Esteri
2 Ngemva kwalezi zinto, lapho ukufutheka kweNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi+ sekubohlile, yamkhumbula uVashiti+ nalokho ayekwenzile+ nalokho okwakunqunyiwe ngaye.+ 2 Khona-ke izinceku zenkosi, izikhonzi zayo,+ zathi: “Makufunelwe+ inkosi abesifazane abasha, abayizintombi,+ abahle, 3 futhi inkosi mayimise abaphathi kuzo zonke izifunda+ zombuso wayo, kuqoqelwe ndawonye bonke abesifazane abasha, abayizintombi, abahle, enqabeni+ iShushani, endlini yabesifazane ephethwe uHegayi+ umthenwa wenkosi,+ umqaphi wabesifazane; futhi babhucungwe. 4 Leyo ntombi ebonakala ithandeka emehlweni enkosi izoba yindlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti.”+ Le nto yayijabulisa emehlweni enkosi, ngakho yenza kanjalo.
5 Kwakukhona umuntu othile, umJuda, enqabeni iShushani,+ igama lakhe kunguMoridekayi+ indodana kaJayire indodana kaShimeyi indodana kaKishi umBhenjamini,+ 6 owayeyiswe ekudingisweni+ esuka eJerusalema nabantu abadingisiwe ababeyiswe ekudingisweni kanye noJekoniya+ inkosi yakwaJuda uNebukhadinezari+ inkosi yaseBhabhiloni eyabayisa ekudingisweni. 7 Waba ngumnakekeli+ kaHadasa, okungukuthi, u-Esteri, indodakazi kamfowabo kayise,+ ngoba wayengenayise nanina; le ntombi yayimi kahle futhi iyinhle,+ futhi lapho kufa uyise nonina uMoridekayi wayithatha njengendodakazi yakhe. 8 Kwathi lapho izwi lenkosi nomthetho wayo sekuzwakala, nalapho izintombi eziningi seziqoqelwa enqabeni iShushani+ ephethwe uHegayi,+ khona-ke u-Esteri wayiswa endlini yenkosi ephethwe uHegayi umqaphi wabesifazane.
9 Le ntombi yayithandeka emehlweni akhe, kangangokuba yazuza umusa wothando+ phambi kwakhe futhi washesha ukuyilungisela ukubhucungwa+ kwayo nokudla kwayo okufanele, nokuyinika izintombi ezikhethiwe eziyisikhombisa ezivela endlini yenkosi, futhi yena nezintombi zakhe wabadlulisela endaweni enhle kunazo zonke endlini yabesifazane. 10 U-Esteri wayengazange akhulume ngabantu bakubo+ noma ngezihlobo zakhe, ngoba uMoridekayi wayemyalile ukuthi angakhulumi.+ 11 Usuku nosuku uMoridekayi wayehamba phambi kwegceke lendlu yabesifazane ukuze azi ngenhlalakahle ka-Esteri nalokho okwakwenziwa ngaye.
12 Lapho kufika ithuba lentombi ngayinye ukuba ingene eNkosini u-Ahashiveroshi ngemva kokuba sekwenzekile kuyo ngokomthetho-siqondiso wabesifazane izinyanga eziyishumi nambili, ngoba leyo kwakuyindlela ezaziphela ngayo kancane kancane izinsuku zenqubo yokubhucungwa kwazo, izinyanga eziyisithupha ngamafutha emure+ nezinyanga eziyisithupha ngamafutha ebhalsamu+ nangokubhucungwa kwabesifazane; 13 khona-ke ngale mibandela intombi yayingena enkosini. Konke eyayikusho yayikunikwa, ize nakho endlini yenkosi+ isuka endlini yabesifazane. 14 Kusihlwa yayingena, ekuseni ibuyele endlini yesibili yabesifazane ephethwe uShahashigazi umthenwa wenkosi,+ umqaphi wezancinza. Yayingaphindi ingene enkosini ngaphandle kokuba inkosi iyijabulele futhi ibizwé ngegama.+
15 Lapho kufika ithuba lika-Esteri indodakazi ka-Abhihayili umfowabo kayise kaMoridekayi, ayemthathe njengendodakazi yakhe,+ lokuba angene enkosini, akacelanga lutho+ ngaphandle kwalokho uHegayi+ umthenwa wenkosi, umqaphi wabesifazane, ayekushilo (u-Esteri wayelokhu ethola umusa njalo emehlweni abo bonke ababembona).+ 16 Khona-ke u-Esteri wayiswa eNkosini u-Ahashiveroshi endlini yayo yobukhosi ngenyanga yeshumi, okungukuthi, inyanga kaThebeti, ngonyaka wesikhombisa+ wokubusa kwayo. 17 Inkosi yamthanda u-Esteri ngaphezu kwabo bonke abanye besifazane, kangangokuba wathola umusa nomusa wothando omkhulu phambi kwayo ngaphezu kwazo zonke ezinye izintombi.+ Yabe isifaka umnqwazo wobukhosi ekhanda lakhe yamenza indlovukazi+ esikhundleni sikaVashiti. 18 Inkosi yabe seyenzela zonke izikhulu nezinceku zayo idili elikhulu, idili lika-Esteri, futhi izifunda zombuso zathola ukuxolelwa,+ futhi yaqhubeka iphana ngezipho ngokwamandla enkosi.
19 Manje lapho izintombi+ seziqoqiwe okwesibili, uMoridekayi wayehlezi esangweni lenkosi.+ 20 U-Esteri wayengakhulumi ngezihlobo zakhe nangabantu bakubo,+ njengoba nje uMoridekayi+ ayemyali-le;+ futhi izwi likaMoridekayi u-Esteri wayelenza, njengangaleso sikhathi ayesanakekelwa nguye.+
21 Ngalezo zinsuku lapho uMoridekayi ehlezi esangweni lenkosi, uBhigithani noThereshi, izikhulu ezimbili zegceke zenkosi, abalindimnyango, bathukuthela futhi bafuna ukubeka isandla+ eNkosini u-Ahashiveroshi. 22 UMoridekayi wayazi le nto, wayesetshela+ u-Esteri indlovukazi ngokushesha. U-Esteri yena wakhuluma nenkosi egameni likaMoridekayi.+ 23 Ngakho le ndaba yaphenywa, ekugcineni yatholakala, futhi bobabili balengiswa+ esigxotsheni;+ okwathi ngemva kwalokho yalotshwa encwadini yezindaba+ zezinsuku phambi kwenkosi.