12 Ke kaloku ekufikeni kwexesha lentombi ngentombi lokuya kukumkani uAhaswerosi, ekupheleni kokwenziwa kwesiko labafazi iinyanga ezilishumi elinambini (kuba bekunjalo ukuzaliseka kwemihla yokuthanjiswa kwazo; iinyanga ezintandathu bekusenziwa ngeoli yemore,* ezinye iinyanga ezintandathu ngobulawu nangeento zokuthambisa abafazi),
13 ngelo xesha ke ibe isithi intombi ukuya kukumkani, kuthi konke ebikunqwenela ikunikwe, ihambe nako, iphuma endlwini yabafazi ukuya endlwini yokumkani.
14 Ibisakuya ngokuhlwa, ngengomso ibuyele kweyesibini indlu yabafazi, ephantsi kogcino lukaShahashgazi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wamashweshwe. Ibingabi saya kukumkani, engayinanzanga ukumkani, ayibize ngegama.
15 Ekufikeni kwexesha likaEstere, intombi ka-Abhihayili, uyisekazi kaMordekayi, obeyithabathe ukuba ibe yintombi yakhe, lokuba aye kukumkani, akafunanga nto ingàxelwanga nguHegayi ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi. UEstere wababalwa ngabo bonke abambonáyo.
16 Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi, endlwini yakhe yobukumkani, ngenyanga yeshumi (leyo yinyanga enguTebhete), ngomnyaka wesixhenxe wobukumkani bakhe.
17 Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke; wambabala, wamenzela inceba ngaphezu kweentombi zonke; unkontsho lobukumkanikazi walubeka entlokweni yakhe, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti.
18 Ukumkani wabenzela isidlo esikhulu abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe, isidlo sikaEstere; wawaphumza amazwe, wapha izipho ngokwamandla okumkani.