Esteri
4:1 Kwathi uMoridekayi esebonile konke okwenzekileyo, uMoridekayi waklebhula izingubo zakhe.
wembatha indwangu yamasaka nomlotha, waphuma wangena phakathi
umuzi, wakhala ngokukhala okukhulu nokubabayo;
4:2 Futhi wafika ngisho phambi kwesango lenkosi, ngoba akekho owayengangena
esangweni lenkosi embethe indwangu yamasaka.
4:3 Futhi kuzo zonke izifunda, nomaphi lapho umyalo wenkosi kanye neyakhe
isimemezelo safika, kwaba khona ukulila okukhulu phakathi kwabaJuda, nokuzila ukudla, nokuzila ukudla
ukukhala nokulila; abaningi balala bembethe amasaka nomlotha.
4 Izincekukazi zika-Esteri namathenwa akhe zafika zamtshela. Kwase kuba njalo
indlovukazi yadabuka kakhulu; wathumela izingubo zokugqokisa uMoridekayi;
nokususa isaka lakhe kuye, kepha akalamukelanga.
4:5 U-Esteri wayesebiza uHathaki, omunye wabathenwa benkosi
wayemmisele ukumnakekela, wamnika umyalo wokuba
uMoridekayi, ukwazi ukuthi kwakuyini, nokuthi yayiyini.
4:6 Ngakho uHathaki waphuma, waya kuMoridekayi esigcawini somuzi, okuyinto
phambi kwesango lenkosi.
4:7 UMordekayi wamtshela konke okwakumehlele, kanye nenani
emalini uHamani ayethembise ukuyifaka engcebeni yenkosi
amaJuda, ukuze ababhubhise.
4:8 Wamnika nekhophi yombhalo womthetho owashaywayo
iShushani ukubachitha, ukukutshengisa u-Esteri, nokumtshela
wamyala ukuba angene enkosini ayenze
ukunxusa kuye, nokubacelela abantu bakubo phambi kwayo.
4:9 UHathaki wafika wamtshela u-Esteri amazwi kaMoridekayi.
4:10 U-Esteri wabuye wakhuluma kuHathaki, wamnika umyalo kuMoridekayi;
4:11 Zonke izinceku zenkosi, futhi abantu ezifundazweni zenkosi, ukwenza
yazini ukuthi yilowo nalowo, owesilisa noma owesifazane, uyakuza enkosini
egcekeni elingaphakathi, ongabizwanga, munye umthetho wakhe ukuba awubeke
afe, ngaphandle kwalowo inkosi eyakumelulela kuye igolide
intonga yobukhosi, ukuze aphile, kepha mina angibizwanga ukuba ngingene kukho
inkosi lezo zinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu.
4:12 Bamtshela uMoridekayi amazwi ka-Esteri.
4:13 Khona-ke uMoridekayi wayala ukuphendula u-Esteri: "Ungacabangi phakathi kwakho
wena uyakusinda endlini yenkosi kunawo wonke amaJuda.
4:14 Ngoba uma uthula ngokuphelele ngalesi sikhathi, khona-ke kuyoba khona
ukwandiswa nokukhululwa kuvela kwenye indawo kumaJuda; kodwa
wena nendlu kayihlo niyakuchithwa;
Uze embusweni isikhathi esinjengalesi na?
4:15 U-Esteri wayesebayala ukuba bambuyisele uMoridekayi le mpendulo.
4:16 Hamba, ubuthe ndawonye bonke abaJuda abakhona eShushani, futhi nizile ukudla
ningadli, ningaphuzi izinsuku ezintathu, ubusuku nemini;
nezintombi zami ziyakuzila ngokunjalo; kanjalo ngiyakungena enkosini;
okungqubuzana nomthetho; kepha uma ngibhubha, ngiyabhubha.
4:17 Ngakho uMoridekayi wahamba, futhi wenza njengakho konke u-Esteri ayenakho
wamyala.