UEstere Uphakamela Abantu Bakowabo
UMordekayi ulila enambethe ingubo erhwexayo esangweni, aze amcenge uEstere: ibhotwe lakhe aliyi kumsindisa, kwaye ngubani owaziyo ukuba ufikele etroneni ngenxa yexesha elinje. Ubiza ukuzila ukudla iintsuku ezintathu, aye kukumkani engabizwanga — ukuba uyafa, makafe.
4 1Wathi uMordekayi akukwazi konke oku kwenzekileyo, wazikrazula iingubo zakhe, wambatha ingubo erhwexayo nothuthu, waphuma waya emzini ekhala ngesikhalo esikhulu nesikrakra. 2Wema kuphela esangweni lokumkani, kuba akubangakho bani unokungena ngaphakathi egqoke iingubo zesijwili. 3Kuwo onke amaphondo awafikelela kuwo umyalelo wokumkani nommiselo wakhe, bazila ukudla kakhulu amaYuda, benza isijwili, belila, besenza isimema; baba baninzi abalele ngeengubo ezirhwexayo nasothuthwini.
4Zathi iintombi zika-Estere namadoda akhe athenwayo zamxelela, waqhiphuka umbilini ukumkanikazi. Wathumela iingubo ukuba zambathiswe uMordekayi endaweni yengubo yakhe erhwexayo, kodwa akavuma yena. 5Wabiza uEstere uHataki, elinye lamadoda athenwayo okumkani awayelimisele ukuba limlungiselele, wamthuma kuMordekayi ukuba azi ukuba kwakutheni na, nokuba yintoni na le. 6Waphuma ke uHataki waya kuMordekayi endaweni ebanzi yomzi ephambi kwesango lokumkani, 7wamxelela uMordekayi uHataki yonke into emehleleyo uMordekayi, nenani eliyiyo lemali awathembisa ngayo uHaman ukulirhola angenise ezindaweni zobuncwane zokumkani ukuze abatshabalalise amaYuda. 8Wamnika nempinda yommiselo wokutshatyalaliswa owawuphume eShushan, ukuba ayibonise uEstere, ayicacise kuye, amyalele ukuba aye kukhunga kukumkani, atarhuzisele abantu bakowabo.
9Wabuya ke uHataki, waxelela uEstere amazwi kaMordekayi. 10Waza uEstere wathetha noHataki, wamnika eli lizwi ukuba alise kuMordekayi: 11“Bonke abakhonzi bokumkani nabantu bamaphondo akhe bayazi oku: nokuba yindoda, nokuba yinkazana, othe wangena entendelezweni engaphakathi yokumkani engabizwanga, unomthetho omnye—ukufa—ngaphandle kokuba ukumkani amolulele intonga yegolide, ukuze adle ubomi. Ke mna andikabizwa kukumkani kususela kwiintsuku ezingamashumi mathathu.”
12Bathi bamxelela uMordekayi amazwi ka-Estere, 13waphendula uMordekayi kuEstere, wathi: “Musa ukuba ucinge ukuba endlwini yokumkani wena wedwa kuwo onke amaYuda uya kusinda. 14Ukuba uthe wathi tu ngeli xesha, kuya kuvela uncedo nosindiso kumaYuda kwenye indawo, kodwa wena nendlu kayihlo niya kufa. Ngubani na owaziyo ukuba akufikelelanga na etroneni ngenxa yexesha elinje?” a a v14 UBawo wethu akabizwa nganto kuyo yonke incwadi ka-Estere, kanti isandla sakhe esingabonakaliyo siyanyakazela kuzo zonke iintshukumo—uMordekayi uqinisekile ukuba usindiso luya kuza, kuba uyazi ukuba uBawo wethu akayi kubashiya abantu bakhe.
15Waza uEstere wabuyisela eli lizwi kuMordekayi: 16“Hamba, uqokelele onke amaYuda aseShushan. Ndizileleni ukudla—ningadli, ningaseli, iintsuku ezintathu, ubusuku nemini. Nam neentombi zam siya kuzila ukudla ngokunjalo. Ndiza kuthi ke ndiye kukumkani, nangona kuchasene nomthetho; ukuba ndiyatshabalala, ndiyatshabalala.” 17Wemka ke uMordekayi, wenza yonke into awayemwisele ngayo umthetho uEstere.
