Inkosi Ihlonipha uMoridekayi
Inkosi ayilali, iyalisa ukuba kufundwe izincwadi zomlando, ithole ukuthi uMoridekayi akakaze aklonyeliswe. UHamani, ofika ezocela ukuba abulawe, ubuzwa ukuthi angahlonishwa kanjani umuntu — uchaza iphupho lakhe, bese kufanele ahole uMoridekayi emigwaqweni ememezela lokho. Abendlu yakhe babona ukuwa kwakhe kuza.
6 1Ngalobo busuku inkosi yaswela ubuthongo; yayala ukuba kulethwe incwadi yemilando, imibhalo yezehlakalo, ifundwe kuyo. 2Kwatholakala kubhaliwe ukuthi uMoridekayi wayebike ngoBigithana noTereshi, abathenwa ababili benkosi ababelinda umnyango, ababefuna ukubulala iNkosi uXerxe. 3Inkosi yabuza yathi: “Yiluphi udumo nobukhulu uMoridekayi akutholile ngalokhu?” Izinceku zayo zaphendula zathi: “Akukho lutho olwenziwa kuye.”
4Inkosi yabuza yathi: “Ngubani osegcekeni?” UHamani wayengene egcekeni elingaphandle lesigodlo ezocela ukuba inkosi ilengise uMoridekayi ezingodweni ayezilungisile.
5Izinceku zenkosi zayitshela zathi: “UHamani umi egcekeni.” Inkosi yathi: “Mngeniseni.”
6UHamani wangena. Inkosi yabuza yathi: “Kungenziwani ngomuntu inkosi ethokozela ukumhlonipha?” UHamani wacabanga wathi: “Ngubani inkosi engathokozela ukumhlonipha ngaphezu kwami?”
7Ngakho uHamani wathi enkosini: “Ngomuntu inkosi ethokozela ukumhlonipha, 8mabalethe ingubo yasebukhosini inkosi eseyigqokile, nehhashi eseligibele, nomqhele wasebukhosini obekwe ekhanda lalo. 9Ingubo nehhashi makunikezwe omunye wezikhulu ezihloniphekile zenkosi. Bese begqokisa lowo muntu inkosi ethokozela ukumhlonipha, bamgibelise ehhashini bamhambise esigcawini somuzi, bamemeze phambi kwakhe bathi: ‘Kwenziwa kanjena kumuntu inkosi ethokozela ukumhlonipha!’”
10Inkosi yathi kuHamani: “Shesha, uthathe ingubo nehhashi njengoba ushilo, wenze kanjalo kuMoridekayi umJuda ohlezi esangweni lenkosi. Ungashiyi lutho kulokhu okushilo.”
11UHamani wayithatha ingubo nehhashi, wamgqokisa uMoridekayi, wamgibelisa ehhashini wamhambisa esigcawini somuzi, ememeza phambi kwakhe ethi: “Kwenziwa kanjena kumuntu inkosi ethokozela ukumhlonipha.”
12Emva kwalokho uMoridekayi wabuyela esangweni lenkosi, kodwa uHamani waphuthuma ekhaya, elila, emboze ikhanda lakhe. 13UHamani watshela umkakhe uZereshi nabo bonke abangani bakhe konke okwakwenzekile. Abeluleki bakhe nomkakhe uZereshi bathi: “Njengoba usuqalile ukuwa phambi kukaMoridekayi ongumJuda, ngeke umahlule—ngempela uyakuwa phambi kwakhe.” 14Besakhuluma naye, kwafika abathenwa benkosi, baphuthumisa uHamani edilini u-Esteri ayelilungisile.
