Est 1 | NdeIBE | STEP | Lokhu yikho okwenzakala ngesikhathi sika-Ahasuweru, owayebusa amazwe angaphezu kwekhulu elilamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa kusukela e-Indiya kuze kuyefika e-Topiya.

Esther 1

INdlovukazi uVashithi Ikhutshwa Ebukhosini

1 Lokhu yikho okwenzakala ngesikhathi sika-Ahasuweru, owayebusa amazwe angaphezu kwekhulu elilamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa kusukela e-Indiya kuze kuyefika e-Topiya.

2 Ngalesosikhathi inkosi u-Ahasuweru wayebusa esesigodlweni saseSusa, 3 kwathi emnyakeni wesithathu ekubuseni kwakhe, wenzela izikhulu zakhe kanye leziphathamandla zakhe idili elikhulu. Abakhokheli bebutho basePhesiya labase Mediya, amakhosana, kanye lezikhulu zezabelo bonke babekhona.

4 Okwezinsuku zonke ezilikhulu lamatshumi aficamibili, watshengisa ubukhulu benotho yombuso wakhe kanye lobucwazicwazi lobukhosi bombuso wakhe.

5 Kwathi lezonsuku seziphelile, inkosi yenza idili elikhulu elabakhona okwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, endaweni ehonqolozelweyo esigodlweni senkosi, lisenzelwa bonke abantu abaziwayo labantukazana ababesesigodlweni saseSusa. 6 Egumeni kwakulezilengiso ezimhlophe leziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, zibotshelwe emasongweni esiliva ngezintambo zelineni elimhlophe lelembu eliyibubende ezinsikeni zamatshe aqinileyo. Kwakukhona imibheda yegolide lesiliva ephansini elicandwe ngamatshe aligugu, abomvu, aluhlaza, amhlophe lamnyama lamanye adulayo.

7 Iwayini lalinathelwa ezinkezweni zegolide, inye ngayinye yehlukene kwezinye, njalo iwayini lesikhosini lalilinengi, kutshengisa ukukhululeka kwesandla senkosi.

8 Ngokulaya kwenkosi, isethekeli sinye ngasinye sasikhululekile ukuthi sinathe ngokwentando yaso, ngoba inkosi yalayeza zonke iziphathamandla ezazisipha iwayini ukuthi ziphe umuntu ngulowo lalowo njengokufisa kwakhe.

9 INdlovukazi uVashithi laye wenzela abesifazana ababesesigodlweni seNkosi u-Ahasuweru idili elikhulu.

10 Ngelanga lesikhombisa, inkosi u-Ahasuweru isidakiwe ngenxa yewayini, yalaya abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababeyisebenzela – uMehumani, loBhizitha, loHaribhona, loBhigitha, lo-Abhagitha, loZethori kanye loKharikhasi

11 ukuthi balethe kuyo iNdlovukazi uVashithi ethwele umqhele wakhe wobukhosi, ukuze abukise ubuhle bakhe ebantwini kanye lezikhulwini, ngoba wayemuhle kakhulu.

12 Kodwa kwathi abathenwa beyitshela ngokulaya kwenkosi, iNdlovukazi uVashithi yala ukuya. Ngakho inkosi yathukuthela yavutha ngolaka.

13 Njengoba kwakuyinjwayelo ukuthi inkosi icebisane lezingcitshi ezindabeni eziphathelene lemithetho kanye lokwahlulela, yakhuluma lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo ayezwisisa ngomumo walezozikhathi 14 njalo ayeseduzane kakhulu lenkosi – uKharishena, uShethari, u-Adimatha, uThashishi, uMeresi, uMarisena loMemukani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePhesiya laseMediya ezazilemvumo yokuya enkosini njalo zilezikhundla eziphakemeyo embusweni. 15 Yasibuza yathi, “Umthetho uthi kwenziweni eNkosikazini uVashithi? Phela kayilalelanga umlayo wenkosi u-Ahasuweru awuthumela kuyo ngabathenwa.”

16 UMemukani wasephendula phambi kwenkosi kanye lezikhulu zayo wathi, “INdlovukazi uVashithi wonile, hatshi enkosini kuphela, kodwa lasezikhulwini zonke kanye labantu bonke bezabelo zonke zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru. 17 Phela isenzo seNdlovukazi sizakwazakala kuwo wonke amakhosikazi, abe esedelela omkawo esithi, ‘Inkosi u-Ahasuweru yalaya iNdlovukazi uVashithi ukuthi ilethwe phambi kwayo, kodwa yala ukuza. 18 Lamhlanje amakhosikazi aphakemeyo asePhesiya kanye laseMediya asizwileyo isenzo seNdlovukazi azaphendula izikhulu zenkosi zonke ngendlela efananayo. Kuzakuba khona ukungahloniphi kanye lengxabangxoza.

19 “Ngakho-ke, nxa kulungile enkosini, kakube khona umthetho ozaphuma esigodlweni njalo ulotshwe emithethweni yelizwe lamaPhesiya lamaMediya, ongeke uguqulwe njalo, ukuthi uVashithi akumelanga aphinde angene lapho okulenkosi u-Ahasuweru. Njalo inkosi kayiphe isikhundla sakhe sobundlovukazi komunye ongcono kulaye. 20 Kuzakuthi nxa umthetho wenkosi umenyezelwa kuwo wonke umbuso wayo omkhulu abesifazana bonke bazahlonipha omkabo kusukela koweyisekayo kusiya komkhulu.”

21 Inkosi kanye lezikhulu zayo bathokoza ngalokhu kucebisa, inkosi yasisenza khona lokho uMemukani akucebisayo. 22 Yathumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izigaba zombuso, kuleso laleso sigaba incwadi yaso lakulabo bantu ngolimi lwabo, kwamenyezelwa ngolimi lwalabo lalabo bantu ukuthi yileyo laleyo ndoda kumele ibuse umuzi wayo.