U-Esteri 3

3 ¹Emva kwalokho inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yamkhulisa uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, yamphakamisa yabeka isihlalo sakhe ngaphezu kwazo zonke izikhulu ezazinaye. ²Zonke izinceku zenkosi ezisesangweni lenkosi zaziguqa zikhothamele uHamani, njengoba inkosi yayiyalile. Kodwa uMoridekayi akazange aguqe futhi akazange akhothame. ³Ngakho izinceku zenkosi ezisesangweni lenkosi zambuza uMoridekayi, zathi: “Kungani weqa umyalo wenkosi na?” ⁴Usuku nosuku zazimncenga, kodwa wala; ngakho zamtshela uHamani, zifuna ukubona ukuthi isimo sikaMoridekayi sasiyokuma yini, ngokuba wayezitshelile ukuthi ungumJuda. ⁵Lapho uHamani ebona ukuthi uMoridekayi akaguqi futhi akakhothami kuye, wagcwala intukuthelo. ⁶Ukubulala uMoridekayi yedwa kwakubonakala kuyinto encane kuye, ngokuba babemtshelile ukuthi ngobani abantu bakaMoridekayi; ngakho uHamani wafuna ukubhubhisa bonke abantu bakaMoridekayi, amaJuda, kuwo wonke umbuso ka-Ahashiveroshi.

⁷Ngenyanga yokuqala, uNisani, ngonyaka weshumi nambili wenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, benza iPhuri (inkatho) phambi kukaHamani usuku nosuku kanye nenyanga nenyanga; inkatho yawela enyangeni yeshumi nambili, u-Adari. ⁸UHamani wathi enkosini u-Ahashiveroshi: “Kukhona isizwe esithile esihlakazekile phakathi kwezizwe kuzo zonke izifundazwe zombuso wakho. Imithetho yaso yehlukile kweyabo bonke abantu, futhi asiwunaki umthetho wenkosi; akusizi lutho enkosini ukusibekezelela. ⁹Uma kukuhle enkosini, makubhalwe ukuba babhujiswe; mina ngizokukala amathani angamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu esiliva ngiwanike izikhulu zayo ukuze afakwe engcebeni yasebukhosini.”

¹⁰Inkosi yakhumula indandatho yayo yophawu yayinika uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha samaJuda. ¹¹“Isiliva ngesakho,” kusho inkosi kuHamani, “nalesi sizwe futhi—yenza ngaso njengokuthanda kwakho.”

¹²Ngosuku lweshumi nantathu lwenyanga yokuqala kwabizwa ababhali benkosi, umyalo kaHamani wabhalwa kubaphathi benkosi, nakubabusi ababephethe isifundazwe ngasinye, nakuzikhulu zazo zonke izizwe—isifundazwe ngasinye ngombhalo waso, isizwe ngasinye ngolimi lwaso. Kwabhalwa egameni lenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, kwananyekwa ngendandatho yayo yophawu. ¹³Izigijimi zathwala izincwadi zaziyisa kuzo zonke izifundazwe zenkosi: ukubhubhisa, ukubulala, nokuqeda wonke amaJuda—abasha nabadala, abesifazane nezingane—ngosuku olulodwa, usuku lweshumi nantathu lwenyanga yeshumi nambili, u-Adari, nokuphanga impahla yawo. ¹⁴Ikhophi yalo yayizokhishwa njengomthetho kuzo zonke izifundazwe, iboniswe zonke izizwe, ukuze bakulungele lolo suku. ¹⁵Ngomyalo wenkosi izigijimi zaphuma zisheshe, nomthetho wamenyezelwa enqabeni yaseSusa. Inkosi noHamani bahlala phansi bephuza, kodwa umuzi waseSusa wawudidekile.