To The Word – Day 134

₁Ngalolo suku inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yanika u-Esteri, inkosikazi, indlu kaHamani isitha sabaJuda. UMoridekayi weza phambi kwenkosi, ngokuba u-Esteri wayeselandile ukuthi uyini naye. ₂Inkosi yakhumula indandatho yayo ebiyisusile kuHamani, yayinika uMoridekayi. U-Esteri wambeka uMoridekayi phezu kwendlu kaHamani.

₃U-Esteri waqhubeka wakhuluma phambi kwenkosi, wawa ngasezinyaweni zayo, wakhala, wayinxusa ukuba ibususe ububi bukaHamani umAgagi necebo lakhe ayelicebe ngabaJuda. ₄Inkosi yamelulela u-Esteri intonga yegolide. Wayesesukuma u-Esteri, wema phambi kwenkosi.

₅Wathi: “Uma kukuhle enkosini, noma ngifumene umusa phambi kwayo, noma le nto ilungile phambi kwenkosi, uma ngithandeka emehlweni ayo, makulotshwe ukuba zibuyiswe izincwadi zamacebo kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi azilobayo ukuba bachithwe abaJuda abasezifundeni zenkosi; ₆ngokuba ngingakubuka kanjani okubi okuyakufica isizwe sakithi, noma ngingakubuka kanjani ukuchithwa kwezihlobo zami na?”

₇Inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yathi ku-Esteri, inkosikazi, nakuMoridekayi, umJuda: “Bhekani, nginike u-Esteri indlu kaHamani; yena bamphanyekile emthini, ngokuba wabeka isandla sakhe kubaJuda. ₈Kepha lobani nani ngabaJuda njengokuhle emehlweni enu egameni lenkosi, nikunamathelise ngendandatho yenkosi, ngokuba umbhalo obhalwe egameni lenkosi wanamatheliswa ngendandatho yenkosi awunakubuyiswa muntu.”

₉Abalobi benkosi babizwa ngaleso sikhathi ngenyanga yesithathu, eyinyanga kaSivani, ngolwamashumi amabili nantathu lwayo; kwalotshwa njengakho konke uMoridekayi ayala ngakho abaJuda, nawothulasizwe, nababusi, nezikhulu zezifunda, kusukela e-Indiya kuze kufike eKushe, izifunda eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa, izifunda ngezifunda njengokubhala kwazo, nezizwe ngezizwe njengolimi lwazo, nabaJuda njengokubhala kwabo nanjengolimi lwabo. ₁₀Waloba egameni lenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, wakunamathelisa ngendandatho yenkosi, wazithuma izincwadi ngesandla sezigijimi zamahhashi, zigibela amahhashi anejubane, amahhashi enkosi akhethekileyo, ₁₁inkosi eyavumela ngakho abaJuda ababesemizini ngemizi ukuba babuthane, bamele ukuphila kwabo, bachithe, babulale, babhubhise onke amabutho abantu nawesifunda abahlaselayo, izingane nabesifazane, impahla yabo ibe yimpango, ₁₂ngosuku oluthile ezifundeni zonke zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, ngolweshumi nantathu lwenyanga yeshumi nambili eyinyanga ka-Adari. ₁₃Impinda yokulotshiweyo yanikwa ukuba ibe yisimemezelo ezifundeni zonke, kumenyezelwe kubantu bonke ukuba abaJuda bazilungiselele lolo suku, baziphindisele ezitheni zabo.

₁₄Zase ziphuma izigijimi zigibele amahhashi anejubane, amahhashi enkosi, zisheshiswa ziqhutshwa yizwi lenkosi; umthetho washaywa eShushani endlini yenkosi.

₁₅Wayesephuma uMoridekayi ebusweni benkosi embethe isambatho sobukhosi esiluhlaza nesimhlophe, enomqhele omkhulu wegolide nengubo yelineni elicolekileyo nebubende; umuzi waseShushani wajabula, wathokoza. ₁₆AbaJuda base benakho ukukhanya, nokuthokoza, nokujabula, nodumo. ₁₇Ezifundeni zonke nasemizini yonke lapho kufika khona izwi lenkosi nomthetho wayo, abaJuda babe nokuthokoza nokujabula, nedili, nosuku oluhle. Abezizwe abaningi baphenduka abaJuda, ngokuba babehlelwe yingebhe ngabaJuda.

₁Ngenyanga yeshumi nambili eyinyanga ka-Adari ngosuku lweshumi nantathu lwayo, lapho kusondela izwi lenkosi nomthetho wayo ukuba kwenziwe, ngosuku izitha zabaJuda ezazethembile ngalo ukubusa phezu kwabo nokho kwaguqulwa ukuze abaJuda babuse phezu kwababazondayo. ₂AbaJuda babuthana emizini yabo ezifundeni zonke zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ukuba babeke izandla kulabo ababefuna ukubalimaza; akubangakho ongamelana nabo, ngokuba abantu bonke babehlelwe yingebhe ngabo. ₃Zonke izikhulu zezifunda, nawothulasizwe, nababusi, nabenza umsebenzi wenkosi, babasiza abaJuda, ngokuba babehlelwe yingebhe ngoMoridekayi. ₄Ngokuba uMoridekayi wayemkhulu endlini yenkosi, nodumo lwakhe lwahamba ezifundeni zonke, ngokuba lowo muntu uMoridekayi wayelokhu ekhula njalo.

₅AbaJuda baceka zonke izitha zabo ngokuceka kwenkemba, nangokubulala, nangokuchitha, benza kwababazondayo njengokuthanda kwabo. ₆EShushani endlini yenkosi abaJuda babulala, bachitha abantu abangamakhulu ayisihlanu. ₇Babulala noParishanidatha, noDalifoni, no-Asiphatha, ₈noPhoratha, no-Adaliya, no-Aridatha, ₉noPharimashita, no-Arisayi, no-Aridayi, noVayizatha, ₁₀amadodana ayishumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha sabaJuda, kepha ababekanga izandla zabo empangweni.

₁₁Ngalolo suku inani lababuleweyo eShushani endlini yenkosi lalethwa phambi kwenkosi. ₁₂Inkosi yayisithi ku-Esteri inkosikazi: “AbaJuda babulele bachitha abantu abangamakhulu ayisihlanu eShushani endlini yenkosi namadodana ayishumi kaHamani; pho, benzeni kwezinye izifunda zenkosi? Isicelo sakho siyini? Uyakusenzelwa. Yini oyifunayo na? Kuyakwenziwa.”

₁₃U-Esteri wathi: “Uma kukuhle enkosini, abaJuda abaseShushani mabavunyelwe nakusasa ukwenza njengomthetho wanamuhla, aphanyekwe amadodana ayishumi kaHamani emthini.”

₁₄Inkosi yasho ukuba kwenziwe kanjalo; umthetho washaywa eShushani; bawaphanyeka amadodana ayishumi kaHamani. ₁₅AbaJuda ababe seShushani babuthana nangosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga ka-Adari, babulala abantu abangamakhulu amathathu eShushani, kepha ababekanga izandla zabo empangweni.

₁₆Abanye abaJuda ababe sezifundeni zenkosi babuthana, bamela ukuphila kwabo, baphumula ezitheni zabo, babulala abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu ababazondayo, kepha ababekanga izandla zabo empangweni. ₁₇Lokho kwakungosuku lweshumi nantathu lwenyanga ka-Adari; ngosuku lweshumi nane lwayo baphumula, balwenza lwaba lusuku lwedili nolokuthokoza.

₁₈Kepha abaJuda ababe seShushani babuthana ngolweshumi nantathu lwayo nangolweshumi nane lwayo; ngolweshumi nanhlanu lwayo baphumula, balwenza lwaba lusuku lwedili nolokuthokoza.

₁₉Ngalokho abaJuda basemaphandleni ababehlezi emizaneni engabiyelwe benza usuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga ka-Adari lube ngolokuthokoza nolwedili nosuku oluhle nolokuthumelana izipho omunye komunye.

₂₀UMoridekayi waziloba lezo zindaba, wathuma izincwadi kubo bonke abaJuda ababe sezifundeni zonke zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, abaseduze nabakude, ₂₁ukumisa ukuba bagcine usuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga ka-Adari nosuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwayo iminyaka yonke ₂₂njengezinsuku abaJuda abathola ngazo ukuphumula ezitheni zabo nenyanga eyaguqulwa kubo osizini yaba ngeyokuthokoza nasekulileni kwaba lusuku oluhle, bazenze zibe yizinsuku zedili nezokuthokoza nezokuthumelana izipho omunye komunye, kanye nezipho kwabampofu.

₂₃AbaJuda bakwamukela ukwenza lokho abakuqalileyo, nalokho ayekulobe kubo uMoridekayi, ₂₄ngokuba uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha sabo bonke abaJuda, wayecebile ngabaJuda ukuba abachithe, waphonsa iPhure eliyinkatho ukuba abanqobe, abachithe; ₂₅kepha lapho lokho kwafika phambi kwenkosi, yasho ngencwadi ukuba lelo cebo elibi ayelicebe ngabaJuda libuyele ekhanda lakhe, yena namadodana akhe baphanyekwe emthini. ₂₆Ngalokho babiza lezo zinsuku ngokuthi iPhurimi ngegama lePhure. Ngalokho ngenxa yawo onke amazwi aleyo ncwadi, nangenxa yalokho abebekubonile ngale ndaba, nalokho okubehleleyo, ₂₇abaJuda banquma bamukela, bona nenzalo yabo, nabo bonke ababezihlanganisa nabo, ukuthi bayakugcina lezo zinsuku zombili njengokubhalwa kwazo nanjengesikhathi sazo esinqunyiweyo iminyaka yonke, bangaphuthi, ₂₈zikhunjulwe lezo zinsuku, zigcinwe ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, emindenini ngemindeni, ezifundeni ngezifunda, emizini ngemizi, lezo zinsuku zePhurimi, zingaphuthi phakathi kwabaJuda, nesikhumbuzo sazo singapheli enzalweni yabo.

₂₉U-Esteri inkosikazi, indodakazi ka-Abihayili, noMoridekayi umJuda base beloba ngamandla onke ukuba baqinise le ncwadi yesibili yePhurimi. ₃₀Wathuma izincwadi kubo bonke abaJuda ezifundeni eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa zombuso ka-Ahashiveroshi, zinamazwi okuthula neqiniso, ₃₁ukuba aqinise lezo zinsuku zePhurimi ngezikhathi zazo ezinqunyiweyo njengokuzimisa kukaMoridekayi umJuda no-Esteri inkosikazi, nanjengalokho bezimisele bona nenzalo yabo ngendaba yokuzila ukudla nokukhala kwabo. ₃₂Izwi lika-Esteri laqinisa lezo zindaba zePhurimi, kwalotshwa encwadini.

₁Inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yathelisa izwe neziqhingi zolwandle. ₂Zonke izenzo zegunya lakhe namandla akhe, nayo yonke indaba yobukhulu bukaMoridekayi inkosi eyayimkhulisela kubo angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi aseMediya nasePheresiya na? ₃Ngokuba uMoridekayi, umJuda, wayelama inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ngobukhulu, emkhulu phakathi kwabaJuda, ethokozelwa ngabafowabo abaningi, efuna okuhle kwesizwe sakubo, ekhuluma ukuthula kuyo yonke inzalo yabo.