Esta
9 Ngelilanga lesi-13 enyangeni yesi-12, lokuyinyanga ya-Adari,*+ kwakufanele kufezeke livi lenkhosi nemtsetfo wayo,+ futsi ngalelolanga titsa temaJuda betititjele kutsi titawancoba, kodvwa kwenteka lokuphambene naloko, emaJuda atincoba titsa tawo.+ 2 Kuto tonkhe tifundza teNkhosi Ahashiveroshi,+ emaJuda ahlangana ndzawonye emadolobheni awo kute alwe nalabo labebafuna kuwahlasela, futsi kute umuntfu lobekakhona kumelana nawo ngobe bonkhe bantfu bebawesaba.+ 3 Tonkhe tindvuna tetifundza, bameleli benkhosi,+ babusi, kanye naletinye tiphatsimandla tenkhosi, nato tasekela emaJuda ngobe betimesaba Modekhayi. 4 Modekhayi waba ngumuntfu lomkhulu+ endlini* yenkhosi, futsi wadvuma kuto tonkhe tifundza ngobe emandla akhe achubeka akhula.
5 EmaJuda ahlasela tonkhe titsa tawo ngenkemba, atibulala futsi aticotfula; atentela lakutsandzako kuto.+ 6 Abulala futsi acotfula emadvodza langu-500 esigodlweni* lesiseShushani.*+ 7 Abulala naPhashandatha, Dalfoni, Aspatha, 8 Phoratha, Adaliya, Aridatha, 9 Phamashta, Arisayi, Aridayi naVayizatha, 10 lokungemadvodzana langu-10 aHamani indvodzana yaHamedatha, sitsa semaJuda.+ Kodvwa kute emaJuda latitsatsela kona nasekawabulele.+
11 Ngalelolanga inkhosi yabikelwa ngelinani lebantfu lababulawa esigodlweni* lesiseShushani.*
12 Inkhosi yakhuluma neNkhosikati Esta yatsi: “Esigodlweni* lesiseShushani,* emaJuda abulele emadvodza langu-500 kanye nemadvodzana aHamani langu-10. Yini-ke layentile kuleti letinye tifundza?+ Kusekhona yini lokunye lofuna ngikwentele kona? Ngitjele, futsi ngitakunika kona. Nakukhona lokunye lokucelako ngitakwentela kona.” 13 Esta wayiphendvula watsi: “Nakukuhle enkhosini,+ ngicela kutsi lomtsetfo lobewusebenta lamuhla+ usebente nakusasa kumaJuda laseShushani;* ngicela nekutsi emadvodzana aHamani langu-10 alengiswe elugodvweni.”+ 14 Ngako inkhosi yakhipha livi lekutsi kwentiwe njalo. Kwakhishwa umtsetfo eShushani,* futsi emadvodzana aHamani langu-10 alengiswa.
15 EmaJuda labekaseShushani* aphindze ahlangana ngelilanga lesi-14 enyangeni ya-Adari,+ abulala emadvodza langu-300 eShushani,* kodvwa kute latitsatsela kona.
16 Lalamanye emaJuda lebekasetifundzeni tenkhosi nawo ahlangana futsi ativikela.+ Aticotfula titsa tawo,+ abulala labangu-75 000 kuto, kodvwa kute latitsatsela kona. 17 Loko akwenta ngelilanga lesi-13 lenyanga ya-Adari, futsi ngelilanga lesi-14 akazange asalwa, kwaba lilanga lekwenta emadzili nelekujabula.
18 EmaJuda lebekaseShushani* ahlangana ngelilanga lesi-13+ nelesi-14,+ futsi ngelilanga lesi-15 awazange asalwa, lelo kwaba lilanga lekwenta emadzili nelekujabula. 19 Kungako emaJuda labekahlala emadolobheni lasemaphandleni enta lilanga lesi-14 lenyanga ya-Adari laba lilanga lekujabula nelekwenta emadzili,+ futsi kwaba lilanga lekuhalalisa nelekuphana kudla.+
20 Modekhayi+ watibhala phansi letintfo futsi watfumela tincwadzi kuwo onkhe emaJuda lakuto tonkhe tifundza teNkhosi Ahashiveroshi, letisedvute naletikhashane. 21 Wawatjela kutsi minyaka yonkhe bekufanele agcine lilanga lesi-14 lenyanga ya-Adari kanye nelilanga lesi-15, 22 ngobe ngalawo malanga emaJuda akazange asalwa netitsa tawo futsi ngaleyo nyanga lusizi lwawo lwashintja lwaba kujabula, nekulila kwawo+ kwashintja kwaba kuhalalisa. Lamalanga bekufanele agcinwe, abe tikhatsi tekwenta emadzili netekujabula, futsi abe tikhatsi tekuphana kudla netekupha labeswele.
23 EmaJuda avuma kutsi atawuchubeka awugubha lomkhosi labekawucalile nekutsi atawenta loko Modekhayi labekawabhalele kona, 24 ngobe Hamani+ indvodzana yaHamedatha um-Agagi,+ lositsa sawo onkhe emaJuda, abente lichinga lekucotfula emaJuda,+ futsi abente iPhuri,+ lokuyiNkatho, kute awesabise futsi awacotfule. 25 Kodvwa Esta watsi nakaya enkhosini, inkhosi yakhipha umtsetfo lowabhalwa phansi lotsi:+ “Lichinga lakhe lelibi lalentele emaJuda+ alibuyele kuye”; Hamani bamlengisa nemadvodzana akhe elugodvweni.+ 26 Kungako emaJuda abita lamalanga ngekutsi yiPhurimu,* asusela egameni lelitsi Phuri.+ Ngako-ke, ngenca yako konkhe lobekubhalwe kulencwadzi naloko lebekakubonile nalobekwentekile kuwo, 27 emaJuda atentela sincumo sekutsi wona nebantfwana bawo nabo bonkhe labatihlanganisa nawo,+ kufanele bagubhe lamalanga lamabili ngesikhatsi lesibekiwe umnyaka nemnyaka futsi bente loko lokwakubhaliwe ngalokuphatselene nawo. 28 Lamalanga bekufanele akhunjulwe futsi ahlonishwe ngito tonkhe titukulwane, imindeni, tifundza nemadolobha; emaJuda bekufanele achubeke awagubha lamalanga ePhurimu, futsi bantfwana bawo bekungakafaneli bayekele kuwakhumbula.
29 Ngemuva kwaloko kwabhalwa incwadzi yesibili lephatselene nePhurimu, futsi iNkhosikati Esta, lokuyindvodzakati ya-Abihayili, naModekhayi umJuda bayicinisekisa ngeligunya labebaniketwe lona. 30 Kuwo onkhe emaJuda lasetifundzeni letingu-127+ embusweni wa-Ahashiveroshi,+ Modekhayi watfumela tincwadzi letinemavi ebungani naletsembekile 31 kute kucinisekiswe kutsi emalanga ePhurimu ayagcinwa ngetikhatsi letibekiwe, njengobe nje Modekhayi umJuda neNkhosikati Esta bebakhiphe umyalo wekutsi kwentiwe njalo,+ nanjengobe emaJuda bekatentele sincumo sekutsi wona nebantfwana bawo batawagcina lamalanga,+ lokufaka ekhatsi kuzila kudla+ kanye nekuncusa.+ 32 Loko lokwashiwo ngu-Esta kwacinisekisa konkhe lokwakuphatselene nePhurimu,+ futsi kwabhalwa encwadzini.