U-Esteri 1

1 ¹Lokhu kwenzeka ezinsukwini zikaXerxes—uXerxes owabusa kusukela e-Indiya kuze kufike eKushi phezu kwezifundazwe eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa, ^a a v1 IKushi kwakuyizwe elaliseningizimu yeGibhithe, eduze nomfula iNayile ongenhla — cishe iSudani yanamuhla neningizimu yeGibhithe. ²ngalezo zinsuku, lapho inkosi uXerxes yayihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi enqabeni yaseSusa, ³ngonyaka wakhe wesithathu ebusa wenzela zonke izikhulu zakhe nezinceku zakhe idili. Ibutho lasePheresiya nelaseMediya, izikhulu ezihloniphekile, nabaphathi bezifundazwe babebuthene phambi kwakhe, ⁴izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili wabukisa ngenkazimulo enothile yombuso wakhe nangodumo olukhazimulayo lobukhulu bakhe.

⁵Kwathi lezi zinsuku seziphelile, inkosi yenzela bonke ababeseSusa enqabeni, abakhulu nabancane, idili lezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, egcekeni lensimu yesigodlo. ⁶Kwakulengiswe amakhetheni amhlophe wekotini naluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, eboshwe ngelineni elicolekileyo nezintambo eziyibubende emasongweni esiliva ezinsikeni zemabula; kwakukhona izihlalo zegolide nezesiliva phezu kophahla lwamatshe olwenziwe ngeporfiri, imabula, iperela, netshe elinemibala. ^b b v6 IPorfiri yitshe eliqinile eliligugu elalithandwa kakhulu ezweni lasendulo ngenxa yombala walo oyibubende nobomvu. ⁷Iziphuzo zaziphakelwa ngezinkomishi zegolide, ngayinye yehlukile kwenye, newayini lobukhosi lalithululwa ngobuningi ngenxa yesandla esivulekile senkosi. ⁸Ukuphuza kwakulandela umthetho: akekho owayephoqwa—ngoba inkosi yayiyale zonke izikhulu zendlu yayo ukuba zivumele yilowo nalowo njengokufisa kwakhe.

Indlovukazi uVashti Yenqaba Inkosi

⁹Nendlovukazi uVashti yenzela abesifazane idili esigodlweni sobukhosi senkosi uXerxes.

¹⁰Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho iwayini seliyijabulisile inkosi, yayala uMehumani, uBhizitha, uHaribona, uBhigitha, u-Abhagitha, uZethari, noKharikasi, izithenwa eziyisikhombisa zenkosi uXerxes, ¹¹ukuba zilethe indlovukazi uVashti phambi kwenkosi ithwele umqhele wobukhosi, ukuze ibonise izizwe nezikhulu ubuhle bayo, ngokuba yayimuhle kakhulu. ¹²Kodwa indlovukazi uVashti yenqaba ukuza ngokomyalo wenkosi owawulethwa ngezithenwa; yathukuthela kakhulu, ulaka lwavutha phakathi kwayo.

¹³Inkosi yase ikhuluma nezihlakaniphi ezaziqonda izikhathi—ngokuba kwakungumkhuba wenkosi ukubeka zonke izindaba phambi kwabo bonke ababenolwazi lomthetho nokwahlulela. ¹⁴Ababeseduze naye kwakunguKharishena, uShethari, u-Adimatha, uTharishishi, uMeresi, uMarisena, noMemukani—izikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePheresiya nezaseMediya ezazibubona ubuso benkosi, zinezikhundla eziphakeme kunazo zonke embusweni. ¹⁵“Ngokomthetho, yini okufanele yenziwe kundlovukazi uVashti ngokungalaleli umyalo wenkosi uXerxes owawuthunyelwe ngezithenwa?”

¹⁶UMemukani wathi enkosini nasezikhulwini: “Indlovukazi uVashti ayonanga enkosini kuphela, kodwa nakuzo zonke izikhulu nakuzo zonke izizwe ezisezifundazweni zonke zenkosi uXerxes. ¹⁷Isenzo sendlovukazi siyakufinyelela kubo bonke abesifazane, sibenze badelele amadoda abo emehlweni abo, bethi: ‘Inkosi uXerxes yabiza indlovukazi uVashti, kodwa kayizange ize.’ ¹⁸Namuhla abesifazane abakhulu basePheresiya nabaseMediya abezwe isenzo sendlovukazi bayakusho okufanayo kuzo zonke izikhulu zenkosi—kungabi nakuphela ukwedelela nolaka.

¹⁹Uma inkosi ikuvuma, mayikhiphe isimemezelo sobukhosi, sibhalwe emithethweni yasePheresiya neyaseMediya ukuze singaguqulwa, sokuthi uVashti akasoze aphinde eze phambi kwenkosi uXerxes, futhi inkosi mayinike esinye isifazane esingcono kunaye isikhundla sakhe sobukhosi. ²⁰Kuyakuthi lapho isimemezelo senkosi sesisabalele kuwo wonke umbuso wayo omkhulu, bonke abafazi bayakuwahlonipha amadoda abo, abakhulu nabancane.”

²¹Leli seluleko lathokozisa inkosi nezikhulu, inkosi yenza kanye njengoba uMemukani ephakamisile. ²²Yathumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izifundazwe zobukhosi, kuso sonke isifundazwe ngombhalo waso, nakuso sonke isizwe ngolimi lwaso: ukuthi yilelo nalelo doda libe ngumbusi wendlu yalo likhulume ngolimi lwesizwe salo.