U-Esteri Uya Enkosini
1Ngosuku lwesithathu eseqedile umkhuleko wakhe, wakhumula izingubo ayekade ekhonza ngazo, wagqoka ezakhe zakwanokusho.
ISENGEZO D
1aWagqoka ezobukhosi, eselunxusile usizo lukaNkulunkulu noMsindisi obona konke, wathatha izincekukazi zakhe ezimbili; wayencike koyedwa ebukeka entekenteke owesibili ebambe umsila wengubo yakhe. 1bWayekhazimula emuhle ngokuphelele, futhi ebukeka ethokozile, njengothandiweyo, kodwa inhliziyo yakhe yayigcwele ukwesaba. 1cEsengenile kuyo yonke iminyango, wama phambi kwenkosi. Yayihleli esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi yembethe ezobukhosi ezimbozwe yigolide namatshe ayigugu. Yeyesabeka kakhulu. 1dIphakamisa ubuso bayo, igcwele inkazimulo, yambuka u-Esteri ifutha yintukuthelo. Indlovukazi yaphaphatheka yase iquleka iwela phezu kwekhanda kwencekukazi eyayiphambi kwayo. 1eUNkulunkulu wayesewuguqula umoya wenkosi waba mnene, ngokwethuka yagxuma esihlalweni sayo yambamba yamgona waze waphaphama. Yamduduza ngamazwi amnandi, yathi kuye: 1f“Yini Esteri? Ungesabi ngoba wena ungomunye wethu; awuzukufa ngokuba umthetho wethu uphathelene nalabo abangabantu bethu. Sondela, woza eduze.”
2Yayisiphakamisa intonga yegolide yathinta intamo yakhe ngayo; Yamgona, yathi kuye: “Khuluma.”
2aU-Esteri wathi enkosini: “Nxa ngikubuka nkosi ngikubone ufana nengelosi kaNkulunkulu, ngakho-ke inhliziyo yami yathuthumela yesaba kakhulu nxa ngibona ukukhazimula kwakho. Ngokuba umuhle nkosi yami, ubuso bakho bugcwele umusa.”
2bEsakhuluma wabuye wawa waquleka. Inkosi yase ikhathazeka, zonke izinceku zayo zazama ukumduduza u-Esteri.
SIPHELA LAPHA ISENGEZO D.
U-Esteri Umemela UHamani Edilini
3Inkosi yayisithi kuye: “Ukhala ngani, Esteri na? Yini oyifunayo na? Uyakwenzelwa lokho okucelayo noma kungaze kuze kube yingxenye yombuso.”
4U-Esteri wathi: “Lusuku olukhulu kimi lolu, Uma kukuhle enkosini, inkosi uqobo lwayo noHamani mabeze namuhla edilini engiyakubalungisela lona.”
5Inkosi yathi: “Sheshani nibize uHamani ukuba kwenziwe njengesicelo sika-Esteri.”
Base beya inkosi noHamani edilini alilungisileyo u-Esteri. 6Besaphuza iwayini, inkosi yathi ku-Esteri: “Kwenzenjani, ndlovukazi, Esteri na? Uyakunikwa lokho okufisayo.”
7Wayesephendula u-Esteri ethi: “Isicelo sami nengikufunayo yilokhu: 8uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni enkosi, inkosi noHamani mabeze edilini engiyakubalungisela lona, kusasa ngiyakwenza njengoba ngenzile namuhla.”
UHamani wenza icebo lokubulala uMoridekhayi. 9UHamani waphuma ethokoza enenhliziyo echichimaya injabulo, kepha lapho uHamani ebona uMoridekhayi egcekeni, wagcwala intukuthelo. 10Kepha wazibamba waya ekhaya; wayesebiza abangani bakhe nomkakhe uZosara. 11Wabalandisa ngengcebo yakhe nangodumo inkosi emhloniphe ngalo, nokuthi inkosi imphakamise kanjani ngaphezu kwezikhulu nezinceku zenkosi futhi yamenza waba ngowokuqala embusweni wayo. 12UHamani wabuye wathi futhi: “U-Esteri indlovukazi akangenisanga muntu kanye nenkosi edilini alilungisileyo ngaphandle kwami; nakusasa ngimenyiwe nguye kanye nenkosi. 13Kepha konke lokhu akungenelisi ngalutho uma ngisalokhu ngibona uMoridekhayi umJuda ehlezi egcekeni lenkosi.”
14Umkakhe uZosara kanye nabangani bakhe bathi kuye: “Yenza indawo yokuphanyeka, ekuphakama kwawo kube yizingalo ezingama-50, bese kuthi ekuseni ukhulume kuyo inkosi ukuba uMoridekhayi aphanyekwe kuwo, bese ungena nenkosi edilini.”
Saba sihle leso seluleko kuHamani, wayenza indawo yokumphanyeka.
