1 Ke kaloku wakuba uthothile umsindo kakumkani uAsuwerosi, wamkhumbula uVashiti nesenzo sakhe, ngokunjalo nesihlokomiso awasikhuphayo ngenxa yakhe.
2 Ke izicaka ezazimququzelela ukumkani zathi kuye: “Makhe kwenziwe uphando, kukhangelelwe ukumkani iintombi-nto ezintle kunene.
3 Ukumkani makamisele abaphathi kwiphondo ngalinye elikumbuso wakhe, baze ke ezo nzwakazi zeentombi bazizise kwinkundla yabafazi ebhotwe eSusa. Zona ezo ntombi mazigcinwe nguHegayi iphakathi likakumkani elijongene nabafazi. Zothatha ithuba ke zizilungisa ngezithambiso zobuhle.
4 Ke intombi ethe yamkholisa ukumkani yoba ngukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti.” Eli cebiso ke lamkeleka kukumkani, waza walisebenzisa.
5 Ke kaloku apho komkhulu eSusa kwakukho umJuda wendlu kaBhenjamin ogama linguModekayi unyana kaJayire, kaShimeyi, kaKishe.
6 Yena ke wathinjwa ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare eJerusalem waya naye eBhabheli engomnye wâbo babethinjwe noJoyakin ukumkani wakwaJuda.
7 UModekayi lo ke wayenomzala ogama linguHadasa awayeze naye apho eBhabheli kuba eyinkedama engenatata namama. Le ntombi ke, egama limbi lalinguEstere, yayimile kakuhle iyinzwakazi. UModekayi lo ke wayithatha njengomntwana wakhe yakuba iswelekelwe nguyise nonina.
8 Uthe ke wakuba ubhengeziwe umyalelo nesihlokomiso sikakumkani kweziswa iintombi ezininzi apho komkhulu eSusa, zanikezelwa ukuba zigcinwe nguHegayi. NoEstere ke wasiwa apho ebhotwe, waselugcinweni lukaHegayi owayejongene nenkundla yababhinqileyo.
9 Le ntombi inguEstere ke yamkholisa ngokupheleleyo. Ngoko nangoko ke wayixhasa ngezinto zobuhle, eyityisa ooni nooni. Wamnikezela esandleni sabafazi abasixhenxe abâkhethwa kwalapho komkhulu, waza ke uEstere nâbo bafazi bahlaliswa kwawona magumbi aphambili kwelo cala lababhinqileyo.
10 Ke kaloku uEstere lo wayengazange azichaze imvelaphi nohlanga lwakhe, kuba uModekayi wayethe makangazixeli.
11 Mihla le uModekayi wayesoloko ehamba-hamba apho ngakuloo nkundla, eze kuqonda ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni na ngoEstere.
12 Phambi kokuba intombi iye kukumkani uAsuwerosi kwakufuneka ithathe ishumi elinambini leenyanga iphathwe ngemigqalisela yobuhle eyayimiselwe ababhinqileyo. Iinyanga ezintandathu yayithambisa amafutha emore, ngezinye ezintandathu ithambise ubulawu neziqholo.
13 Lo mcimbi ke wawuqhutywa ngolu hlobo ukuze intombi leyo isiwe kukumkani: nantoni na eyifunayo yayiyinikwa, iyithathe apho kwelo cala lababhinqileyo, iye nayo kwibhotwe likakumkani.
14 Yayingena khona ngorhatya, ize kusasa ibuyele kwelinye icala kwalapho kwelababhinqileyo, ngoku ibe sesandleni sikaShashagazi, iphakathi likakumkani elalijongene namaqadi. Ke kaloku emva koko yayingaphindeli kukumkani ngaphandle kokuba abe ukholisiwe yiyo. Xa kunjalo ke wayeyibiza ngegama.
15 Lithe ke lakufika ithuba likaEstere (intombi leyo eyayigcinwe nguModekayi, iyintombi kayisekazi uAbhihayili) ukuba aye kuvela phambi kokumkani, yena akafunanga nto yimbi ngaphandle kwezo zinto wayezicetyiswe nguHegayi iphakathi likakumkani elalijongene nenkundla yababhinqileyo. Ke yena uEstere wamkholisa wonke umntu owambonayo.
16 UEstere ke wasiwa kukumkani uAsuwerosi phakathi ebhotwe apho wayehlala khona ngoTebhete inyanga yeshumi kunyaka wesixhenxe wolawulo lukakumkani uAsuwerosi.
17 Ke kaloku ukumkani lowo wakhangwa ngendlela eyodwa nguEstere lowo; ewe, kuzo zonke ezo ntombi ayikho eyawelwa ngukumkani njengoEstere lowo, yena wamkholisa ngokugqithisileyo. Ngoko ke ukumkani wathwesa uEstere iqhiya yobukumkanikazi, wamfaka esikhundleni sikaVashiti.
18 Ukumkani ke wenzela izikhulu namaphakathi akhe itheko elikhulu egameni likaEstere. Wamisela iholide kuwo onke amaphondo awayephantsi kwakhe, wasasaza izipho zazininzi, ziphuma esandleni sikakumkani.
19 Zathi xa zihlanganisene okwesibini ezo ntombi waye yena uModekayi ehleli ngasesangweni apho kwakumkani.
20 Ke yena uEstere wahlala eyifihlile imvelaphi yakhe ndawonye nobuhlanga bakhe kanye ngaloo ndlela wayeyalelwe ngayo nguModekayi. Kaloku nangoku wahlala esephantsi kweengcebiso zikaModekayi kwanjengoko wayesenza ukumkhulisa kwakhe.
21 Ke kaloku ngelo thuba uModekayi wayesesangweni apho kwakumkani, uBhigetan noTereshe, isibini samaphakathi kakumkani esasilinda amasango, bobabini basuka bacaphuka, baza baceba ukwenza iyelenqe lokubulala ukumkani uAsuwerosi.
22 Ke uModekayi walibhaqa elo yelenqe, waza waxelela ukumkanikazi uEstere, owathi yena waxelela ukumkani egameni likaModekayi.
23 Lithe ke lakufunyaniswa ubunyani balo elo yelenqe, loo maphakathi mabini athathwa abulawa ngokuxhonywa. Yonke ke le ngcombolo yabhalwa encwadini yeembali nokumkani ngokwakhe ekhona.