U-Esta Uncengela Isizwe Sakhe
Edilini lesibili u-Esteri ekugcineni ucela impilo yakhe neyabantu bakhe, abize ngegama umuntu owabathengisa: uHamani. Inkosi iphuma ivutha ulaka; uHamani uwa encenga phezu kombhede wakhe, kuthathwe njengokumhlasela. Ulengiswa esigxotsheni sakhe.
7 1Ngakho inkosi noHamani bafika ukuba badle noNdlovukazi u-Esta. 2Ngosuku lwesibili, besaphuza iwayini, inkosi yabuza futhi, yathi: "Siyini isicelo sakho, Ndlovukazi Esta? Uyawuphiwa. Ufunani? Noma kuyingxenye yombuso—uyakwenzelwa."
3UNdlovukazi u-Esta waphendula wathi: "Uma ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi, futhi uma kuyayithokozisa inkosi, mangiphiwe ukuphila kwami esicelweni sami, nesizwe sami esifisweni sami. 4Sithengisiwe, mina nesizwe sami, ukuba sibhujiswe, sibulawe, siqedwe nya. Ukube besithengiselwe nje ukuba sibe yizigqila ezingamadoda nabesifazane, bengizothula; usizi olunjalo belungeke lufanele ukukhathaza inkosi."
5Khona-ke iNkosi uXerkesi yathi kuNdlovukazi u-Esta: "Ngubani yena, uphi, olokothe enze lokhu?"
6U-Esta wathi: "Umbangi nesitha—nguHamani lo omubi!" UHamani wesaba kakhulu phambi kwenkosi nendlovukazi.
7Ithukuthele, inkosi yasukuma yasuka ewayinini yaya ensimini yesigodlo, kwathi uHamani wasala ukuba acelele ukuphila kwakhe kuNdlovukazi u-Esta, ngokubona ukuthi inkosi yayihlose ukumbhubhisa. 8Inkosi yabuya ensimini yesigodlo yabuyela endlini yedili. UHamani wayewele phezu kombhede lapho u-Esta ayelapho. Inkosi yathi: "Uzoze adlwengule ndlovukazi ngisekhona lapha?" Kwathi lawo mazwi esaphuma emlonyeni wayo, izinceku zamboza ubuso bukaHamani. a a v8 Ukumboza ubuso komuntu olahliwe kwakuyisibonakaliso sasendulo sokuthi isiphetho sakhe sesinqunyiwe—wayesengathi usefile.
9UHaribona, omunye wabathenwa benkosi, wathi: "Ugodo lokulengisa olungamamitha angamashumi amabili nantathu uHamani aluzenzela uMoridekayi, owakhuluma kahle ngenkosi, lumi endlini kaHamani." Inkosi yathi: "Mlengiseni kulo."
10Ngakho bamlengisa uHamani ogodweni lokulengisa ayelulungisele uMoridekayi, nolaka lwenkosi lwadamba.
