1EMVENI kwezizinto, kwakudamba umsindo wokumkani u‐Hasheveroshe, wakumbula u‐Vashiti, noko abekwenzile, noko bekugwetyiwe ngaye. 2Zaza izicaka zokumkani ezamkonzayo zati kuye: Makufunelwe ukumkani intombi zipela, ezintle ukubonakala kwazo: 3makamise ukumkani amagosa kuwo onke amazwana obukumkani bake, ukuba ahlanganisele e‐Shushane komkulu zonke intombi zipela ezintle ukubonakala kwazo, endlwini yamankazana, ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Hegai umbusi wokumkani, umgcini wamankazana; kanjalo makunikwe izinto zokuhlanjululwa kwazo: 4iti intombi elungileyo emehlweni okumkani ibe ngukumkanikazi esikundleni sika‐Vashiti. Yabilungile londawo emehlweni okumkani: wenje njalo ke.
5Kwaye kuko e‐Shushane komkulu indoda engum‐Juda, egama lingu‐Modekai, unyana ka‐Yahire, unyana kaShimehi, unyana ka‐Kishe, um‐Benjamine; 6ebifudusiwe e‐Yerusaleme kunye nabatinjwa abebefudusiwe no‐Yekoniya ukumkani wo‐Juda, lowo u‐Nebukanetsare ukumkani wase‐Babilone wamfudusayo. 7Yati ke yona yamondla u‐Hadasa, (okwa nguye u‐Esetere, intombi yoyisekazi wayo,) ngokuba ebengenayise nonina: intombi leyo ibintle nangesimilo nangokubonakala, owati u‐Modekai, xeshekweni bebefile uyise nonina, wayitabata ibe yintombi yake.
8Kwaza kwati, nxa bekuvakele ilizwi lokumkani nomteto wake, nanxa intombi ezininzi bezihlanganiselwe e‐Shushane komkulu, ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Hegai, kwasiwa no‐Esetere endlwini yokumkani, ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Hegai umgcini wamankazana. 9Yaye intombi leyo ibilungile emehlweni ake, yazuza ububele pambi kwake; ngako wanxama ukuyinika izinto zokuhlanjululwa kwayo, nezabelwa zayo, nentombi zisixe̔nxe ezazifunwa ukuba zinikwe kuyo zivela endlwini yokumkani: waza wabeka yona nentombi zayo kwelungileyo indawo yendlu yamankazana. 10Ebengaxelanga u‐Esetere abantu bake nokwalamana kwake: ngokuba u‐Modekai ebemyalele ukuba angaxeli. 11Kekaloku u‐Modekai wahamba imihla yonke pambi kwebala lendlu yamankazana, ukuze akwazi ukupila kuka‐Esetere, nento aya kwenzelwa yona.
12Kwati kwakufika ixesha lentombi ngentombi lokuba ingene kukumkani u‐Hasheveroshe, emveni kwokuba ibe ifezile inyanga ezilishumi linambini, njengesiko lamankazana; (ngokuba bekunjalo ukuzalisekiswa kwemihla yokuhlanjululwa kwazo, esinye isitandatu senyanga kwenziwa ngamafuta emore, nesinye isitandatu senyanga ngezimnandi, nangezinye izinto zokuhlanjululwa kwamankazana:) 13yandula oko intombi leyo yangena kukumkani: konke ebikucela yanikwa kuyo, kupume nayo endlwini yamankazana kuye endlwini yokumkani. 14Ngokuhlwa yangena, nangokusa yabuyela kweyesibini indlu yamankazana, ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Shahashegaze umbusi wokumkani, umgcini wamashweshwe: akangena kanjako kukumkani, kupela nxa ukumkani wayikolelayo, nanxa ibibizwa ngegama.
15Kekaloku kwakufika ixesha lika‐Esetere, intombi ka‐Abihayili, uyisekazi ka‐Modekai, obemtabatile abe yintombi yake, lokuba angene kukumkani, akafuna nto, kupela oko u‐Hegai umbusi wokumkani, umgcini wamankazana, wamxelelayo. Waye u‐Esetere wafumana ufefe emehlweni abo bonke abambonayo. 16Kwa njalo u‐Esetere wasiwa kukumkani u‐Hasheveroshe, endlwini yake yobukumkani, ngenyanga yeshumi, eyinyanga yo‐Tebete, ngowesixe̔nxe umnyaka wobukumkani bake. 17Waza ukumkani wamtanda u‐Esetere pezu kwawo onke amankazana; wayefumana ufefe nobubele ebusweni bake ngapezu kwazo zonke intombi; wada wabeka isitsaba sobukumkani entlokweni yake, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikundleni sika‐Vashiti. 18Wandula ukumkani wenzela zonke inkosi zake nezicaka zake isidlo esikulu, isidlo sika‐Esetere; kanjalo wenzela amazwana ukupumla, wapa amabaso, ngokwesisa sokumkani.
19Kwati kwakuhlanganiswa intombi ngokwesibini, wandula wahlala u‐Modekai esangweni lokumkani. 20U‐Esetere ebengaxelanga ukwalamana kwake nabantu bake, njengokuba ebemyalele u‐Modekai: ngokuba u‐Esetere ebesenza ingxelo ka‐Modekai, njengokuya abesondliwa nguye.
21NGALEYOMIHLA, nxa u‐Modekai ebehlala esangweni lokumkani, baqumba u‐Bigitana no‐Tereshe, ababusi ababini bokumkani, kubo abagcini bomnyango, bafuna ukwolula isandla ngakuye ukumkani u‐Hasheveroshe. 22Yada yazeka lonto ku‐Modekai, owayishumayela ku‐Esetere ukumkanikazi; wati u‐Esetere wamxelela ukumkani egameni lika‐Modekai. 23Kwati kwakubuzwa indawo leyo, yafunyanwa njalo ke; ngako baxo̔nywa bobabini emtini: yaza yaba̔lwa encwadini yemicimbi yemihla ngemihla ebusweni bokumkani.
