U-Esteri 7

₁Yafika-ke inkosi noHamani edilini lika-Esteri inkosikazi. ₂Inkosi yabuye yathi ku-Esteri ngosuku lwesibili lwedili lewayini: “Isicelo sakho siyini, nkosikazi Esteri, na? Uyakusenzelwa. Yini oyifunayo na? Kuyakwenziwa kuze kube nenxenye yombuso.”

₃Wayesephendula u-Esteri inkosikazi, ethi: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi, noma kukuhle enkosini, mangiphiwe ukuphila kwami ngesicelo sami nokwesizwe sakithi ngokufuna kwami, ₄ngokuba kuthengisiwe ngathi, mina nesizwe sakithi, ukuba sichithwe, sibulawe, sibhubhe. Uma bekuthengisiwe ngathi sibe yizigqila nezigqilakazi kuphela, ngabe ngithulile, ngokuba usizi lwethu alwanele ukuba sisinde inkosi.”

₅Yayisisho inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, ithi ku-Esteri inkosikazi: “Ngubani lo, uphi yena onesibindi sokwenza lokho na?”

₆U-Esteri wathi: “Ngumuntu omelene nathi, oyisitha, uHamani lo omubi.” UHamani wayeseshaywa luvalo phambi kwenkosi nenkosikazi. ₇Yayisisukuma inkosi ngolaka lwayo edilini lewayini, yaya ensimini yendlu yenkosi; uHamani wasukuma ukunxusa u-Esteri inkosikazi ngokuphila kwakhe, ngokuba wabona ukuthi usenqunyelwe okubi yinkosi.

₈Inkosi isibuya ensimini yendlu yenkosi, ingene endlini yedili lewayini, uHamani wayesewele embhedeni u-Esteri ayekuwo. Yayisithi inkosi: “Uyakuyiphoqa inkosikazi phambi kwami lapha endlini na?” Lapho liphuma leli zwi emlonyeni wenkosi, bamboza ubuso bukaHamani. ₉Wayesethi uHaribona, enye yezinduna ezaziphambi kwenkosi: “Bheka, umuthi okuphakama kwawo kuyizingalo ezingamashumi ayisihlanu, uHamani ayewenzele uMoridekayi owakhuluma kahle ngenkosi, umi endlini kaHamani.”

Inkosi yathi: “Mphanyekeni kuwo.” ₁₀Base bemphanyeka-ke uHamani emthini ayewulungisele uMoridekayi. Yayisibohla intukuthelo yenkosi.