U-Esteri 9

9 ¹Ngenyanga yeshumi nambili, u-Adari, ngosuku lweshumi nantathu—lapho umyalo nesimemezelo senkosi kwakuzophumelela khona, usuku izitha zamaJuda ezazithemba ukubabusa ngalo—kwaphenduka: amaJuda abusa labo abawazondayo. ²AmaJuda abuthana emizini yawo kuzo zonke izifundazwe zenkosi uXerxe ukuba ahlasele labo abafuna ukuwalimaza. Akubange kusabakho muntu owayengema phambi kwawo, ngokuba ukwesabeka kwawo kwase kuwele phezu kwazo zonke izizwe. ³Zonke iziphathimandla zezifundazwe, nababusi, nababusi bezifunda, nabaphathi benkosi basekela amaJuda, ngokuba ukwesaba uMoridekayi kwase kuwele phezu kwabo. ⁴UMoridekayi waba namandla endlini yenkosi; udumo lwakhe lwanda kuzo zonke izifundazwe, ngokuba uMoridekayi ngokwakhe waya eqhubeka eba namandla kakhulu. ⁵AmaJuda abulala zonke izitha zawo ngenkemba, ebulala echitha, enza njengokuthanda kwawo kulabo abawazondayo. ⁶Enqabeni yaseShushani amaJuda abulala achitha amadoda angamakhulu amahlanu. ⁷Abulala futhi uPharishandatha, noDaliphoni, no-Asipatha, ⁸noPhoratha, no-Adaliya, no-Aridatha, ⁹noPharimashta, no-Arisayi, no-Aridayi, noVayizatha. ¹⁰Amadodana ayishumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha samaJuda, awabulala—kodwa awabange ethatha impango.

¹¹Ngalolo suku inani lababuleweyo enqabeni yaseShushani labikwa enkosini. ¹²Inkosi yathi kundlovukazi u-Esteri: “Enqabeni yaseShushani amaJuda abulele achithe amadoda angamakhulu amahlanu namadodana ayishumi kaHamani. Benzeni pho kuzo zonke ezinye izifundazwe zenkosi? Siyini-ke isicelo sakho? Siyakunikwa wena. Usacela kuthini futhi? Kuyakwenziwa.”

¹³U-Esteri wathi: “Uma kuyithokozisa inkosi, mawavunyelwe amaJuda aseShushani ukuba enze futhi kusasa njengokwesimemezelo sanamuhla, bese belengisa amadodana ayishumi kaHamani ezigxotsheni.”

¹⁴Inkosi yayala ukuba kwenziwe njalo. Kwakhishwa isimemezelo eShushani, balengisa amadodana ayishumi kaHamani. ¹⁵AmaJuda aseShushani abuthana futhi ngosuku lweshumi nane luka-Adari, abulala amadoda angamakhulu amathathu lapho, kodwa awabange eyithinta impango.

¹⁶AmaJuda asele asezifundazweni zenkosi abuthana ukuvikela ukuphila kwawo, athola ukuphumula ezitheni zawo, abulala izinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu kulabo ababewazonda, kodwa awabange eyithinta impango. ¹⁷Lokhu kwenzeka ngosuku lweshumi nantathu luka-Adari; ngolweshumi nane aphumula, aluzenza usuku lwedili nolwentokozo.

¹⁸EShushani amaJuda abuthana ngosuku lweshumi nantathu nangolweshumi nane, aphumula ngolweshumi nanhlanu, aluzenza usuku lwedili nolwentokozo. ¹⁹Kungakho amaJuda asemizaneni evulekileyo egubha usuku lweshumi nane luka-Adari ngenjabulo, ngedili, nangosuku lwekhefu, nangokuthumelelana izipho zokudla.

Kumiswa uMkhosi WePurimi

²⁰UMoridekayi wabhala lezi zenzakalo, wathumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda asezifundazweni zenkosi uXerxe, aseduze nakude, ²¹ukuba awaphoqe ukuba agubhe usuku lweshumi nane nolweshumi nanhlanu lwenyanga u-Adari minyaka yonke, ²²njengezinsuku amaJuda aphumula ngazo ezitheni zawo, nenyanga eyaphendukela kuwo isuka osizini yaya entokozweni, isuka ekulileni yaya emkhosini. Wawatshela ukuba awagcine njengezinsuku zedili nezentokozo, ethumelelana izipho zokudla nezipho kwabampofu. ²³AmaJuda akwamukela njengesiko lokho ayesekuqalile ukukwenza, njengalokho uMoridekayi ayewabhalele khona. ²⁴UHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha sawo wonke amaJuda, wawaceba ukuwachitha, wenza inkatho ipuri—okungukuthi inkatho—ukuba awacobe awachithe. ²⁵Kodwa kwathi lapho lokho kufika phambi kwenkosi, yayala ngencwadi ukuba icebo elibi uHamani alicebela amaJuda libuyele phezu kwekhanda lakhe, nokuba yena namadodana akhe balengiswe ezigxotsheni.

²⁶Ngakho lezi zinsuku zibizwa ngokuthi iPurimi, ngegama elithi puri, ngenxa yawo wonke amazwi aleyo ncwadi, nangenxa yalokho abakubonayo nokwabehlelayo. ²⁷AmaJuda azibopha wona, nenzalo yawo, nabo bonke ababehlangana nawo, ukuba agcine lezi zinsuku ezimbili minyaka yonke ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, ngaphandle kokuyeka, njengokubhaliweyo. ²⁸Sonke isizukulwane, nomndeni, nesifundazwe, nomuzi kukhumbula kugcine lezi zinsuku; lezi zinsuku zePurimi azisoze zaphela phakathi kwamaJuda, nenkumbulo yazo ingasoze yafa enzalweni yawo.

²⁹Undlovukazi u-Esteri indodakazi ka-Abhihayili noMoridekayi umJuda babhala ngegunya eliphelele beqinisa le ncwadi yesibili yePurimi. ³⁰Kwathunyelwa izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda asezifundazweni eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa zombuso kaXerxe—amazwi okuthula neqiniso, ³¹eqinisa lezi zinsuku zePurimi ngezikhathi zazo ezimisiweyo, njengokuba uMoridekayi umJuda nendlovukazi u-Esteri bakuyala kuwo, nanjengokuba azimisela khona wona nenzalo yawo, izikhathi zokuzila nezokulila. ³²Umyalo ka-Esteri waqinisa lezi zimiso ngePurimi, kwabhalwa phansi encwadini.