Esta 5

₁Kwatsi ngelilanga lesitsatfu lekuzila Esta wembatsa imijiva yakhe yebukhosi, wahamba waze wayawungena ngekhatsi esihoncweni sendlunkhulu. Wangena ngemphundvu lemacondzana nemnyango wendlunkhulu. Inkhosi yayingekhatsi ihleti esihlalweni sayo sebukhosi imacondzana nemnyango. ₂Inkhosi yatsi nayibona inkhosikati lenkhulu Esta ime ngaphandle, yajabula, yase iphakamisa indvuku yayo yegolide isho kutsi akangene. Weta wafike watsintsa sihloko salendvuku. ₃Inkhosi yambuta yatsi: “Kwenteke njani, nkhosikati Esta? Ngitjele kutsi ufunani, utakutfola, nome ngabe kuyincenye yembuso wami.” ₄Esta waphendvula watsi: “Uma kukuhle enkhosini yami, ngicela kutsi inkhosi ite naHamani lamuhla edzilini lengililungiselela bona.”

₅Inkhosi yatsi akubitwe Hamani masinyane, kuze batekuya ka-Esta edzilini. Ngako bahamba-ke boHamani nenkhosi baya edzilini ka-Esta. ₆Ngesikhatsi banatsa liwayini inkhosi yaphindza yambuta Esta, yatsi: “Ngabe siyini sikhalo sakho, nkhosikati? Ngitjele kutsi ufunani, utayitfola. Ngitakunika sicelo sakho, ngisho nome ngabe sewucela incenye yembuso wami.”

₇Esta watsi: “Nasi sicelo sami: ₈Nangabe inkhosi ingaba nemusa kimi ingiphe sicelo sami, ngicela kutsi iphindze ibuye naHamani kusasa kulelinye lidzili lengitawube ngililungisele bona. Ngitayitjela lapho-ke inkhosi kutsi siyini sicelo sami.”

₉Hamani waphuma kulelo dzili ativa amnandzi, ajabule kakhulu. Kodvwa watsi nakabona Modekhayi emphundvwini, wambona kutsi akamkhotsameli futsi akakhombisi nakancane nje kumhlonipha ngesikhatsi endlula, Hamani watfukutsela watselwa ngemanti. ₁₀Noko watibamba waya ekhaya lakhe. Wase umema bangani bakhe kutsi bavakashele ekhaya lakhe, wabita nemkakhe Zereshi kutsi naye abe khona. ₁₁Hamani wabatekela ababalela nebantfwabakhe kutsi banyenti kanganani, abatjela nekutsi inkhosi imkhuphule kanjani yamenta ndvunankhulu, nekutsi yena ubaluleke kanganani kunato tonkhe tindvuna tenkhosi. ₁₂Wachubeka Hamani wabalandzisa nekutsi ngetulu kwako konkhe yena uhleti nje abemenywe yinkhosikati lenkhulu, Esta; ibentele lidzili bona nenkhosi bobabili. Washo nekusho kutsi nangakusasa futsi baphindze bamenywa, kwamenywa inkhosi naye Hamani kuphela, emkhatsini wato tonkhe tindvuna tenkhosi. ₁₃Kodvwa nome kunjalo, konkhe loko kuye kwakungasho lutfo inkhani nakasabona leliJuda lelinguModekhayi lisahlala lapha emphundvwini yasendlunkhulu.

₁₄Ngako umkakhe Zereshi, nabo bonkhe bangani bakhe bakhipha siphakamiso batsi: “Yini ungagawuli sigodvo lesingemamitha langema-22 budze, uvuke ekuseni ucele enkhosini kutsi Modekhayi alengiswe khona; utawutsi nawuya edzilini nenkhosi ube ujabulile.” Leso siphakamiso samjabulisa Hamani, ngako sigodvo sekulengisa Modekhayi salungiswa masinyane.