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.
19 Ke kaloku ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi okwesibini, ubehleli uMordekayi esangweni lokumkani.
20 UEstere ubengayixelanga imizalwane yakhe nabantu bakowabo, njengoko uMordekayi wayemmisele; ngokuba ilizwi likaMordekayi ubelenza uEstere, njengokuba wayesondliwa nguye.
21 Ngaloo mihla kwathi, uMordekayi ehleli esangweni lokumkani, baba noburhalarhume uBhigetan noTereshe, amathenwa amabini okumkani, abagcini bomnyango, bafuna ukumsa izandla ukumkani uAhaswerosi.
22 Yaziwa loo nto nguMordekayi, waxelela uEstere ukumkanikazi; uEstere waxelela ukumkani egameni likaMordekayi.