UModekayi uyawongwa
1Ke kaloku ngobo busuku ukumkani waphuthelwa, waza ke wathi makuziswe incwadi yeembali zeengcombolo zolawulo lwakhe. Yeziswa ke, yafundwa esiva ukumkani. 2Apho kuyo ke kwafunyaniswa ukuba uModekayi wadiza iyelenqe likaBhigetan noTereshi amaphakathi okumkani awayefuna ukubulala ukumkani uAsuwerosi. La maphakathi ayengabalindi bamasango.
3Ukumkani wabuza wathi: “Yeyiphi imbeko newonga uModekayi alenzelweyo ngenxa yesi senzo?”
Izicaka zikakumkani ezazimlungiselela zathi: “Zange enzelwe nto.”
4Ukumkani ke wathi: “Ngubani okhoyo ngoku apha ebhotwe?” Ke uHaman wayesandula ukungena kwinkundla engaphandle yasebhotwe apho, eze kuthetha nokumkani mayela nokuxhonywa kukaModekayi kuloo mthi wayewulungiselele ukumxhoma kuwo.
5Ke izicaka zikakumkani zathi kuye: “Nankuya uHaman emi enkundleni.”
Ukumkani wathi: “Mngeniseni.”
6Akungena ke uHaman ukumkani wathi kuye: “Uthi makwenziwe ntoni ngomntu aziva efuna ukumwonga ukumkani?”
Ke uHaman wacinga ngaphakathi kwakhe wathi: “Ngubani omnye ongawongwa ngukumkani ngaphandle kwam?” 7Ngoko ke uHaman waphendula ukumkani wathi: “Loo mntu afuna ukumwonga ukumkani 8makanxitywe umnweba wobukhosi owakhe wanxitywa ngukumkani, aze akhweliswe ihashe elisetyenziswa ngukumkani, elo lihonjisiweyo lada labekwa imbasa yakomkhulu entloko. 9Ke umnweba lowo nehashe elo malinikwe elinye lawona matshawe kakumkani aphambili. Mabamfake loo mnweba ke umntu afuna ukumwonga ukumkani, baze bamkhwelise kwelo hashe, bamkhokele ahamba-hambe kwizitalato zesixeko, bona bahambe bekhwaza besithi: ‘Nantsi ke into ayenzelwayo umntu athanda ukumwonga ukumkani!’ ”
10Ukumkani ke wathi kuHaman: “Khawuleza uthathe umnweba lowo kunye nehashe elo, wenze ngaloo ndlela kuModekayi umJuda ohlala esangweni likakumkani. Uze ukwenze konke oko ukuthethileyo, ungashiyi nento le.”
11Ngoko ke uHaman wawuthatha umnweba lowo nehashe elo, wamambathisa uModekayi, wamkhwelisa ehashini, wahamba phambi kwakhe, ekhwaza esithi: “Nantsi ke into ayenzelwayo umntu athanda ukumwonga ukumkani!”
12Kamva ke uModekayi wabuyela esangweni kwakumkani apho. Ke yena uHaman wagoduka ethe nxokotho edanile. 13Akufika ekhaya wabalisela umkakhe uZereshi kunye nezihlobo zakhe zonke ngako konke okwakumhlele ngaloo mini.
Ke abacebisi bakhe ndawonye nomkakhe uZereshi bathi kuye: “Ukuba ke lo mfo unguModekayi okuthobe kangaka engowohlanga lwamaJuda, akunako ukumelana naye – ngokuqinisekileyo wena uza kutshabalala!” 14Bathe besathetha naye njalo agaleleka amaphakathi kakumkani, aza ke emka naye ngokukhawuleza uHaman, amsa kwelo theko lalilungiswe nguEstere.
