U-Esteri 9

₁Lwaze lwafika usuku lwamanqamu, mhla zilishumi nantathu ngenyanga u-Adari, olwalubhalwe esimemezelweni senkosi, usuku izitha zabaJuda ezazilumisele ukushaya icole ngalo kubaJuda, kanti kuzophenduka izikhuni, kube ngabaJuda abazobusa phezu kwazo. ₂Kuzo zonke izifundazwe zenkosi u-Ahasheveroshi, nakuyo yonke imizi lapho kwakuhlala khona abaJuda, abaJuda bahlangana ukuzobulala bonke ababekade befuna ukubabhubhisa. Akukho namunye owayezomelana nabaJuda, ngokuba zonke izizwe zase zibesaba kakhulu. ₃Bonke ababusi bezifundazwe, iziphathimandla, izikhulu, ababusi nabaphathi benkosi beseka abaJuda, ngokuba nabo base bengenwe ngukwesaba uMoridekhayi. ₄UMoridekhayi waba ngumuntu omkhulu esigodlweni, nodumo lwakhe lwanda kuzo zonke izifundazwe, waqhubeka njalo waba ngumuntu onamandla. ₅AbaJuda benza ababefisa ukukwenza ezitheni zabo. Bazihlasela ngenkemba, babulala noma ngubani ababefuna ukumbulala, bonke ababeyizitha zabo.

₆Enhlokomuzi iShushani, abaJuda babulala amadoda angama-500. Babulala namadodana alishumi kaHamani, indodana kaHamedatha, isitha sabaJuda: ₇uPharishandatha, uDalifoni, u-Ashiphatha, ₈uPhoratha, u-Adaliya, u-Aridathi, ₉uPharimashitaha, u-Arisayi, u-Aridayi noVayizatha. ₁₀Nokho awazange athathe mpango.

₁₁Ngalolo lusuku, umbiko ngenani lalabo ababebulewe enhlokomuzi iShushani, wethulelwa inkosi, ₁₂yayisithi endlovukazini u-Esteri: “Enhlokomuzi iShushani, abaJuda babulale amadoda angama-500, kuwo kunamadodana alishumi kaHamani. Kazi benzenjani kwezinye izifundazwe na? Yini-ke enye osayicela? Ngizokunika yona. Ucelani? Ngizokwenzela.”

₁₃U-Esteri waphendula, wathi: “Uma kukuhle enkosini mayigunyaze abaJuda abahlala eShushani, benze nakusasa njengokomthetho wanamuhla, amadodana kaHamani alishumi aphanyekwe ezigxotsheni zokuphanyeka.”

₁₄Inkosi yayaleza ukuba kwenziwe lokho; umthetho washaywa eShushani, amadodana alishumi kaHamani aphanyekwa ezigxotsheni zokuphanyeka. ₁₅AbaJuda bahlala eShushani, babuye bahlangana nangosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga u-Adari, babulala amadoda angama-300 eShushani, kodwa abazange bathathe mpango.

₁₆AbaJuda ababehlala ezifundazweni zenkosi bahlangana, bazivikela, bakhululeka ezitheni zabo, babulala amadoda ayizi-75 000, kodwa abathatha mpango. ₁₇Zonke lezo zinto zenzeka mhla zilishumi nantathu, ngenyanga u-Adari, namhla zilishumi nane, babe sebephumula. Lolo suku balwenza lwaba wusuku lwedili nenjabulo.

₁₈Kepha abaJuda ababehlala eShushani bahlangana ngomhla zili-13, nangomhla zili-14, baphumula mhla zili-15, lolo suku balwenza usuku lwedili nentokozo. ₁₉Yingakho abaJuda abahlala emizaneni engaphandle kwemizi, nalabo abahlala emizaneni, umhla ziyishumi nane ngenyanga u-Adari kuwusuku lwentokozo nedili, neholide abaphana ngalo izipho zokudla.

₂₀UMoridekhayi waloba zonke lezo zinto phansi. Wababhalela izincwadi bonke abaJuda ababehlala kuzo zonke izifundazwe zenkosi u-Ahasheveroshi, ezikude neziseduze. ₂₁Wabayala ukuba usuku lwe-14 nolwe-15, lwenyanga u-Adari, bazigcine zibe yizinsuku zokugubha umkhosi minyaka yonke. ₂₂Ngalezo zinsuku, abaJuda bakhululwa ezitheni zabo, ngenyanga lapho usizi lwabo lwaphenduka injabulo, ukulila kwabo kwaba yintokozo. Kwakumele kube yizinsuku zedili nentokozo, izinsuku zokuphana izipho ezingukudla, nezipho eziya kwabampofu. ₂₃AbaJuda bakwemukela lokho abase bekuqalile nalokho uMoridekhayi ayebabhalele khona. ₂₄UHamani, indodana kaHamedatha, umAgagi oyisitha sabo bonke abaJuda, wenza unkatho okuthiwa “yiPhure” ehlose ngalo ukubenza okubi, nokubabhubhisa, ₂₅kodwa u-Esteri eseyitshelile inkosi ngaleyo ndaba, yathi akubhalwe izincwadi zokuguqula lelo lisu elibi likaHamani ayehlose ngalo ukucekela phansi abaJuda, lelo cebo laba yisijeziso esehlela yena namadodana akhe, baphanyekwa ezigxotsheni zokuphanyeka. ₂₆Yingakho lezo zinsuku zabizwa ngokuthi “yiPhurimi” kususelwa egameni elithi: “iPhure.”

Ngenxa yezincwadi zikaMoridekhayi nangenxa yakho konke okwabehlela, ₂₇abaJuda bakwenza kwaba ngumthetho wabo, nezizukulwane zabo, nanoma ngubani osephenduke umJuda, ukuthi ngesikhathi esifaneleyo ngonyaka lezo zinsuku ezimbili zigcinwe njengokusho komyalelo kaMoridekhayi, kungaphuthi. ₂₈Lezo zinsuku kufanele zikhunjulwe futhi zigcinwe yizizukulwane ngezizukulwane kuyo yonke imindeni, izifundazwe nemizi. Izinsuku zePhurimi akumele zephulwe phakathi kwabaJuda, nokukhunjulwa kwazo kungapheli phakathi kwezizukulwane zabo.

₂₉Indlovukazi u-Esteri, indodakazi ka-Abhihayili, benoMoridekhayi babhala izincwadi, bayiqinisekisa iPhurimi ngamandla ababegunyazwe ngawo. ₃₀Izincwadi zathunyelwa kubona bonke abaJuda ababesezifundazweni eziyi-127 zombuso wenkosi u-Ahasheveroshi, bebafisela ukuthula nokuvikeleka, ₃₁futhi bagcine izinsuku zomkhosi wePhurimi ngesikhathi esifaneleyo, njengoba umJuda uMoridekhayi nendlovukazi u-Esteri bakuqinisekisa kubaJuda, njengalokhu bazibophezela nezizukulwane zabo maqondana nemithetho ephathelene nokuzila neyokulila. ₃₂Umyalo ka-Esteri wayiqinisekisa imithetho yePhurimi, yabhalwa phansi emqulwini.