1 Ke kaloku akuyiva into ehlileyo uModekayi wazikrazula iimpahla awayezinxibile, wafaka ezirhwexayo, wazigalela ngothuthu, wangena esixekweni ehamba ebhomboloza kabuhlungu.
2 Wahamba wee xhaxhe ngamasango asebhotwe, kuba wayengavumelekanga ukungena khona umntu onxibe ezirhwexayo.
3 Kuwo onke amaphondo apho safikelela khona esi saziso somyalelo kakumkani amaJuda alila ezimathontsi, azila ukutya, atsho ngesingqala, enxibe ezirhwexayo, ezigalele ngothuthu.
4 Zithe ke iimpelesi zikaEstere ndawonye namaphakathi zakumxelela ngoModekayi wasuka wabandezeleka. Wathumelela uModekayi iimpahla zokunxiba, koko yena wasuka wazimangala.
5 Ke uEstere wathumela uHataki iphakathi likakumkani elalijongene naye ukuba liye kuqonda ukuba wayekhathazwe yintoni na uModekayi.
6 UHataki lowo ke waya apho kuModekayi ebaleni lesixeko phambi kwesango lakomkhulu.
7 UModekayi wamchubela konke okwakwenzekile, ndawonye nemali leyo yayiza kufakwa nguHaman koovimba bakomkhulu ukuze kutshatyalaliswe amaJuda.
8 Kananjalo ke wamnika nekopi yaloo mthetho wawuyalela ukutshatyalaliswa kwamaJuda, lowo wawubhengezwe eSusa, ukuze awubonise uEstere, amchazele konke, futhi ambongoze ukuba azame ukuya kubonana nokumkani, amcenge abe nebuya-mbo mayela nabantu bakowabo.
9 Ke uHataki wabuya wenza ingxelo kuEstere ngako konke okwakuthethwe nguModekayi.
10 UEstere ke wayalela uHataki ukuba athi kuModekayi:
11 “Onke amaphakathi kakumkani kunye nabantu bonke bezithili zakomkhulu bayazi ukuba xa indoda okanye umfazi engene phakathi kwibhotwe lokumkani, engakhange abe umenyiwe, umthetho kakumkani mnye qwaba: kukuba umntu lowo abulawe kuphele. Umntu onjalo usindiswa kukuba ukumkani asuke amkhombe ngentonga yakhe yolawulo yegolide. Kambe ke sezidlule iintsuku ezimashumi mathathu emva kokuba ndandikhe ndabizwa ngukumkani.”
12 Akuba uModekayi exelelwe ngamazwi kaEstere,
13 wabayalela ukuba bamphendule uEstere bathi: “Uze ungazikhohlisi ngokuthi kuba wena ulapho endlwini kakumkani, nguwe wedwa oya kusinda kumaJuda xa ewonke.
14 Kaloku xa uthe wathula wee cwaka ngeli thuba lentlekele, hleze luvele lona usindiso lwamaJuda, kodwa ke luthi gqi ngankalo yimbi, ube ke phofu wena nendlu kayihlo uza kutshabalala. Kambe ke, ngubani owaziyo, mhlawumbi wabekwa kwesi sikhundla sasebukhosini khon' ukuze ujongane namaxesha anje.”
15 Ke uEstere wathumela le mpendulo kuModekayi:
16 “Hamba uye kuwaqokelela onke amaJuda alapha kwesi sixeko saseSusa, xa ninonke nenze inzila ngenxa yam. Ze nithathe iintsuku ezintathu ningatyi ningaseli imini nobusuku. Nam ndikunye neempelesi zam siza kuzila kwenjengani. Yakuba yenzekile ke le nto, ndiza kuya kukumkani, nakuba nje ndisazi ukuba loo nto kukwaphula umthetho. Noko ke, ukuba ndifile, ndifile ke!”
17 Wemka ke uModekayi, waza wenza ngokwayo yonke loo miyalelo wayeyinikwe nguEstere.