, ukuwachoboza lokuwabhubhisa.
For Haman, the son of Hammedatha of Agag lineage, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and to destroy them. And he had cast Pur, which in our language means the lot.
25 Kodwa lapho uEsta efika phambi kwenkosi, yalaya ngencwadi ukuthi icebo lakhe elibi ayelicebe ngamaJuda libuyele ekhanda lakhe; basebebalengisa yena lamadodana akhe egodweni.
And after this, Esther had entered before the king, begging him that his efforts might be made ineffective by the king’s letters, and that the evil he intended against the Jews might return upon his own head. Finally, both he and his sons were fastened to a cross.
26 Ngenxa yalokhu babiza lezozinsuku ngokuthi iPurimi ngebizo lePuri. Ngenxa yalokhu, ngenxa yawo wonke amazwi aleyoncwadi, lababekubonile mayelana lalokho, lokwakubehlele,
And so, from that time, these days are called Purim, that is, of the lots, because Pur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that had been carried out are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book.
27 amaJuda amisa azemukelela wona lenzalo yawo labo bonke abazihlanganisa lawo, ukuze bangeqi, ukugcina lezinsuku ezimbili, njengokombhalo wazo, lanjengokwesikhathi sazo esimisiweyo, kuwo wonke umnyaka lomnyaka,
And whatever they suffered, and whatever was altered afterwards, the Jews received for themselves and their offspring and for all who were willing to be joined to their religion, so that none would be permitted to transgress the solemnity of these two days, to which the writing testifies, and which certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.
28 ukuthi lezinsuku zikhunjulwe zigcinwe kuso sonke isizukulwana lesizukulwana, usapho losapho, isabelo ngesabelo, lomuzi ngomuzi, ukuthi lezinsuku zePurimi zingeqiwa phakathi kwamaJuda, lesikhumbuzo sazo singapheli enzalweni yawo.
These are the days which no one ever will erase into oblivion, and which every province in the whole world, throughout each generation, shall celebrate. Neither is there any city wherein the days of Purim, that is, of lots, may not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which has been obligated to these ceremonies.
29 UEsta indlovukazi, indodakazi kaAbihayili, loModekhayi umJuda, basebebhala ngamandla wonke ukuqinisa lincwadi yesibili yePurimi.
And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, also wrote a second letter, so that with all zealousness this day would be confirmed as customary for future generations.
30 Wasethumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda ezabelweni ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa zombuso kaAhasuwerusi, amazwi okuthula leqiniso,
And they sent to all the Jews, who had been stirred up in the one hundred twenty-seven provinces of king Artaxerxes, that they should have peace and receive truth,
31 ukuqinisa lezinsuku zePurimi ngezikhathi zazo ezimisiweyo njengokumisa phezu kwawo kukaModekhayi umJuda loEsta indlovukazi, lanjengokuzimisela kwawo wona lenzalo yawo, indaba zokuzila ukudla lokukhala kwawo.
and observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy at their proper time, just as Mordecai and Esther had established. And they accepted these to be observed by themselves and by their offspring: fasting, and crying out, and the days of lots,
32 Ilizwi likaEsta laseliqinisa lezizindaba zePurimi; kwasekubhalwa egwalweni.
and all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.
