ISENGEZO A
Iphupho LikaMoridekhayi
1Ngonyaka wesibili wokubusa kuka-Arithahishashithi omkhulu, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga kaNisani, uMoridekhayi indodana kaJayiru kaShimeyi kaKhisayu wesizwe sakwaBhenjamini waba nephupho. 1bWayengumJuda owayehlala emuzini waseShushani, eyindoda enodumo, eyayikhonza esigodlweni senkosi. 1cUMoridekhayi nenkosi uJekhoniya babengabanye babathunjwa bakwaJuda, ababethunjwe eJerusalema yinkosi uNebukhadinezari waseBhabhiloni. 1dNanti iphupho lakhe: bheka, imisindo, nendideko kuyaduma, kanti kukhona nokuzamazama nenxushunxushu emhlabeni! 1eBheka, izilo ezimbili zeza phambili, zombili zilungele ukulwa, zase zibhonga kakhulu. 1fEkudumeni kwezwi lokubhonga kwazo zonke izizwe zalungela impi, ukuze zilwe nesizwe esilungileyo. 1gBheka, kwakulusuku lobumnyama nesigayegaye, usuku lokuhlupheka nokudangala, usuku lokucindezelwa nenxushunxushu enkulu emhlabeni. 1hNezizwe zonke ezilungileyo zakhathazeka kakhulu; zesaba ububi obabuhlonga ukuzihlasela, futhi zase zikulindele ukushatshalaliswa, zase zikhala kuNkulunkulu. 1iEkukhaleni kwazo okwakungathi ngokomthombo omncane, kwavela umfula omkhulukazi, onamanzi amaningi. 1kKwavela ukukhanya nelanga kwathi abathotshisiwe baphakanyiswa base bechitha labo ababehlonishwa. 1lLapho uMoridekhayi esephapheme kuleli phupho futhi ebonile lokho uNkulunkulu ayelungisele ukukwenza, lahlala engqondweni wakhe leli phupho, wazama usuku lonke ukuliqonda ukuthi lalisho ukuthini. 1mUMoridekhayi wayesehlala egcekeni lesigodlo noGabhatha noTharra abathenwa ababili benkosi ababelinda isigodlo. 1nWezwa bexoxa wayesebuzisisa ngenjongo yengxoxo yabo, wezwa ukuthi babelungiselela ukubulala inkosi u-Arithahishashithi; wayeseyazisa inkosi ngalolu zungu lwabo. 1oInkosi yayisibabuzisisa laba bathenwa ababili, kwathi sebevumile, bayiswa kwagoqanyawo. 1pInkosi yakuqopha lokhu, kwase kuthi uMoridekhayi wakusicilela phansi lokhu. 1qInkosi yayisimqoka uMoridekhayi ukuba ayikhonze esigodlweni, yamvuza ngalokho akwenzayo. 1rKepha uHamani indodana kaHamedatha ongumBhugayu, owayehlonishwa kakhulu yinkosi, wazimisela ukulimaza uMoridekhayi nabantu bakubo ngenxa yabathenwa ababili benkosi.
SIPHELA LAPHA ISENGEZO A.
A Idili Lika-Arithahishashithi
1sEmuva kwalokhu, emihleni ka-Arithahishashithi owabusa phezu kwezifunda eziyi-127 kusukela eNdiya. 2Ngalezo zinsuku lapho inkosi u-Arithahishashithi yabekwa esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wayo eShushani, 3ngonyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwayo, yenza idili elikhulu ilenzela abangani bayo nabanye abantu bezinye izizwe, nezikhulu zamaPheresiya nezamaMede, nababusi bezifunda, kwakulidili elikhulu. 4Emva kwalokhu, yabonakalisa kubo ingcebo yombuso wayo kanye nobuhle bobukhulu bawo izinsuku eziyi-108.
5Seziphelile lezo zinsuku zomgubho, inkosi yenza idili lokuphuza, ilenzela bonke abantu ababekhona eShushani. Leli dili lathatha izinsuku esiyisithupha emagcekeni esigodlo senkosi, 6elalihlotshiswe ngamakhethini elineni elicolekile kanye nokotini, ebanjwe yizintambo zelineni ezibubende ezaziboshelwe emasongweni egolide nawesiliva, ematsheni emabuli namanye amatshe ayigugu. Imibhede kwakuyigolide nesiliva ibekwe phezu kwendawo egandaywe nge-Emeraldi unina wamapharele kanye nemabuli. Kunezimbozo zenethi ezibhonqwe ngemibala eyahlukene, zahlotshiswa ngezimbali. 7Izindebe kwakungezegolide nesiliva, wakhombisa nangendebe encanyana eyayenziwe ngamarubhi, enani layo kungamathalente ayizi-30 000. Laliliningi iwayini elimnandi eliphuzwa ngamakhosi. 8Kwakungekho mthetho ocindezela noma ubani ukuthi aphuze kanjani, ngoba inkosi yayithanda ukuba kube njalo futhi iyalile izikhulu zayo ukuba sihambisane nezifiso zayo nezezivakashi zayo.
9Ngaso leso sikhathi indlovukazi uVashithi wenzela abesifazane idili endlini lapho inkosi u-Arithahishashithi yayikhona. 10Ngosuku lwesikhombisa lapho inhliziyo yenkosi ithokozile, yayala uHamani, uBhazani, uTharra, uBhoraze, uZatholitha, u-Abhathaza kanye noTharabha abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababekhonza inkosi u-Arithahishashithi, 11ukuba balethe indlovukazi kuye ukuze ayiphakamise njengendlovukazi futhi ayethwese umqhele wobukhosi ekhanda lakhe, nokuba abonise abantu nezikhulu zezizwe ubuhle bakhe, ngokuba wayemuhle kakhulu. 12Kepha indlovukazi uVashithi yenqaba ukuza njengesiyalezo senkosi ngesandla sezinduna zayo; lokhu kwayicasula inkosi yathukuthela yagana unwabu. 13Yathi inkosi kubangani bayo: “Yiyona ndlela-ke le uVashithi angiphendula ngayo, ake ninginike isahlulelo nesinqumo senu ngale ndaba.”
14Ababeseduze nayo u-Arikesayewusi, uSaresathayewusi kanye no Maleseyari, ababengababusi basePheresiya nabamaMede, labo ababehlezi ezihlalweni eziphambili, beza kuyo 15bayitshela inkosi okwakufanele ikwenze endlovukazini uVashithi ngokungawulaleli umyalo wenkosi eyayiwuthumele ngabathenwa. 16UMukhayewusi wayesethi phambi kwenkosi neziphathimandla zayo: “Indlovukazi uVashithi akathukanga inkosi kuphela kodwa nezizikhulu neziphathimandla nabantu bonke abasezifundeni zayo.”
17Ngokuba wayebikile kubo ukuthi yayitheni indlovukazi nokuthi yayedelela kanjani inkosi. “Njengoba edelele inkosi u-Arithahishashithi, 18ngakho-ke bonke abesifazane abangamakhosikazi amaPheresiya namaMede, uma bekuzwa lokhu ekushilo enkosini, nabo bayakuzama ukudelela abayeni bawo. 19Uma kukuhle enkosini, makuphume izwi lobukhosi, lilotshwe phakathi kwemithetho yamaMede namaPheresiya, lingaguqulwa lokuba uVashithi angabe esangena phambi kwenkosi u-Arithahishashithi, kodwa inkosi inike omunye omuhle kunaye ubundlovukazi bakhe. 20Makuthi noma yimuphi umthetho inkosi ewumisayo, umenyezelwe embusweni wayo, ngaleyo ndlela wonke amakhosikazi ayakuhlonipha abayeni bawo noma ngabe bacebile noma bampofu.”
21Laba lihle lelo lizwi emehlweni enkosi nasezikhulwini, yenza-ke inkosi njengezwi likaMukhayewusi. 22Inkosi yathuma izincwadi embusweni wayo wonke nasezifundeni zonke zayo njengokwezilimi zazo, ukuze kunoma yiyiphi indlu ahlonishwe onke amadoda.
