Esta 2

₁Emvakwesikhatsi kutfukutsela kwenkhosi Ahashiveroshi kwabotja. Wakhumbula nekwenta kwakhe Vashti kanye netinyatselo temtsetfo lamtsatsela tona. ₂Labanye beluleki lababesedvute naye bameluleka batsi: “Inkhosi ayikhetselwe emantfombatana lamahle. ₃Inkhosi ayikhetse bantfu babe ngemancusa ayo kulelo nakulelo live lelingaphansi kwalombuso. Lamancusa kufanele afune emantfombatana lamahle awaletse lapha esigodlweni, eSusa, awetfule kuHegayi, indvuna yalabasikati. Yena utawanika timonyo nemihlobiso. ₄Inkhosi itawube seyikhetsa leyo ntfombatana letayitsandza kakhulu, iyente ibe yinkhosikati lenkhulu esikhundleni saVashti.” Leseluleko sabonakala sisihle emehlweni enkhosi, ngako yavele yenta njengobe yayitjeliwe.

₅Kuleyo ndlunkhulu eSusa kwakuneliJuda lekwakunguModekhayi, umsa waJayire, umsa waShimeyi, umsa waKhishi wesive sakaBhenjamini. ₆Ngesikhatsi Nebukhadnezari, inkhosi yaseBhabhulona, atfumba Jehoyakhini eJerusalema, Modekhayi abengulomunye walabo labatfunjwa. ₇Lo-Esta labebitwa ngekutsi nguHadasa ngesiHebheru, abemuhle eme kahle. Modekhayi wamfaka esiswini sakhe ekufeni kwebatali bakhe. Empeleni, Esta abeyindvodzakati yemnakaboyise waModekhayi, ngako abengudzadzewabo.

₈Emvakwekukhishwa kwalesimemetelo semtsetfo lomusha emantfombatana lamanyenti aletfwa lapha esigodlweni saseSusa, na-Esta abengulomunye wawo. Naye wetfulwa etandleni taHegayi labeyindvuna yabo esihoncweni. ₉Hegayi wamtsandza, waba nengati lenhle kuHegayi. Hegayi akacitsanga sikhatsi, wavele wesukela etulu kutsi amnike konkhe lakudzingako nekudla kwelikhetselo. Ngetulu kwekumnika indzawo lekhetsiwe waphindze wamnika tisebenti letisikhombisa kutsi timsebente.

₁₀Esta akazange ayitsi vu indzaba yekutsi usive sini, ngobe phela Modekhayi abetsite angaboyikhuluma leyo, kutsi uliJuda. ₁₁Onkhe emalanga Modekhayi abevamise kutendlulisa lapha esihoncweni sesigodlo, afuna phela kutfola kahle kutsi Esta unjani nekutsi uphetfwe njani.

₁₂Ngaphambili kwekutsi intfombatana ingene enkhosini Ahashiveroshi kwakufanele itsatse umnyaka isaticola ngemafutsa lakhetsiwe lagcotjiswa ngemantfombatana; tinyanga letisitfupha bekuba tekuticola nekutilolonga ngemafutsa elikhetselo, bese kutsi letisitfupha letilandzelako tibe tekutigcobisa nekutitsela ngemakha nangetimonyo. ₁₃Leyo naleyo ntfombatana yayitsi nayiyawungena endlunkhulu enkhosini inikwe nome yini leyo leyifunako. ₁₄Kwakutsi ntsambama intfombatana ingene enkhosini, bese kutsi ekuseni nayivuka khona ingeniswe kulesinye sigodlo lapho bebagadvwa khona nguShashgazi, labeyindvuna yemaphovela. Abengeke aphindze abuyele enkhosini ngaphandle kwekutsi inkhosi loyo leyayimtsandzile imgagule ngelibito.

₁₅Lase liyefika-ke ligema la-Esta. Esta lona abeyindvodzakati ya-Abihayili, umnakaboyise waModekhayi. Modekhayi wamfaka esiswini sakhe; Esta-ke abetsandvwa nguye wonkhe umuntfu. Futsi yena akazange afune lokunye, abeneliswa nguloko lanikwa kona nguHegayi, indvuna yemaphovela.

₁₆Wangeniswa-ke enkhosini Ahashiveroshi endlunkulu. Wangeniswa ngenyanga yelishumi lekwakuyinyanga yaThebethi, ngemnyaka wesikhombisa wekubusa kwayo. ₁₇Inkhosi yatsatseka nga-Esta, kwendlula onkhe lawa lamanye emantfombatana. Yatsandza Esta ngetulu kwawo onkhe emantfombatana, ngako yamkhetsa emkhatsini wawo yametfwesa umchele webukhosi, yambeka waba yinkhosikati lenkhulu esikhundleni saVashti. ₁₈Ngako-ke inkhosi yenta lelikhulu lidzili, yentela Esta netiphatsimandla tayo. Yamemetela lilanga lekuphumula kuto tonkhe tigodzi, yephana ngetipho letinyenti tasebukhosini kubo bonkhe bantfu.

₁₉Ngesikhatsi emantfombatana asabutfwe kwesibili, Modekhayi abehlala emphundvwini yendlunkhulu. ₂₀Esta wawafihla emasiko, nemihambo kanye nemisimeto yesive sakubo, njengobe Modekhayi abemyalile. Wachubeka wawagcina emavi aModekhayi, njengobe abenta asemncane.

₂₁Ngesikhatsi Modekhayi aseyindvuna yasesigodlweni senkhosi, abekanye naboBikthani naThereshi, tindvuna tenkhosi letatigadza indlela leya endlunkhulu. Letindvuna tayitfukutselela inkhosi tafuna lisu lekuyibulala. ₂₂Modekhayi watsi kube ayive lendzaba, wayibika enkhosikatini Esta. Inkhosikati lenkhulu yabikela inkhosi ngalendzaba, yasho nekutsi ive ngaModekhayi. ₂₃Kwatsi kube kuphenywe kahle kutfolakale kutsi lendzaba yayiliciniso; lamadvodza lamabili alengiswa ngentsambo. Konkhe loko kwabhalwa encwadzini yemilandvo yemakhosi, inkhosi, Ahashiveroshi, ibuka.