6 eyayithinjiwe eYerusalem nabathinjwa, ababethinjwe noYekoniya ukumkani wakwaYuda, owathinjwa nguNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli.
7 Yaye ingumondli kaHadasa (nguEstere ke lowo), intombi kayisekazi; ngokuba ebengenayise nanina. Intombi leyo yayimile kakuhle, intle nasebusweni. Emva kokufa kukayise nonina, uMordekayi wayithabatha yaba yintombi yakhe.
8 Kwathi ekuvakaleni kwelizwi lokumkani nomthetho wakhe, ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi ezininzi eShushan komkhulu, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, wasiwa noEstere endlwini yokumkani, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, umgcini wabafazi.
9 Yamkholisa intombi leyo, wayenzela ububele, wakhawuleza, wayinika izinto zayo zokuthambisa, nezabelo zayo, wayinika neentombi ezisixhenxe ezihleliweyo, ezivela endlwini yokumkani; wayibeka yona nomthinjana wayo kweyona ndawo intle kwindlu yabafazi.
10 UEstere ubengàbaxelanga abantu bakowabo nemizalwane yakhe; kuba uMordekayi wayemwisele umthetho wokuba angabaxeli.
11 UMordekayi wayemana ukuhamba imihla ngemihla yonke phambi kwentendelezo yendlu yabafazi, ukuba akwazi ukuphila kukaEstere, nokwenziwayo kuye.
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),