U-Esteri
9 Ngosuku luka-13 lwenyanga ka-12, okungukuthi, inyanga ka-Adari, *+ lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba kugcinwe izwi lenkosi nomthetho wayo, + ngosuku izitha zamaJuda ezazinethemba lokuwanqoba ngalo, kwenzeka okuphambene, amaJuda abanqoba labo ababewazonda. + 2 AmaJuda aqoqana ndawonye ezindaweni zawo kuzo zonke izifundazwe* zeNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, + ukuze abulale labo ababefuna ukuwalimaza, futhi akukho muntu owakwazi ukumelana nawo ngoba zonke izizwe zaziwesaba. + 3 Zonke izikhulu zezifundazwe,* ababusi bezifundazwe, + abaphathi nalabo ababenza imisebenzi yenkosi, babesiza amaJuda ngoba babemesaba uMoridekayi. 4 UMoridekayi wayesenamandla + endlini yenkosi;* udumo lwakhe lwasakazeka kuzo zonke izifundazwe,* ngoba uMoridekayi wayeqhubeka eba namandla nakakhulu.
5 AmaJuda abulala zonke izitha zawo ngenkemba, ezibulala futhi ezibhubhisa; enza noma yini ayithandayo kulabo ababewazonda. + 6 Esigodlweni* iShushani, *+ amaJuda abulala futhi abhubhisa abantu abangu-500. 7 Abulala noPharishandatha, uDalifoni, u-Asiphatha, 8 uPhoratha, u-Adaliya, u-Aridatha, 9 uPharimashita, u-Arisayi, u-Aridayi noVayizatha, 10 amadodana ayishumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha samaJuda. + Kodwa ngemva kokubabulala, awayithathanga impahla yabo. +
11 Ngalolo suku isibalo sababebulewe esigodlweni* iShushani* sabikwa enkosini.
12 Inkosi yathi ku-Esteri indlovukazi: “Esigodlweni* iShushani* amaJuda abulale futhi abhubhisa abantu abangu-500 namadodana ayishumi kaHamani. Yini-ke ayenzile kwezinye izifundazwe* zenkosi? + Manje ukhala ngani? Uzonikwa kona. Yini enye oyicelayo? Izokwenziwa.” 13 U-Esteri waphendula: “Uma kukuhle enkosini, + amaJuda aseShushani* mawavunyelwe nakusasa ukuba enze ngokomthetho wanamuhla; + amadodana ayishumi kaHamani mawalengiswe esigxotsheni.” + 14 Ngakho inkosi yayala ukuba kwenziwe lokho. Kwakhishwa umthetho eShushani,* kwalengiswa amadodana ayishumi kaHamani.
15 AmaJuda aseShushani* aphinde aqoqana ndawonye ngosuku luka-14 lwenyanga ka-Adari + abulala abantu abangu-300 eShushani,* kodwa awayithathanga impahla yabo.
16 Wonke amanye amaJuda ezifundazweni* zenkosi, nawo aqoqana ndawonye alwela ukuphila kwawo. + Anqoba izitha zawo, + abulala abangu-75 000 kulabo ababewazonda; kodwa awayithathanga impahla yabo. 17 Lokho kwenzeka ngosuku luka-13 lwenyanga ka-Adari, aphumula ngosuku luka-14, futhi alwenza lwaba usuku lwedili nolokujabula.
18 AmaJuda aseShushani* aqoqana ndawonye ngosuku luka-13 + nangosuku luka-14, + aphumula ngosuku luka-15, futhi alwenza lwaba usuku lwedili nolokujabula. 19 Yingakho amaJuda asemaphandleni ahlala ezindaweni zezifunda eziqhelile, enza usuku luka-14 lwenyanga ka-Adari lwaba usuku lokujabula nolwedili, usuku lokuthokoza + nesikhathi sokuphana ukudla. +
20 UMoridekayi + wazibhala lezi zenzakalo futhi wathumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda ayekuzo zonke izifundazwe* zeNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, eziseduze nezikude. 21 Wawayala ukuba agcine usuku luka-14 lwenyanga ka-Adari nosuku luka-15 unyaka ngamunye, 22 ngoba ngalezo zinsuku amaJuda ayephumule ezitheni zawo futhi ngaleyo nyanga usizi lwawo lwaphenduka injabulo nokulila kwawo + kwaphenduka usuku lokuthokoza. Kwakumele azigcine njengezinsuku zedili nokujabula nanjengezikhathi zokuphana ukudla kanye nokupha abaswele izipho.
23 AmaJuda avuma ukuqhubeka egubha usuku lwenjabulo nokwenza lokho uMoridekayi ayewabhalele kona. 24 Ngoba uHamani + indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, + isitha sawo wonke amaJuda, wayecebe ukubhubhisa amaJuda + futhi wayenze iPhure, + okungukuthi, iNkatho, ukuze awesabise futhi awabhubhise. 25 Kodwa lapho u-Esteri engena phambi kwenkosi, yabhala lo myalo: + “Icebo lakhe elibi alicebe ngamaJuda + malibuyele phezu kwekhanda lakhe”; futhi walengiswa kanye namadodana akhe esigxotsheni. + 26 Yingakho amaJuda aqamba lezi zinsuku ngokuthi iPhurimi, ngegama lePhure. *+ Ngakho, ngenxa yakho konke okwakubhalwe kuleyo ncwadi nalokho akubona ngokuphathelene naleyo ndaba nalokho okwakuwehlele, 27 amaJuda azibophezela wona nenzalo yawo nabo bonke abazihlanganisa + nawo ukuba bazigubhe njalo lezi zinsuku ezimbili nokuba bakugcine okwakubhalwe mayelana nazo ngesikhathi esibekiwe unyaka ngamunye. 28 Lezi zinsuku kwakumele zikhunjulwe futhi zigcinwe yizo zonke izizukulwane, yiyo yonke imindeni, izifundazwe* namadolobha; lezi zinsuku zePhurimi kwakungafanele ziphele phakathi kwamaJuda nokukhunjulwa kwazo kwakungafanele kuphele phakathi kwenzalo yawo.
29 INdlovukazi u-Esteri, indodakazi ka-Abhihayili, noMoridekayi umJuda babhala ngegunya eliphelele ukuze baqinisekise incwadi yesibili ngokuphathelene nePhurimi. 30 Kwathunyelwa izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda asezifundazweni* ezingu-127, + umbuso ka-Ahashiveroshi, + zinamazwi okuthula neqiniso 31 ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukugcinwa kwezinsuku zePhurimi ngezikhathi zazo ezibekiwe, njengoba nje uMoridekayi umJuda neNdlovukazi u-Esteri babebayale ukuba benze, + nanjengoba nje babezibophezele bona nenzalo yabo ukuba bazigcine, + okuhlanganisa ukuzila ukudla + nokunxusa. + 32 Umyalo ka-Esteri waziqinisekisa lezi zindaba ezimayelana nePhurimi, + futhi wabhalwa encwadini.