U-Esteri 4

4 ¹Kwathi uModekayi esekuzwile konke okwakwenzekile, waklebhula izingubo zakhe, wembatha amasaka, wazithela ngomlotha, waphuma waya phakathi edolobheni ekhala kakhulu nangokubaba. ²Wayofika kuphela esangweni lenkosi, ngokuba kwakungekho muntu owayengangena kulo embethe izingubo zokulila. ³Kuzo zonke izifundazwe lapho umyalo nesimemezelo senkosi safika khona, amaJuda alila kakhulu—ezila ukudla, ekhala, elila; abaningi balala emasakeni nasemlotheni.

⁴Kwathi izintombi zika-Esteri nabathenwa bakhe bemtshela, indlovukazi yazwa ubuhlungu obukhulu enhliziyweni. Yathumela izingubo kuModekayi ukuba akhumule amasaka akhe, kodwa wenqaba. ⁵U-Esteri wabiza uHathaki, omunye wabathenwa benkosi ababebekwe ukuba bamkhonze, wamthuma kuModekayi ukuze athole ukuthi lokhu kuyini nokuthi kungani. ⁶Ngakho uHathaki waphuma waya kuModekayi enkundleni yedolobha eyayiphambi kwesango lenkosi, ⁷UModekayi wamtshela uHathaki konke okwakwenzekile kuye, nemali ephelele uHamani ayethembise ukuyikhokha ezindlini zokugcina ingcebo zenkosi ukuze abhubhise amaJuda. ⁸Wamnika futhi ikhophi yesimemezelo sokubhujiswa esasikhishwe eSusa, ukuze asibonise u-Esteri, asichaze kuye, amkhuthaze ukuba aye kuyo inkosi ayincenge, azincengele abantu bakhe.

⁹UHathaki wabuya wabikela u-Esteri lokho uModekayi ayekushilo. ¹⁰U-Esteri wakhuluma noHathaki, wamnika lo myalezo ukuba awuse kuModekayi: ¹¹“Zonke izinceku zenkosi nabantu bezifundazwe zayo bayazi ukuthi: noma yimuphi owesilisa noma owesifazane ongena egcekeni langaphakathi lenkosi engabiziwe, unomthetho owodwa—ukufa—ngaphandle kokuba inkosi imelulele intonga yegolide, ukuze aphile. Mina angizange ngibizwe ukuba ngiye enkosini sekuyizinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu manje.”

¹²Kwathi sebemtshelile uModekayi lokho u-Esteri ayekushilo, ¹³uModekayi waphendula ku-Esteri wathi: “Ungacabangi ukuthi wena wedwa kuwo wonke amaJuda uyophunyuka ngoba usesigodlweni senkosi. ¹⁴Uma uthula manje, impumuzo nensindiso kuyovukela amaJuda kwenye indawo, kodwa wena nendlu kayihlo niyakufa. Ngubani owaziyo noma wafinyelela esihlalweni sobukhosi ngenxa yesikhathi esinjengalesi na?” ^a a v14 UBaba wethu akaqanjwa nhlobo encwadini yonke ka-Esteri, nokho isandla sakhe esingabonakali siyasebenza kukho konke okwenzekayo—uModekayi uqinisekile ukuthi insindiso iyoza, ngokuba uyazi ukuthi uBaba ngeke abalahle abantu bakhe.

¹⁵U-Esteri wabe esebuyisela le mpendulo kuModekayi: ¹⁶“Hamba, ubuthe wonke amaJuda aseSusa. Ningizilele—ningadli futhi ningaphuzi izinsuku ezintathu, ebusuku nasemini. Nami nezintombi zami sizozila kanjalo. Emva kwalokho ngiyongena enkosini, nakuba kuphambene nomthetho; uma ngibhubha, ngibhubhe.” ¹⁷Ngakho uModekayi wahamba wenza konke u-Esteri ayemyale ngakho.