U-Esteri Uzilungiselela Ukunxusela Abantu Bakubo
1Kwathi ukuba uMoridekhayi ezwe ngakho konke okwakwenzekile, waklebhula izingubo zakhe, wagqoka isaka, wazithela ngomlotha ekhanda, wazulazula emzini ekhala kakhulu nakalusizi. 2Wahamba waya esangweni lesigodlo senkosi, ngokuba akekho owayevunyelwe ukungena ngalo egqoke indwangu eyisaka. 3Kuzo zonke izifundazwe lapho kwafinyelela khona izwi lenkosi nomthetho wayo, kwaba nomsindo wokulila okukhulu kubaJuda; bazila ukudla, bakhala, balila, iningi labo lalala phansi ligqoke indwangu eyisaka, lazithela ngomlotha.
4Izintombi eziyizisebenzi zika-Esteri nabathenwa bamazisa ngalokho, waphatheka kabi kakhulu, wamthumelela izingubo uMoridekhayi ukuze akhumule indwangu eyisaka, agqoke zona, kodwa wazenqaba. 5U-Esteri wayesebiza uHathakhi, omunye wabathenwa basesigodlweni, inkosi eyayimqokele ukusebenzela indlovukazi, ukuba ayobuza kuMoridekhayi ukuthi kwenzenjani, nokuthi yini eyenza aziphathe ngalolo hlobo na? 6UHathakhi waya kuMoridekhayi owayesesigcawini somuzi, phambi kwesango lesigodlo. 7UMoridekhayi wamtshela konke okwakumehlele, nangesamba sesiliva uHamani ayethembise ukusikhokha esikhwameni senkosi ukuze kubhujiswe abaJuda. 8UMoridekhayi wamnika ifuzela lesimemezelo esasibhalwe sakhishwa eShushani ukuba kubhujiswe abaJuda, ukuze alikhombise u-Esteri, bese emyala ukuthi aye enkosini ayonxusela abantu bakubo.
9UHathakhi wahamba wayotshela u-Esteri lokho okwakushiwo nguMoridekhayi. 10U-Esteri watshela uHathakhi umyalezo okwakufanele ukuba awuse kuMoridekhayi, othi: 11“Zonke izikhulu zenkosi nalezo ezihlala ezifundazweni ziyazi ukuthi noma ngabe ngowesilisa noma ngowesifazane ongena egcekeni lenkosi elingaphakathi engabiziwe yiyo, ubhekana namthetho munye ofanayo wokuba abulawe, ngaphandle uma inkosi imkhombe ngentonga yayo yegolide, lowo angaphila. Kodwa mina ayingibizile inkosi kulezi zinsuku ezingama-30.”
12Bambikela uMoridekhayi ngokwakushiwo ngu-Esteri. 13Wayesebuyisela impendulo ngabo, ethi ku-Esteri: “Ungacabangi ukuthi ngoba wena usesigodlweni uzosinda kubo bonke abaJuda. 14Uma uthula ngesikhathi esifana nalesi, usizo nokukhululwa kwabaJuda kuzovela ndawana thize, kodwa wena nabendlu kayihlo nizobhubha. Ngubani owaziyo? Mhlawumbe ungene embusweni waba yindlovukazi ngenxa yesikhathi esifana nalesi.”
15U-Esteri wawuphendula umlayezo kaMoridekhayi, wathi: 16“Hamba uqoqe bonke abaJuda abahlala eShushani; nizile ngenxa yami, ningadli, ningaphuzi kuze kuphele izinsuku ezintathu, imini nobusuku. Mina nezintombi ezingisebenzelayo sizozila njengani; ngiyobe sengiya-ke enkosini noma kungukwephula umthetho lokho. Uma ngibhubha, mangibhubhe.”
17UMoridekhayi wahamba wenza konke lokho u-Esteri ayemyale ngakho.
