Estere
8 Ngaloo mini uKumkani uAhaswerosi wanika uKumkanikazi uEstere indlu kaHaman,+ utshaba lwamaYuda;+ waza uMordekayi weza phambi kokumkani, ngenxa yokuba uEstere wayemxelele ukuba bazalana njani.+ 2 Emva koko ukumkani wayikhulula iringi yakhe yokubeka isitampu+ awayeyithathe kuHaman,+ wayinika uMordekayi. Waza uEstere wabeka indlu kaHaman phantsi koMordekayi.
3 UEstere waphinda wathetha nokumkani. Wawa ezinyaweni zakhe walila, emcenga ukuba ajike ububi obenziwe nguHaman umAgagi neqhinga alenzele amaYuda.+ 4 Ukumkani wolulela uEstere intonga yobukhosi yegolide, waphakama ke uEstere+ wema phambi kokumkani. 5 Wathi: “Ukuba ukumkani uyathanda yaye uyakholwa ndim, kwaye ukuba le nto intle kukumkani ibe uyandithanda, makubhalwe umyalelo orhoxisa amaxwebhu elaa qhophololo linguHaman+ unyana kaHamedata umAgagi,+ ebewabhalele ukutshabalalisa amaYuda akuwo onke amaphondo kakumkani.* 6 Kuba ndingayinyamezela njani into yokubukela intlekele eza kwehlela abantu bakowethu, ndiyinyamezele njani yona eyokubona izalamane zam zitshatyalaliswa?”
7 UKumkani uAhaswerosi wathi kuKumkanikazi uEstere nakuMordekayi umYuda: “Jongani! Indlu kaHaman ndiyinike uEstere,+ ibe ndiyalele ukuba uHaman axhonywe esibondeni+ ngenxa yeyelenqe lakhe lokuhlasela amaYuda. 8 Nina ningabhala egameni likakumkani loo nto niyibona iwafanele amaYuda, nize niyibeke isitampu ngeringi kakumkani, kuba umyalelo obhalwe egameni likakumkani, waza wabekwa isitampu ngeringi yakhe, awunakurhoxiswa.”+
9 Ngelo xesha, ngenyanga yesithathu, oko kukuthi inyanga enguSivan,* ngomhla we-23, kwabizwa oonobhala bakakumkani, ibe babhala yonke into uMordekayi awayiyalela amaYuda, abaphathiswa bamaphondo,+ abalawuli neenkosana zamaphondo,+ ukusuka eIndiya ukuya eTiyopiya, amaphondo ayi-127, bebhalela phondo ngalinye ngendlela yalo yokubhala, sizwana ngasinye ngolwimi lwaso, namaYuda ngendlela yawo yokubhala nangolwimi lwawo.
10 Wawubhala egameni likaKumkani uAhaswerosi, waza wawuvala ngeringi kakumkani yokubeka isitampu, yaye+ wathumela amaxwebhu abhaliweyo ngabantu abakhwele amahashe. Aba bantu babekhwele amahashe anamendu ahambisa imiyalezo, afuyelwe umsebenzi wasebukhosini. 11 Kula maxwebhu ukumkani wanika amaYuda akuzo zonke izixeko imvume yokuqokelelana aze akhusele ubomi bawo, kwaye abulale aze atshabalalise nayiphi na imikhosi yabantu okanye yamaphondo* enokuwahlasela, abulale nabafazi nabantwana, oxuthe nezinto zayo.+ 12 Le nto yayimele yenzeke ngosuku olunye kuwo onke amaphondo kaKumkani* uAhaswerosi, ngosuku lwe-13 lwenyanga ye-12, oko kukuthi, inyanga enguAdare.*+ 13 Ikopi yolu xwebhu yayiza kwenziwa umthetho kuwo onke amaphondo.* Yayimele yaziswe kuzo zonke izizwana, ukuze ngolo suku amaYuda akulungele ukuziphindezela kwiintshaba zawo.+ 14 Abantu ababekhwele amahashe ahambisa imiyalezo asetyenziswa kumsebenzi wasebukhosini baphuma bekhawulezile, bewaphalisa ngokomyalelo kakumkani. Kwawiswa nomthetho kwinqaba iShushan.*+
15 Wemka ke uMordekayi phambi kokumkani enxibe isambatho sasebukhosini esenziwe ngelinen nangelaphu eliluhlaza,* ethwele isithsaba segolide esibekekileyo yaye ambethe isambatho sokwaleka selaphu lodidi loboya obumsobo.*+ Ibe bakhwaza bevuya abantu besixeko saseShushan.* 16 AmaYuda afumana isiqabu,* avuya, aba nemihlali, afumana nembeko. 17 Yaye kuwo onke amaphondo* nakuzo zonke izixeko, naphi na apho umyalelo nomthetho kakumkani wawufikelela khona, amaYuda ayevuya yaye enemihlali, esenza amatheko nemibhiyozo. Izizwana ezininzi zelo lizwe zazisithi zingamaYuda nazo,+ kuba zaziwoyika kakhulu amaYuda.