UHaman uceba ukutshabalalisa amaYuda

UHaman uphakanyiswa, kodwa uMordekayi akavumi ukuqubuda. Ethukiwe, uHaman ugqiba ukuba ukufa kwendoda enye kuyinto encinane, aze athenge kukumkani umthetho wokutshabalalisa wonke umYuda ngemini ekhethwe ngeqashiso. Abathunywa bayakhwela baphume lo gama ukumkani noHaman behleli besela.

Isahluko 3.

Emveni koko ukumkani uKserkse wamphakamisa uHaman, unyana kaHamedata umAgagi, wamnyusa, wasibeka isihlalo sakhe ngaphezu kwabathetheli bonke ababenaye. Bonke abakhonzi bokumkani ababesesangweni lokumkani babeguqa, baqubuda kuHaman, njengoko ukumkani ebewisele umthetho. Kodwa uMordekayi wayengavumi ukuguqa nokuqubuda. Baza abakhonzi bokumkani ababesesangweni lokumkani bambuza uMordekayi, bathi: “Yini na ukuba uwuphikise umthetho wokumkani?” Imihla ngemihla babemjoka, kodwa yena wala; baza bamxelela uHaman, bebona ukuba lwomelela na usukuzimela kukaMordekayi, kuba ebebaxelele ukuba ungumYuda. Wathi uHaman akubona ukuba uMordekayi akavumi ukuguqa nokuqubuda kuye, wazala ngumsindo. Ukubulala uMordekayi yedwa kwaba yinto encinane emehlweni akhe, kuba babemxelele ukuba bangoobani abantu bakowabo uMordekayi; ngoko uHaman wafuna ukubatshabalalisa bonke abantu bakowabo uMordekayi, amaYuda, kubo bonke ubukumkani bukaKserkse.

Ngenyanga yokuqala, enguNisan, ngomnyaka weshumi elinambini kakumkani uKserkse, benza iPur (iqashiso) phambi kukaHaman, usuku ngalunye nenyanga nganye; iqashiso lawela kwinyanga yeshumi elinambini, enguAdare. UHaman wathi kukumkani uKserkse: “Kukho uhlanga oluthile oluchithwachithwayo noluphangalalisiweyo phakathi kwezizwe kuwo onke amabamba obukumkani bakho. Imithetho yabo yahlukile kwabo bonke abanye, kananjalo abenzi imithetho yokumkani; akubalungele ukumkani ukubanyamezela. Ukuba kulungile emehlweni okumkani, mawubhalwe umthetho wokuba batshatyalaliswe; ndoyilinganisela isilivere engamakhulu mathathu anamanci asixhenxe anesihlanu eetalente kubathetheli, iye kuvimba wokumkani.”

Ukumkani wawukhulula umsesane wakhe wokutywina esandleni sakhe, wawunika uHaman, unyana kaHamedata umAgagi, utshaba lwamaYuda. Wathi ukumkani kuHaman: “Isilivere mayibe yeyakho, nabo abantu, wenze kubo ngoko kukholisayo kuwe.”

Ngosuku lweshumi elinantathu lwenyanga yokuqala, babizwa ababhali bokumkani, babhala umthetho kaHaman kubalawuli bokumkani, nakwiibamba ezaziphethe ibamba ngalinye, nakubathetheli besizwe ngasinye, ibamba ngalinye ngombhalo walo, isizwe ngasinye ngolwimi lwaso. Wabhalwa egameni lokumkani uKserkse, kwatywinwa ngomsesane wakhe wokutywina. Izigidimi zathwala iincwadi, zazisa kuwo onke amabamba okumkani, zisithi: tshabalalisani, bulalani, niphelise onke amaYuda, abaselula nabalupheleyo, abafazi neentsapho, ngamini-nye, ngosuku lweshumi elinantathu kwenyanga yeshumi elinambini, enguAdare, niphange nempahla yabo. Impinda yalo mbhalo yayiza kukhutshwa ibe ngumthetho kwilizwe ngalinye, iboniswe zonke izizwe, ukuze balungiselele loo mini. Ngomlomo wokumkani izigidimi zakhawuleza zaphuma, waza umthetho waphuma enqabeni yaseShushan. Ukumkani noHaman bahlala besela, kodwa umzi waseShushan waba sisithukuthezi.