U-Esteri 2

2 ¹Emva kwalokho, lapho intukuthelo yenkosi uXerxes isidambile, wakhumbula uVashti, nalokho ayekwenzile, nalokho okwakunqunyelwe ngaye. ²Izinceku zenkosi zathi: “Mazifunelwe inkosi izintombi ezintsha ezinhle. ³Inkosi mayibeke izikhulu kuso sonke isifundazwe sombuso wayo ukuba ziqoqe zonke izintombi ezintsha ezinhle zizilethe enqabeni yaseShushani, egcekeni labesifazane eliphethwe nguHegayi, umthenwa wenkosi oqapha abesifazane, zibe sezizinakekela ngezokuhlobisa. ⁴Intombi ethokozisa inkosi mayibuse esikhundleni sikaVashti.” Lokhu kwayithokozisa inkosi, yakwenza kanjalo.

⁵Enqabeni yaseShushani kwakuhlala umJuda ogama lakhe linguModekayi, indodana kaJayire, indodana kaShimeyi, indodana kaKishi, umBhenjamini, ⁶owayethunjwe eJerusalema phakathi kwabathunjwa ababethathwe kanye nenkosi yakwaJuda uJekoniya, athumba yinkosi yaseBabiloni uNebukadinezari. ⁷Wayekhulisa uHadasa—okungu-Esteri—indodakazi kayise omncane, eyayingenababa noma unina. Le ntombi yayinhle emzimbeni futhi ibukeka kahle; kwathi lapho uyise nonina sebefile, uModekayi wayithatha njengendodakazi yakhe.

⁸Kwathi lapho sekuzwakele isiyalezo nesinqumo senkosi, nezintombi eziningi seziqoqelwe enqabeni yaseShushani ngaphansi kokunakekelwa nguHegayi, no-Esteri wathathwa wayiswa esigodlweni senkosi, ngaphansi kokunakekelwa nguHegayi, umlondolozi wabesifazane. ⁹Le ntombi yamthokozisa yathola umusa kuye, ngakho washesha wayinika izinto zokuhlobisa nezabelo zokudla, nezintombi eziyisikhombisa ezikhethiweyo ezivela esigodlweni senkosi, wayisa yona nezincekukazi zayo endaweni engcono kakhulu yegceke labesifazane. ¹⁰U-Esteri wayengakavezi isizwe sakhe noma umndeni wakhe, ngokuba uModekayi wayemtshelile ukuba angakwenzi lokho. ¹¹Nsuku zonke uModekayi wayehamba ehla enyuka phambi kwegceke labesifazane ukuze azi ukuthi u-Esteri unjani nokuthi kwenzekani ngaye.

¹²Ithuba lentombi ngayinye lokuya enkosini uXerxes lalifika emva kwezinyanga eziyishumi nambili zokunakekelwa ngobuhle okwakudingekile: izinyanga eziyisithupha ngamafutha enhlaka, eziyisithupha ngamakha nezokuzicwala. ¹³Intombi ngayinye yayiya enkosini ngale ndlela: noma yini eyayiyicela yayiphiwa yona ukuba iyithathe egcekeni labesifazane iye nayo esigodlweni senkosi. ¹⁴Yayingena kusihlwa; ekuseni ibuyele egcekeni lesibili labesifazane ngaphansi kukaShahashigazi, umthenwa wenkosi owayegcina izancinza. Yayingeke ibuyele enkosini ngaphandle uma inkosi ithokoziswa yiyo, iyibize ngegama.

¹⁵Kwathi lapho sekufika ithuba lika-Esteri—indodakazi ka-Abihayili, uyise omncane kaModekayi, owayeyithathe njengeyakhe—lokuba aye enkosini, akazange acele lutho ngaphandle kwalokho ayekweluleke ngakho nguHegayi, umthenwa wenkosi oqapha abesifazane. U-Esteri wathola umusa kubo bonke ababembona.

¹⁶U-Esteri wayiswa enkosini uXerxes esigodlweni sayo sobukhosi ngenyanga yeshumi, uTebeti, ngonyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kwayo. ^a a v16 UTebeti uyinyanga yeshumi yekhalenda yesiHeberu, cishe uDisemba–uJanuwari.

¹⁷Inkosi yamthanda u-Esteri ngaphezu kwabo bonke abesifazane; wathola umusa nokwamukelwa ngaphezu kwazo zonke izintombi. Ngakho yabeka umqhele wobukhosi ekhanda lakhe, yamenza indlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashti.

¹⁸Inkosi yenzela zonke izikhulu nezinceku zayo idili elikhulu—idili lika-Esteri. Yamemezela usuku lokuphumula ezifundazweni, yanika izipho ngesandla sobukhosi esivulekile.

¹⁹Kwathi lapho izintombi seziqoqwa okwesibili, uModekayi wayehlezi esangweni lenkosi. ²⁰U-Esteri wayengakavezi isizwe sakhe noma umndeni wakhe, njengoba uModekayi ayemyalile; wamlalela njengakuqala lapho emkhulisa.

UModekayi Uveza Uzungu Olubhekiswe Enkosini

²¹Ngalezo zinsuku, uModekayi ehlezi esangweni lenkosi, uBigithani noThereshi, abathenwa ababili besigodlo abaqapha umnyango, bathukuthela benza uzungu lokubulala inkosi uXerxes. ²²Kodwa uModekayi walwazi lolu zungu, waluxoxela indlovukazi u-Esteri, yena owalubika enkosini egameni likaModekayi. ²³Udaba lwaphenywa, lwatholakala luyiqiniso, bobabili labo bantu balengiswa esigxotsheni. Kwalotshwa encwadini yomlando phambi kwenkosi.