U-Esteri 8

8 ¹Ngalolo suku inkosi uXerxe yanika indlovukazi u-Esteri izwe likaHamani, isitha samaJuda. UMoridekayi weza phambi kwenkosi, ngokuba u-Esteri wayeyitshelile ukuthi uyini kuye. ²Inkosi yakhumula indandatho yayo yophawu, eyayiyithathe kuHamani, yayinika uMoridekayi. U-Esteri wambeka uMoridekayi phezu kwezwe likaHamani.

³U-Esteri waphinda wakhuluma nenkosi, wawa ezinyaweni zayo, wakhala, wayincenga ukuba iqede ububi bukaHamani umAgagi necebo ayelicebe ngokumelene namaJuda. ⁴Inkosi yelulela u-Esteri intonga yegolide, wasukuma u-Esteri wema phambi kwayo. ⁵Wathi: “Uma kuyithokozisa inkosi, uma ngithole umusa kuyo, uma lokhu kubonakala kulungile kuyo, futhi ngiyayithokozisa, mazilotshwe izincwadi eziguqula lokho uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi akucebayo wakuloba ukuze abhubhise amaJuda kuzo zonke izifundazwe zenkosi. ⁶Ngingakumela kanjani ukubona inhlekelele iwela abantu bakithi? Ngingakumela kanjani ukubukela umndeni wami ubhujiswa?”

⁷Inkosi uXerxe yathi kuyindlovukazi u-Esteri nakuMoridekayi umJuda: “Ngimnike u-Esteri indlu kaHamani, bamlengisa esigxotsheni ngokuba waceba ngokumelene namaJuda. ⁸Lobani ngamaJuda njengokubona kwenu, egameni lenkosi, niyiname ngendandatho yophawu lwenkosi—ngokuba akukho mbhalo olotshwe egameni lenkosi, wananyekwa ngendandatho yayo, ongaguqulwa.”

⁹Ababhali benkosi babizwa ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nantathu lwenyanga yesithathu—okunguSivani—baloba konke uMoridekayi akuyala kumaJuda nakuzo izikhulu, ababusi neziphathimandla zezifundazwe eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa kusukela eNdiya kuze kufike eKushi: isifundazwe ngasinye ngombhalo waso, isizwe ngasinye ngolimi lwaso, namaJuda ngombhalo wawo nangolimi lwawo. ¹⁰UMoridekayi waloba egameni lenkosi uXerxe, wakunamekela ngendandatho yophawu lwenkosi, wathumela izincwadi ngezithunywa ezazigibele amahhashi anejubane, ayezalelwe umsebenzi wasebukhosini. ¹¹Isimemezelo senkosi sanika amaJuda kuwo wonke amadolobha ilungelo lokuhlangana nelokuzivikela impilo yawo: ukubhubhisa, ukubulala nokuqeda nya noma yiliphi ibutho elihlomile lanoma yisiphi isizwe noma isifundazwe esibahlaselayo—kanye nabantwana nabesifazane—nokuphanga impahla yezitha zawo. ¹²Lokhu kwakuyokwenzeka ngosuku olulodwa kuzo zonke izifundazwe zenkosi uXerxe—ngosuku lweshumi nantathu lwenyanga yeshumi nambili, u-Adari. ¹³Ikhophi yalesi simemezelo yayizokhishwa njengomthetho kuzo zonke izifundazwe, yaziswe kuzo zonke izizwe, ukuze amaJuda alungele lolo suku ukuziphindiselela ezitheni zawo. ¹⁴Izithunywa ezigibele amahhashi asebukhosini zaphuma ngokushesha, ziqhutshwa zishukunyiswa yisimemezelo senkosi; isimemezelo sanikezwa enqabeni yaseSusa.

¹⁵UMoridekayi waphuma phambi kwenkosi egqoke izingubo zasebukhosini eziluhlaza nezimhlophe, nomqhele omkhulu wegolide, nengubo yelineni elicolekileyo neliyibubende. ISusa yamemeza yajabula. ¹⁶AmaJuda ayenokukhanya, nenjabulo, nokuthokoza, nodumo. ¹⁷Umyalo nesimemezelo senkosi safika kuzo zonke izifundazwe namadolobha; amaJuda aba nenjabulo nentokozo, idili, nosuku lomkhosi. Abantu abaningi balelo zwe baba ngamaJuda, ngokuba ukwesaba amaJuda kwabehlela.