UESTERE 2

₁Emva kwezi zinto, bakudamba ubushushu bokumkani uAhaswerosi, wamkhumbula uVashti, noko abekwenzile, noko bekugqitywe ngaye. ₂Athi amadodana akwakumkani abelungiselela kuye, Ukumkani makafunelwe iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle. ₃Ukumkani makayalele abaphathi emazweni onke obukumkani bakhe, bahlanganise zonke iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle, bazizìse eShushan komkhulu, endlwini yabafazi, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi, zinikwe izinto zokuthambisa. ₄Ize ithi intombi ethe yalunga emehlweni okumkani, ibe ngukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti. Lalunga elo lizwi emehlweni okumkani; wenjenjalo ke.

₅Kwakukho ke eShushan komkhulu indoda engumYuda, egama linguMordekayi, unyana kaYahire, unyana kaShimehi, unyana kaKishe, indoda engumBhenjamin; ₆eyayithinjiwe eYerusalem nabathinjwa, ababethinjwe noYekoniya ukumkani wakwaYuda, owathinjwa nguNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli.

₇Yaye ingumondli kaHadasa (nguEstere ke lowo), intombi kayisekazi; ngokuba ebengenayise nanina. Intombi leyo yayimile kakuhle, intle nasebusweni. Emva kokufa kukayise nonina, uMordekayi wayithabatha yaba yintombi yakhe. ₈Kwathi ekuvakaleni kwelizwi lokumkani nomthetho wakhe, ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi ezininzi eShushan komkhulu, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, wasiwa noEstere endlwini yokumkani, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, umgcini wabafazi.

₉Yamkholisa intombi leyo, wayenzela ububele, wakhawuleza, wayinika izinto zayo zokuthambisa, nezabelo zayo, wayinika neentombi ezisixhenxe ezihleliweyo, ezivela endlwini yokumkani; wayibeka yona nomthinjana wayo kweyona ndawo intle kwindlu yabafazi. ₁₀UEstere ubengàbaxelanga abantu bakowabo nemizalwane yakhe; kuba uMordekayi wayemwisele umthetho wokuba angabaxeli. ₁₁UMordekayi wayemana ukuhamba imihla ngemihla yonke phambi kwentendelezo yendlu yabafazi, ukuba akwazi ukuphila kukaEstere, nokwenziwayo kuye.

₁₂Ke kaloku ekufikeni kwexesha lentombi ngentombi lokuya kukumkani uAhaswerosi, ekupheleni kokwenziwa kwesiko labafazi iinyanga ezilishumi elinambini (kuba bekunjalo ukuzaliseka kwemihla yokuthanjiswa kwazo; iinyanga ezintandathu bekusenziwa ngeoli yemore,• ezinye iinyanga ezintandathu ngobulawu nangeento zokuthambisa abafazi), ₁₃ngelo xesha ke ibe isithi intombi ukuya kukumkani, kuthi konke ebikunqwenela ikunikwe, ihambe nako, iphuma endlwini yabafazi ukuya endlwini yokumkani. ₁₄Ibisakuya ngokuhlwa, ngengomso ibuyele kweyesibini indlu yabafazi, ephantsi kogcino lukaShahashgazi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wamashweshwe. Ibingabi saya kukumkani, engayinanzanga ukumkani, ayibize ngegama.

₁₅Ekufikeni kwexesha likaEstere, intombi ka-Abhihayili, uyisekazi kaMordekayi, obeyithabathe ukuba ibe yintombi yakhe, lokuba aye kukumkani, akafunanga nto ingàxelwanga nguHegayi ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi. UEstere wababalwa ngabo bonke abambonáyo. ₁₆Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi, endlwini yakhe yobukumkani, ngenyanga yeshumi (leyo yinyanga enguTebhete), ngomnyaka wesixhenxe wobukumkani bakhe.

₁₇Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke; wambabala, wamenzela inceba ngaphezu kweentombi zonke; unkontsho lobukumkanikazi walubeka entlokweni yakhe, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti. ₁₈Ukumkani wabenzela isidlo esikhulu abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe, isidlo sikaEstere; wawaphumza amazwe, wapha izipho ngokwamandla okumkani.

₁₉Ke kaloku ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi okwesibini, ubehleli uMordekayi esangweni lokumkani. ₂₀UEstere ubengayixelanga imizalwane yakhe nabantu bakowabo, njengoko uMordekayi wayemmisele; ngokuba ilizwi likaMordekayi ubelenza uEstere, njengokuba wayesondliwa nguye.

₂₁Ngaloo mihla kwathi, uMordekayi ehleli esangweni lokumkani, baba noburhalarhume uBhigetan noTereshe, amathenwa amabini okumkani, abagcini bomnyango, bafuna ukumsa izandla ukumkani uAhaswerosi. ₂₂Yaziwa loo nto nguMordekayi, waxelela uEstere ukumkanikazi; uEstere waxelela ukumkani egameni likaMordekayi. ₂₃Yancinwa loo nto, yafunyanwa; baxhonywa bobabini emthini. Yabhalwa loo nto encwadini yemicimbi yemihla phambi kokumkani.