U-Esta

9 Mhlaka 13 ngenyanga yesi-12, inyanga ka-Adari,*+ ngelanga okwakumele kulandelwe ngalo ilizwi lenkosi kanye lomthetho wayo,+ izitha zamaJuda zazikhangelele ukuwanqoba kodwa izinto zatshintsha, amaJuda azehlula izitha zawo.+ 2 AmaJuda abuthana kuwo wonke amadolobho awo, kuzo zonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru+ ukuze alwe lalabo ababefuna ukuwahlasela njalo kakho owayelamandla okumelana lawo ngoba abantu bonke babewesaba.+ 3 Zonke izikhulu zezabelo, labondunankulu+ lababusi* kanye lababephatha imisebenzi yenkosi basekela amaJuda ngoba babesesaba uModekhayi. 4 UModekhayi wayesengumuntu omkhulu+ esigodlweni senkosi* futhi udumo lwakhe lwalulokhu lusabalala kuzo zonke izabelo ngoba wayelokhu esiba lamandla.

5 AmaJuda azitshaya azibhuqa izitha zawo, azibulala zonke ngenkemba zaphela du. Azenzela santando ezitheni zawo.+ 6 Esigodlweni seShushani,*+ abulala futhi atshabalalisa abantu abangu-500. 7 Abulala loPharishandatha, loDalifoni, lo-Asiphatha, 8 loPhoratha, lo-Adaliya, lo-Aridatha, 9 loPharimashitha, lo-Arisayi, lo-Aridayi, loVayizatha, 10 amadodana alitshumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, owayeyisitha samaJuda.+ Kodwa amaJuda athi esebabulele kawazange athathe impahla yabo.+

11 Ngalelolanga inani labantu ababulawa esigodlweni seShushani* labikwa enkosini.

12 Inkosi yasitshela iNdlovukazi u-Esta yathi: “Esigodlweni seShushani* amaJuda abulele futhi atshabalalisa abantu abangu-500 kanye lamadodana kaHamani alitshumi. Kuyini asekwenzile kwezinye izabelo zenkosi?+ Tshono okunye okufunayo, uzakuphiwa. Kukhona yini okunye okucelayo? Kuzakwenziwa.” 13 U-Esta waphendula wathi: “Nxa kukuhle enkosini,+ bengicela ukuthi lakusasa amaJuda aseShushani* avunyelwe ukwenza lokho obekutshiwo ngumthetho lamuhla,+ lokuthi amadodana kaHamani alitshumi alengiswe esigodweni.”+ 14 Inkosi yasisithi kwenziwe lokho. Umthetho wamenyezelwa eShushani* futhi amadodana kaHamani alitshumi alengiswa.

15 AmaJuda ayeseShushani* aphinda abuthana mhlaka 14 ngenyanga ka-Adari,+ abulala abantu abangu-300 eShushani* kodwa kawazange athathe impahla yabo.

16 Lakwezinye izabelo zenkosi amaJuda abuthana ukuze azivikele.+ Atshaya athanyela izitha zawo,+ abulala abantu abangu-75 000 ababewazonda kodwa kawazange athathe impahla yabo. 17 Lokhu kwenzakala mhlaka 13 ngenyanga ka-Adari, kwathi mhlaka 14 aphumula futhi enza lelolanga laba lilanga ledili kanye lokuthokoza.

18 AmaJuda ayeseShushani* abuthana mhlaka 13,+ lamhlaka 14,+ asephumula mhlaka 15 njalo enza lelolanga laba lilanga ledili kanye lokuthokoza. 19 Kodwa amaJuda ayehlala emadolobheni asezigabeni ezikhatshana enza umhlaka 14 wenyanga ka-Adari waba lilanga ledili kanye lokuthokoza, kwaba lilanga lokukholisa+ lesikhathi sokwabelana ukudla labanye.+

20 UModekhayi+ wabhala phansi zonke izehlakalo lezi futhi wathumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda, kuzo zonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru eziseduze lezikhatshana. 21 Wawatshela ukuthi minyaka yonke athakazelele umhlaka 14 lomhlaka 15 wenyanga ka-Adari, 22 ngoba ngalawomalanga amaJuda akhululeka ezitheni zawo futhi ngaleyonyanga usizi ayephakathi kwalo lwatshintsha lwaba yikuthokoza, lokulila+ kwawo kwaba lilanga lokujabula. Kwakumele enze amalanga lawo abe zinsuku zamadili lokuthokoza njalo abe yisikhathi sokwabelana ukudla labanye, lesokupha abayanga izipho.

23 AmaJuda avuma ukuthi ayezalenza minyaka yonke idili leli lokuthi ayezalandela lokho uModekhayi ayewabhalele khona, 24 ngoba uHamani+ indodana kaHamedatha um-Agagi+ owayeyisitha sawo wonke amaJuda wayebumbe icebo lokutshabalalisa amaJuda+ njalo wayephose iPhuri,+ okutsho inkatho, ehlose ukwethusela amaJuda lokuwabhubhisa. 25 Kodwa u-Esta wathi esephambi kwenkosi, inkosi yabeka umlayo obhalwe phansi othi:+ “Konke okubi uHamani abefuna ukukwenza kumaJuda+ akubuyiselwe kuye.” UHamani lamadodana akhe balengiswa esigodweni.+ 26 Yikho amaJuda abiza amalanga lawo ngokuthi yiPhurimi ethathela ebizweni elithi Phuri.*+ Ngenxa yakho konke okwakubhalwe encwadini le lakho konke ayekubonile, lalokho okwakuwehlele, 27 amaJuda azimisela ukuthi wona lezizukulwane zawo labo bonke ababezabambana lawo+ babengasoze bayekele ukunanza amalanga la amabili lokuthi ngesikhathi esibekiweyo minyaka yonke babezakwenza konke okwakubhalwe phansi mayelana lawo. 28 Amalanga la kwakumele akhunjulwe njalo athakazelelwe yimuli ngayinye, yisabelo ngasinye ledolobho ngalinye kuzo zonke izizukulwane. AmaJuda akumelanga ayekele ukuwagcina amalanga la ePhurimi njalo izizukulwane zawo kumele ziwananze kokuphela.

29 Ngemva kwalokho iNdlovukazi u-Esta, indodakazi ka-Abhihayili, loModekhayi umJuda basebenzisa amandla abo ngokugcweleyo babhala incwadi yesibili beqinisa indaba yePhurimi. 30 Izincwadi zasezithunyelwa kuwo wonke amaJuda ezabelweni ezingu-127+ ezazisembusweni ka-Ahasuweru+ njalo zazilamazwi okuthula leqiniso, 31 ukuze ziqinise ukunanzwa kwamalanga ePhurimi ngezikhathi zawo ezibekiweyo, kulandelwa lokho uModekhayi umJuda leNdlovukazi u-Esta ababethe kwenziwe+ kanye lomlandu amaJuda ayezethese wona lezizukulwane zawo+ mayelana lokugcina amalanga la, lokuthi ayezazila ukudla+ futhi enze imithandazo yokuncenga.+ 32 Umlayo ka-Esta waqinisa konke okwakuphathelane lePhurimi+ njalo wabhalwa ebhukwini.