Estere
3 Emva kwale nto, uKumkani uAhaswerosi wamnyusela uHaman+ unyana kaHamedata umAgagi+ waza wamphakamisa ngokwenza itrone yakhe ibe ngaphezu kwazo zonke ezezinye iinkosana ezazikunye naye.+ 2 Zonke izicaka zikakumkani ezazisegeyithini kakumkani zazigoba ibe ziqubuda kuHaman, kuba ukumkani wayeyalele ngolo hlobo. Kodwa uMordekayi zange avume ukugoba okanye ukuqubuda. 3 Ngoko izicaka zikakumkani ezazisegeyithini kakumkani zathi kuMordekayi: “Kutheni ungawuthobeli nje umyalelo kakumkani?” 4 Usuku nosuku babembuza, kodwa wayengabamameli. Ngoko baxelela uHaman ukuze babone ukuba uMordekayi uza kuyekwa na;+ kuba uMordekayi wayebaxelele ukuba ungumYuda.+
5 Xa uHaman wabona ukuba uMordekayi akafuni ukugoba nokuqubuda kuye, uHaman waba nomsindo.+ 6 Kodwa wakubona kuyinto encinci ukubulala* uMordekayi yedwa, kuba babemxelele ngabantu bakuloMordekayi. Ngoko uHaman wafuna ukuwabulala onke amaYuda kuwo wonke ummandla ka-Ahaswerosi, bonke abantu bakuloMordekayi.
7 Ngenyanga yokuqala, oko kukuthi, inyanga enguNisan,* ngonyaka we-12 kaKumkani uAhaswerosi,+ benza iPuri+ (oko kukuthi, iQashiso) phambi kukaHaman ukuze bafumane umhla nenyanga, yaza yawela kwinyanga ye-12, inyanga enguAdare.*+ 8 Emva koko uHaman wathi kuKumkani uAhaswerosi: “Kukho abantu+ abathe saa phakathi kwezizwana kuwo onke amaphondo ommandla* wakho,+ abanemithetho eyahlukileyo kweyabo bonke abanye abantu. Abayithobeli imithetho kakumkani, kwaye ayinakumnceda nganto ukumkani into yokubayeka. 9 Ukuba kuhle kukumkani, makubhalwe umyalelo wokuba batshatyalaliswe. Ndiza kubhatala iitalente zesilivere eziyi-10 000* kumagosa ukuze zifakwe koovimba bobutyebi basebukhosini.”*
10 Akutsho, ukumkani wayikhulula iringi yakhe yokubeka isitampu,+ waza wayinika uHaman,+ unyana kaHamedata umAgagi,+ owayelutshaba lwamaYuda. 11 Ukumkani wathi kuHaman: “Ungenza loo nto uyithandayo ngesilivere nangabantu.” 12 Oonobhala+ bakakumkani babizwa ngomhla we-13 wenyanga yokuqala. Bayibhala+ yonke imiyalelo kaHaman awayeyiyalele abaphathiswa bamaphondo bakakumkani, abalawuli bamaphondo* neenkosana zezizwana ezahlukahlukeneyo, kwiphondo ngalinye ngendlela yalo* yokubhala, nakwisizwana ngasinye ngolwimi lwaso. Kwabhalwa egameni likaKumkani uAhaswerosi kwaza kwavalwa ngeringi kakumkani yokugximfiza isitampu.+
13 Kwathunywa abantu ukuba base ezi leta kuwo onke amaphondo kakumkani. Ezi leta zazinemiyalelo yokuba onke amaYuda abhujiswe, abulawe aze atshatyalaliswe, omncinci nomdala, abantwana nabafazi, ngosuku olunye, ngomhla we-13 wenyanga ye-12, oko kukuthi, inyanga enguAdare,+ yaye kuxuthwe izinto zawo.+ 14 Ikopi yolu xwebhu yayiza kwenziwa umthetho kwiphondo ngalinye* kuze kuxelelwe zonke izizwana, ukuze zilungele olo suku. 15 Bakhawuleza bahamba ke abo bantu babethunywe iileta+ ngukumkani; wawiswa lo mthetho kwinqaba* iShushan.*+ Ukumkani noHaman bahlala phantsi basela, kodwa kwabe kusisiphithiphithi kwisixeko saseShushan.*