UModekayi ucenga uEstere
1Ke kaloku akuyiva into ehlileyo uModekayi wazikrazula iimpahla awayezinxibile, wafaka ezirhwexayo, wazigalela ngothuthu, wangena esixekweni ehamba ebhomboloza kabuhlungu. 2Wahamba wee xhaxhe ngamasango asebhotwe, kuba wayengavumelekanga ukungena khona umntu onxibe ezirhwexayo. 3Kuwo onke amaphondo apho safikelela khona esi saziso somyalelo kakumkani amaJuda alila ezimathontsi, azila ukutya, atsho ngesingqala, enxibe ezirhwexayo, ezigalele ngothuthu.
4Zithe ke iimpelesi zikaEstere ndawonye namaphakathi zakumxelela ngoModekayi wasuka wabandezeleka. Wathumelela uModekayi iimpahla zokunxiba, koko yena wasuka wazimangala. 5Ke uEstere wathumela uHataki iphakathi likakumkani elalijongene naye ukuba liye kuqonda ukuba wayekhathazwe yintoni na uModekayi.
6UHataki lowo ke waya apho kuModekayi ebaleni lesixeko phambi kwesango lakomkhulu. 7UModekayi wamchubela konke okwakwenzekile, ndawonye nemali leyo yayiza kufakwa nguHaman koovimba bakomkhulu ukuze kutshatyalaliswe amaJuda. 8Kananjalo ke wamnika nekopi yaloo mthetho wawuyalela ukutshatyalaliswa kwamaJuda, lowo wawubhengezwe eSusa, ukuze awubonise uEstere, amchazele konke, futhi ambongoze ukuba azame ukuya kubonana nokumkani, amcenge abe nebuya-mbo mayela nabantu bakowabo.
9Ke uHataki wabuya wenza ingxelo kuEstere ngako konke okwakuthethwe nguModekayi. 10UEstere ke wayalela uHataki ukuba athi kuModekayi: 11“Onke amaphakathi kakumkani kunye nabantu bonke bezithili zakomkhulu bayazi ukuba xa indoda okanye umfazi engene phakathi kwibhotwe lokumkani, engakhange abe umenyiwe, umthetho kakumkani mnye qwaba: kukuba umntu lowo abulawe kuphele. Umntu onjalo usindiswa kukuba ukumkani asuke amkhombe ngentonga yakhe yolawulo yegolide. Kambe ke sezidlule iintsuku ezimashumi mathathu emva kokuba ndandikhe ndabizwa ngukumkani.”
12Akuba uModekayi exelelwe ngamazwi kaEstere, 13wabayalela ukuba bamphendule uEstere bathi: “Uze ungazikhohlisi ngokuthi kuba wena ulapho endlwini kakumkani, nguwe wedwa oya kusinda kumaJuda xa ewonke. 14Kaloku xa uthe wathula wee cwaka ngeli thuba lentlekele, hleze luvele lona usindiso lwamaJuda, kodwa ke luthi gqi ngankalo yimbi, ube ke phofu wena nendlu kayihlo uza kutshabalala. Kambe ke, ngubani owaziyo, mhlawumbi wabekwa kwesi sikhundla sasebukhosini khon' ukuze ujongane namaxesha anje.”
15Ke uEstere wathumela le mpendulo kuModekayi: 16“Hamba uye kuwaqokelela onke amaJuda alapha kwesi sixeko saseSusa, xa ninonke nenze inzila ngenxa yam. Ze nithathe iintsuku ezintathu ningatyi ningaseli imini nobusuku. Nam ndikunye neempelesi zam siza kuzila kwenjengani. Yakuba yenzekile ke le nto, ndiza kuya kukumkani, nakuba nje ndisazi ukuba loo nto kukwaphula umthetho. Noko ke, ukuba ndifile, ndifile ke!”
17Wemka ke uModekayi, waza wenza ngokwayo yonke loo miyalelo wayeyinikwe nguEstere.
