UEstere
2:1 Emveni kwezi zinto, bakudamba ubushushu bokumkani uAhaswerosi, wadamba
wamkhumbula uVashti, noko abekwenzile, noko bekugqitywe ngako
yena.
2:2 Bathi abakhonzi bokumkani ababelungiselela kuye, Makubekho
Ukumkani ubefuna iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle.
2:3 Ukumkani makamise abathetheli emazweni onke obukumkani bakhe;
ukuze bahlanganisele eShushan zonke iintombi ezinyulu
nebhotwe, endlwini yabafazi, elugcinweni lukaHege
ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi; bavumele izinto zabo
banikwe ukuhlanjululwa;
2:4 Ke intombi ethe yalunga phambi kokumkani, mayibe ngukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti.
Lalunga elo zwi emehlweni okumkani; wenjenjalo.
2:5 Kwaye kukho eShushan komkhulu indoda ethile, egama ligama
uMordekayi, unyana kaYahire, unyana kaShimehi, unyana kaKishe, a
umBhenjamin;
2:6 ababethinjiwe eYerusalem nabathinjwa
bathinjwa kunye noYekoniya ukumkani wakwaYuda, owathinjwa nguNebhukadenetsare
wayethinjwe ngukumkani waseBhabheli.
2:7 Kwaye ebemondla uHadasa, oko kukuthi, uEstere, intombi kayisekazi;
ebengenayise nanina. Intombi leyo yayimile kakuhle, imile kakuhle;
awathi ekufeni kukayise nonina uMordekayi wamthabatha baba ngabakhe
intomba.
2:8 Kwathi, wakufika umthetho wokumkani nomthetho wakhe
Weva ke, kwakuhlanganisene iintombi ezininzi eShushan
Ibhotwe, phantsi kweliso likaHegayi, waziswa noEstere esandleni sakhe
nendlu yokumkani, esandleni sikaHegayi, umgcini wabafazi.
2:9 Yamkholisa intombi leyo, wayenzela ububele; kwaye yena
ngokukhawuleza wamnika izinto zakhe zokuhlanjululwa, kunye nezinto ezinjalo
yayiyeyayo, neentombi ezisixhenxe, ezimele ukuzifumana, zaphuma
endlwini yokumkani; wayikhetha yona nomthinjana wayo kweyona ilungileyo
indawo yendlu yabafazi.
2:10 UEstere ubengabaxelanga abantu bakowabo nemizalwane yakhe; kuba uMordekayi ubengabaxelanga
wayikhalimela ukuba ingayibonisi.
2:11 UMordekayi waye mana ehamba yonke imihla phambi kwentendelezo yendlu yabafazi esiya
yazini impilo kaEstere, nokuba kuya kwenzeka ntoni kuye.
2:12 Ke kaloku, lakufika ithuba lentombi yonke yokungena kukumkani uAhaswerosi emva koko
ukuba ube neenyanga ezilishumi elinambini, ngokwesiko labafazi.
(kuba yafezwa ngokunjalo imihla yokuhlanjululwa kwabo, yaba mithandathu).
iinyanga ngeoli yemore, neenyanga ezintandathu ngevumba elimnandi, kunye
ezinye izinto zokuhlanjululwa kwabafazi;)
2:13 Zenjenjalo ke zonke iintombi kukumkani; nantoni na awayeyinqwenela
wayinika ukuba ihambe naye, iphume endlwini yabafazi, iye kukumkani
indlu.
2:14 Yayihamba ngokuhlwa, ize ngengomso ibuyele kweyesibini
endlwini yabafazi, egcinwe nguShahashgazi, ithenwa lokumkani;
umgcini wamashweshwe; akaba saphinda eze kukumkani, yaba ngumkakhe yedwa
Ukumkani wakholiswa nguye, wabizwa ngegama.
2:15 Ke kaloku, xa ithuba likaEstere, intombi ka-Abhihayili, uyisekazi
UMordekayi, obeyithabathe ukuba ibe yintombi yakhe, ubeze kungena endlwini
Akazange afune nto ngaphandle kwaloo nto kaHegayi, ithenwa likakumkani
umgcini wabafazi, omisiweyo. UEstere wababalwa emehlweni
kubo bonke abamjongayo.
2:16 Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi, endlwini yakhe yobukumkani
yinyanga yeshumi, yinyanga enguTebhete ke, ngomnyaka wesixhenxe wakhe
lawula.
2:17 Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke, wambabala
nobabalo emehlweni akhe ngaphezu kweentombi zonke; ukuze abeke i
isithsaba sobukumkani entlokweni yakhe, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti.
2:18 Ukumkani wabenzela isidlo esikhulu abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe.
nesidlo sikaEstere; wawakhulula amaphondo, wawanika
izipho, ngokwemeko yokumkani.
2:19 Ke kaloku zithe zahlanganisana okwesibini iintombi, ngelo xesha
UMordekayi wayehleli esangweni lokumkani;
2:20 UEstere ubengayixelanga imizalwane yakhe nabantu bakowabo; njengoMordekayi
Wamwisela umthetho uEstere, njengoko ebeyalelwe nguMordekayi ngokwemihla yakhe
ukhuliswe naye.
2:21 Ngaloo mihla, uMordekayi ehleli esangweni lokumkani, amadoda amabini kukumkani.
uBhigetan noTereshe, abagcini bomnyango, babengamathenwa
Waba noburhalarhume, wafuna ukumsa isandla ukumkani uAhaswerosi.
2:22 Yaziwa loo nto nguMordekayi, waxelela uEstere ukumkanikazi;
uEstere wamxelela ukumkani ngayo egameni likaMordekayi.
2:23 Yancinwa loo nto, yafunyanwa; ke ngoko
baxhonywa bobabini emthini. Loo nto ke yabhalwa encwadini kaNdikhoyo
yemihla ngemihla phambi kokumkani.