U-Esteri
6 Ngalobo busuku inkosi yaqwasha.* Ngakho yathi makulethwe incwadi yomlando, + futhi yafundelwa yona. 2 Kuyo kwatholakala kubhalwe lokho uMoridekayi ayekubikile ngoBhigithani noThereshi, izikhulu ezimbili zegceke zenkosi, abalindimnyango, ababecebe ukubulala* iNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi. + 3 Inkosi yabuza: “UMoridekayi wadunyiswa futhi wahlonishwa kanjani ngalokhu?” Izinceku zenkosi zathi: “Akenzelwanga lutho.”
4 Kamuva inkosi yathi: “Ubani osegcekeni?” UHamani wayesanda kungena egcekeni elingaphandle + lendlu yenkosi* ezokhuluma nenkosi ngokulengisa uMoridekayi esigxotsheni ayesilungisele yena. + 5 Izinceku zenkosi zathi kuyo: “NguHamani + omi egcekeni.” Ngakho inkosi yathi: “Mngeniseni.”
6 Lapho uHamani engena, inkosi yathi kuye: “Yini okufanele yenzelwe umuntu inkosi efisa ukumdumisa?” UHamani wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Ubani inkosi engafisa ukumnikeza udumo ngaphezu kwami?” + 7 Ngakho uHamani wathi enkosini: “Umuntu inkosi efisa ukumdumisa, 8 makalethelwe ingubo yasebukhosini + egqokwa inkosi nehhashi eligitshelwa yinkosi elithweswe umnqwazo wasebukhosini ekhanda. 9 Leyo ngubo nehhashi makuphathiswe esinye sezikhulu zenkosi eziyizicukuthwane, bese bemgqokisa lo muntu inkosi efisa ukumdumisa, bamgibelise ehhashini esigcawini sedolobha. Kufanele bamemeze phambi kwakhe bathi: ‘Wenzelwa lokhu umuntu inkosi efisa ukumdumisa!’ ” + 10 Ngaso leso sikhathi inkosi yathi kuHamani: “Shesha! Thatha ingubo nehhashi, wenze kuMoridekayi, umJuda ohlezi esangweni lenkosi, njengoba nje ushilo. Ungashiyi nokukodwa ezintweni ozishilo.”
11 Ngakho uHamani wathatha ingubo nehhashi, wagqokisa uMoridekayi + wamgibelisa ehhashini esigcawini sedolobha futhi wamemeza phambi kwakhe wathi: “Wenzelwa lokhu umuntu inkosi efisa ukumdumisa.” 12 Ngemva kwalokho uMoridekayi wabuyela esangweni lenkosi, kodwa uHamani waphuthuma endlini yakhe, elila ezemboze ikhanda. 13 Ngesikhathi uHamani elandisa uZereshi + umkakhe nabo bonke abangani bakhe konke okwakumehlele, abeluleki bakhe abahlakaniphile* nomkakhe uZereshi bathi kuye: “Uma kungukuthi uMoridekayi, osuqalile ukuwa phambi kwakhe, uvela enzalweni yamaJuda, ngeke umnqobe; nakanjani uzowa phambi kwakhe.”
14 Besakhuluma naye, kwafika izikhulu zegceke zenkosi futhi zamthatha ngokushesha uHamani zamyisa edilini u-Esteri ayelenzile. +