| ← Esther (2/10) → |
| 1. | Emva kwezi zinto, bakudamba ubushushu bokumkani uAhaswerosi, wamkhumbula uVashti, noko abekwenzile, noko bekugqitywe ngaye. |
| 2. | Athi amadodana akwakumkani abelungiselela kuye, Ukumkani makafunelwe iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle. |
| 3. | Ukumkani makayalele abaphathi emazweni onke obukumkani bakhe, bahlanganise zonke iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle, bazizise eShushan komkhulu, endlwini yabafazi, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi, zinikwe izinto zokuthambisa. |
| 4. | Ize ithi intombi ethe yalunga emehlweni okumkani, ibe ngukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti. Lalunga elo lizwi emehlweni okumkani; wenjenjalo ke. |
| 5. | Kwakukho ke eShushan komkhulu indoda engumYuda, egama linguMordekayi, unyana kaYahire, unyana kaShimehi, unyana kaKishe, indoda engumBhenjamin; |
| 6. | eyayithinjiwe eYerusalem nabathinjwa, ababethinjwe noYekoniya ukumkani wakwaYuda, owathinjwa nguNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli. |
| 7. | Yaye ingumondli kaHadasa (nguEstere ke lowo), intombi kayisekazi; ngokuba ebengenayise nanina. Intombi leyo yayimile kakuhle, intle nasebusweni. Emva kokufa kukayise nonina, uMordekayi wayithabatha yaba yintombi yakhe. |
| 8. | Kwathi ekuvakaleni kwelizwi lokumkani nomthetho wakhe, ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi ezininzi eShushan komkhulu, phantsi kwesandla sika Hegayi, wasiwa noEstere endlwini yokumkani, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, umgcini wabafazi. |
| 9. | Yamkholisa intombi leyo, wayenzela ububele, wakhawuleza, wayinika izinto zayo zokuthambisa, nezabelo zayo, wayinika neentombi ezisixhenxe ezihleliweyo, ezivela endlwini yokumkani; wayibeka yona nomthinjana wayo kweyona ndawo intle kwindlu yabafazi. |
| 10. | UEstere ubengabaxelanga abantu bakowabo nemizalwane yakhe; kuba uMordekayi wayemwisele umthetho wokuba angabaxeli. |
| 11. | UMordekayi waye mana ukuhamba imihla ngemihla yonke phambi kwentendelezo yendlu yabafazi, ukuba akwazi ukuphila kukaEstere, nokwenziwayo kuye. |
| 12. | Ke kaloku ekufikeni kwexesha lentombi ngentombi lokuya kukumkani uAhaswerosi, ekupheleni kokwenziwa kwesiko labafazi iinyanga ezilishumi elinambini (kuba bekunjalo ukuzaliseka kwemihla yokuthanjiswa kwazo; iinyanga ezintandathu bekusenziwa ngeoli yemore, ezinye iinyanga ezintandathu ngobulawu nangeento zokuthambisa abafazi), |
| 13. | ngelo xesha ke ibe isithi intombi ukuya kukumkani, kuthi konke ebikunqwenela ikunikwe, ihambe nako, iphuma endlwini yabafazi ukuya endlwini yokumkani. |
| 14. | Ibisakuya ngokuhlwa, ngengomso ibuyele kweyesibini indlu yabafazi, ephantsi kogcino lukaShahashgazi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wamashweshwe. Ibingabi saya kukumkani, engayinanzanga ukumkani, ayibize ngegama. |
| 15. | Ekufikeni kwexesha likaEstere, intombi ka-Abhihayili, uyisekazi kaMordekayi, obeyithabathe ukuba ibe yintombi yakhe, lokuba aye kukumkani, akafunanga nto ingaxelwanga nguHegayi ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi. UEstere wababalwa ngabo bonke abambonayo. |
| 16. | Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi, endlwini yakhe yobukumkani, ngenyanga yeshumi (leyo yinyanga enguTebhete), ngomnyaka wesixhenxe wobukumkani bakhe. |
| 17. | Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke; wambabala, wamenzela inceba ngaphezu kweentombi zonke; unkontsho lobukumkanikazi walubeka entlokweni yakhe, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti. |
| 18. | Ukumkani wabenzela isidlo esikhulu abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe, isidlo sikaEstere; wawaphumza amazwe, wapha izipho ngokwamandla okumkani. |
| 19. | Ke kaloku ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi okwesibini, ubehleli uMordekayi esangweni lokumkani. |
| 20. | UEstere ubengayixelanga imizalwane yakhe nabantu bakowabo, njengoko uMordekayi wayemmisele; ngokuba ilizwi likaMordekayi ubelenza uEstere, njengokuba wayesondliwa nguye. |
| 21. | Ngaloo mihla kwathi, uMordekayi ehleli esangweni lokumkani, baba noburhalarhume uBhigetan noTereshe, amathenwa amabini okumkani, abagcini bomnyango, bafuna ukumsa izandla ukumkani uAhaswerosi. |
| 22. | Yaziwa loo nto nguMordekayi, waxelela uEstere ukumkanikazi; uEstere waxelela ukumkani egameni likaMordekayi. |
| 23. | Yancinwa loo nto, yafunyanwa; baxhonywa bobabini emthini. Yabhalwa loo nto encwadini yemicimbi yemihla phambi kokumkani. |
| ← Esther (2/10) → |