Inkosi Iphakamisa UMoridekhayi
1Ngalobo busuku inkosi yaqwasha, yase iyala ukuba kulethwe kuyo umqulu womlando okubhalwe kuwo izehlakalo zemihla ngemihla zombuso wayo, zafundwa phambi kwenkosi. 2Kwatholakala lapho kwakulotshwe khona ukuthi uMoridekhayi wabaceba kanjani abathenwa ababili, ababengabaqaphi besango lenkosi uBhigithani noThereshi, ngozungu ababelwakhele inkosi u-Ahasheveroshi.
3Inkosi yabuza yathi: “Wahlonishwa kanjani, futhi wanikwa mklomelo muni uMoridekhayi ngaleso senzo na?”
Izinceku zenkosi ezazilapho ziyikhonza zaphendula, zathi: “Akenzelwanga lutho.”
4Inkosi yayisibuza, yathi: “Ngubani osegcekeni?”
UHamani wayesanda kungena egcekeni lesigodlo senkosi elingaphandle, ezokhuluma nenkosi ukuba kulengiswe uMoridekhayi esiphanyekweni ayemlungiselele sona.
5Izinceku zenkosi zaphendula, zathi: “Bheka, nguHamani omi egcekeni.”
Inkosi yathi kuzo: “Mngeniseni.”
6UHamani wangena, inkosi yambuza, yathi: “Angenzelwani umuntu inkosi efuna ukumphakamisa na?”
UHamani wacabanga ngaphakathi, wathi: “Ngubani omunye inkosi engafuna ukumphakamisa ngaphandle kwami?”
7Wayeseyiphendula inkosi, ethi: “Umuntu inkosi efuna ukumphakamisa, 8makulethwe ingubo yenkosi ekade iyembethe, nehhashi ebiligibele lifakwe umqhele wobukhosi ekhanda lalo, kumele agqokiswe ingubo egqokwa yinkosi, agitsheliswe ihhashi eligitshelwa yinkosi, lifakwe umqhele wobukhosi ekhanda lalo, 9bese kuthi esinye sezikhulu zakho eziqavile, simgqokise ingubo lowo muntu inkosi efuna ukumdumisa, simgibelise ehhashini, simhole siye naye eshashalazini lomuzi. Uma sesifike lapho siyomemezela, sithi: ‘Kuyokwenziwa kanje kumuntu inkosi efuna ukumdumisa!’ ”
10Inkosi yathi kuHamani: “Phuthuma uthathe ingubo nehhashi okhulume ngakho, ukwenze lokhu kuMoridekhayi, umJuda, ohlala esangweni lesigodlo senkosi. Ukwenze konke lokhu okushilo.”
11UHamani wayesethatha ingubo nehhashi, wagqokisa uMoridekhayi, wamgibelisa ehhashini, wamusa esigcawini somuzi ehamba phambi kwakhe ememeza, ethi: “Bhekani, uyokwenzelwa lokhu umuntu inkosi ethanda ukumdumisa nokumklomelisa!”
12UMoridekhayi wayesephindela esangweni lesigodlo, kodwa uHamani washesha waqonda emzini wakhe, ezemboze ubuso ngenxa yokuhlazeka. 13Waxoxela umkakhe nabo bonke abangani bakhe ngento eyayimehlele. Labo bangani bakhe abahlakaniphile nomkakhe, bathi kuye: “Njengoba uMoridekhayi engumJuda, ukuwa kwakho sekuqalile. Ngeke ukwazi ukumelana naye ubuso nobuso, impela uzokuqumba phansi.”
Abathenwa Benkosi Balanda UHamani
14Besakhuluma naye uHamani, kwafika abathenwa benkosi, bephuthuma ukuzomlanda uHamani ukuze aye edilini u-Esteri ayelilungisile.
