UEsteri wenzela inkosi noHamani idili
1Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu uEsteri wembatha ingubo yobukhosi, wema egcekeni elingaphakathi lendlu yenkosi malungana nendlu yenkosi; inkosi yayihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi endlini yobukhosi malungana nomnyango wendlu.
2Kwathi lapho inkosi ibona uEsteri inkosikazi emi egcekeni, wafumana umusa emehlweni ayo; inkosi yamelulela uEsteri intonga yegolide esesandleni sayo. Wayesesondela uEsteri, wasithinta isihloko sentonga.
3Yayisithi inkosi kuye: Ukhala ngani, nkosikazi Esteri, na? Yini oyifunayo na? Uyakunikwa kuze kube-nenxenye yombuso.
4Wathi uEsteri: Uma kukuhle enkosini, inkosi noHamani mabeze namuhla edilini engiyilungisele lona.
5Yathi inkosi: Msheshiseni uHamani ukuba kwenziwe njengezwi likaEsteri. Base beya inkosi noHamani edilini alilungisileyo uEsteri.
6Inkosi yathi kuEsteri ngasedilini lewayini: Isicelo sakho siyini na? Uyakusenzelwa. Yini oyifunayo na? Kuyakwenziwa kuze kube-nenxenye yombuso.
7Wayesephendula uEsteri, ethi: Isicelo sami nengikufunayo nakhu:
8Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni enkosi noma kukuhle enkosini ukunginika lokho engikucelayo nokwenza lokho engikufunayo, makuze inkosi noHamani edilini engiyakubalungisela lona; ngiyakwenza kusasa njengezwi lenkosi.
Ukuziphakamisa nokuthukuthela kukaHamani
9UHamani waphuma khona ngalolosuku, ethokoza enenhliziyo enhle; kepha lapho uHamani embona uMoridekayi esangweni lenkosi ukuthi akasukumanga, kanyakazanga ngaye, uHamani wagcwala ulaka ngoMoridekayi.
10Kepha uHamani wazibamba, waya ekhaya; wayesethuma, walanda abangane bakhe noZereshi umkakhe.
11UHamani wabalandisa udumo lwengcebo yakhe, nobuningi babantwana bakhe, nakho konke inkosi emkhulisile kukho, nalokho emphakamisile kukho phezu kwezikhulu nezinceku zenkosi.
12UHamani wathi futhi: UEsteri inkosikazi akangenisanga-muntu kanye nenkosi edilini alilungisileyo ngaphandle kwami; nakusasa mina ngimenyiwe nguye kanye nenkosi.
13Kepha konke lokho akunganelisi ngalutho kuso sonke isikhathi engilokhu ngibona ngaso uMoridekayi umJuda ehlezi esangweni lenkosi.
14Wayesethi uZereshi umkakhe nabo bonke abangane bakhe kuye: Yenza umuthi, ukuphakama kwawo kube-yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisihlanu, ukhulume ekuseni enkosini ukuba uMoridekayi aphanyekwe kuwo, besewungena ngokuthokoza kanye nenkosi edilini. Laba-lihle lelozwi kuHamani, wenza umuthi.
