Est 3 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ngemva kwalezo zenzakalo, inkosi u-Ahasuweru wenza uHamani indodana kaHamedatha um-Agagi waba lodumo ngokumphakamisa wamupha isikhundla esiphakemeyo esihloniphekayo esedlula esezinye zezikhulu zonke.

Esther 3

Icebo LikaHamani Lokubulala AbaJuda

1 Ngemva kwalezo zenzakalo, inkosi u-Ahasuweru wenza uHamani indodana kaHamedatha um-Agagi waba lodumo ngokumphakamisa wamupha isikhundla esiphakemeyo esihloniphekayo esedlula esezinye zezikhulu zonke. 2 Zonke iziphathamandla zesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zaguqa phansi zamkhothamela uHamani, ngoba inkosi yayilaye lokho ngaye. Kodwa uModekhayi kazange amkhothamele loba amkhonze.

3 Kwathi iziphathamandla zasesigodlweni esangweni lenkosi zabuza uModekhayi zisithi, “Kungani ungalaleli umlayo wenkosi?”

4 Bakhuluma laye izinsuku ngezinsuku kodwa wala ukwenza lokho. Ngakho bamtshela uHamani ngalokho befuna ukubona kumbe isenzo sikaModekhayi sasizakwamukeleka, ngoba wayebatshelile ukuthi yena ungumJuda.

5 Kwathi uHamani ebona ukuthi uModekhayi kamguqeli njalo kamkhonzi, wathukuthela kakhulukazi.

6 Kwathi ngoba wayesekwazi ukuthi uModekhayi udabuka ngaphi, wawulahla umqondo wokubulala uModekhayi yedwa. Kodwa uHamani wadinga indlela yokubulala bonke abomhlobo kaModekhayi, abaJuda, kuwo wonke umbuso ka-Ahasuweru.

7 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokubusa kuka-Ahasuweru, ngenyanga yakuqala, inyanga ethiwa yiNisani, benza inkatho ethiwa yiPhuri phambi kukaHamani ukuze bakhethe usuku lenyanga. Inkatho yadla inyanga yetshumi lambili, inyanga ethiwa yi-Adari.

8 UHamani wasesithi eNkosini u-Ahasuweru, “Kukhona abantu abathile abahlakazeke basabalala phakathi kwabantu abasezigabeni zonke zombuso wakho abalemikhuba eyehlukene leyabantu bonke abanye, njalo abangalaleli imithetho yenkosi. Inkosi akumelanga ibayekelele kulokho. 9 Nxa inkosi ikholiseka ngalokho, kakube lesimemezelo somthetho wokuba babhujiswe. Mina ngizafaka phakathi kwengcebo yesigodlweni amathalenta esiliva alitshumi lenkulungwane ukuphathisa amadoda azakwenza umsebenzi lo.”

10 Ngakho inkosi yakhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo emunweni yayipha uHamani indodana kaHamedatha, um-Agagi, isitha samaJuda. Inkosi yathi kuHamani, 11 “Gcina imali le, wenze ebantwini njengokuthanda kwakho.”

12 Kwathi ngosuku lwetshumi lantathu ngenyanga yokuqala onobhala besigodlweni babizwa. Babhala ngokulotshwa kwesabelo sinye ngasinye njalo ngolimi lwabantu laba lalaba, yonke imilayo kaHamani eyayisiya kuziphathamandla zenkosi, ababusi bezabelo ezehlukeneyo kanye lasezikhulwini ezaziphethe abantu abehlukeneyo. Yayibhalwe ngebizo leNkosi u-Ahasuweru ngokwakhe yananyekwa ngophawu lwendandatho yakhe. 13 Izincwadi zathunyelwa ngezigijimi kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi kulomlayo wokuba kubhujiswe, kubulawe njalo kutshabalaliswe bonke abaJuda abatsha labadala, abesifazana labantwana ngelanga elilodwa, ilanga letshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili, enyangeni ethiwa ngu-Adari, njalo lokuphanga izimpahla zabo.

14 Amazwi esimemezelo leso ayezakhutshwa abe ngumthetho omisiweyo kuzo zonke izabelo, aziswe bonke abantu bakuzo zonke izizwe ukuze bazilungiselele lolosuku.

15 Izigijimi zakhuthazwa ngumlayo wenkosi, zaphuma zakhupha umthetho omisiweyo esigodlweni saseSusa. Inkosi loHamani bahlala phansi banatha, kodwa abedolobho laseSusa badideka.