Ko Motekiai mo ʻĒseta

TAU toe lave ki he ngaahi taʻu siʻi ki muʻa ʻi he foki ʻa ʻĒsela ki Selusalemá. Ko Motekiai mo ʻĒsetá ko e ʻongo meʻa ʻIsileli mahuʻinga lahi taha ia ʻi he puleʻanga Pēsiá. Ko ʻĒsetá ko e kuini ia pea ko hono kāinga ko Motekiaí naʻe fika ua ki he tuʻí ʻi he mafai. Tau sio ange pe naʻe anga-fēfē ʻa e hoko ʻa e meʻa ko ʻení.

Naʻe mate ʻa e ongo mātuʻa ʻa ʻĒsetá ʻi heʻene fuʻu kei siʻí, pea ko ia naʻe tauhi ia ʻe Motekiai. Naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e palasi ʻo e tuʻi ʻo Pēsia ko ʻAhasiveló ʻi he kolo ko Sūsani, pea ko Motekiai ko e taha ia ʻo ʻene kau sevānití. ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha naʻe talangataʻa ai ki he tuʻí ʻa hono uaifi ko Vasitai, ko ia naʻe fili ʻe he tuʻí hano uaifi foʻou ke hoko ko hono kuini. ʻOkú ke ʻilo pe ko hai ʻa e fefine naʻá ne filí? ʻIo, ko e finemui fakaʻofoʻofa ko ʻĒsetá.

ʻOkú ke sio ki he tangata loto-mahikihiki ʻa ia ʻoku punou ki ai ʻa e kakaí? Ko Hāmani ʻeni. Ko e tangata mahuʻinga ʻaupito ia ʻi Pēsia. Naʻe fiemaʻu ʻe Hāmani ʻa Motekiai, ko ia ʻena ʻoku tangutú, ke punou ange kiate ia foki. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke fai ia ʻe Motekiai. Naʻe fakakaukau ia ʻoku ʻikai ke totonu ke punou ki ha tangata kovi pehē. Naʻe ʻai ʻe he meʻá ni ke ʻita lahi ʻaupito ʻa Hāmani. Pea ko e meʻa ʻeni naʻá ne faí.

Naʻe tala ʻe Hāmani ha ngaahi loi ki he tuʻí ʻo fekauʻaki mo e kau ʻIsilelí. Naʻá ne pehē: ‘Ko e kakai kovi kinautolu ʻoku ʻikai te nau talangofua ki hoʻo laó. ʻOku totonu ke tāmateʻi kinautolu.’ Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻilo ʻe ʻEhasivelo ko hono uaifi ko ʻĒsetá ko ha ʻIsileli ia. Ko ia naʻá ne tui kia Hāmani, peá ne ʻai ha lao ʻo pehē ʻe tāmateʻi ʻa e kau ʻIsileli kotoa ʻi ha ʻaho pau.

Naʻe loto-mamahi ʻaupito ʻa Motekiai ʻi heʻene fanongo ki he lao ko iá. Naʻá ne ʻave ha pōpoaki kia ʻĒseta: ‘Kuo pau ke ke tala ki he tuʻí, pea kole kiate ia ke fakahaofi kitautolu.’ Naʻe ʻikai ke ngofua ʻi he lao ʻa Pēsiá ke ʻalu ʻo sio ki he tuʻí tukukehe pē ʻo kapau naʻe fakaafeʻi koe. Ka naʻe ʻalu pē ʻa ʻĒseta ia taʻefakaafeʻi. Naʻe hiki hake ʻe he tuʻí ʻene tokotoko koulá kiate ia, ʻa ia ko hono ʻuhingá ʻe ʻikai ke tāmateʻi ia. Naʻe fakaafeʻi ʻe ʻĒseta ʻa e tuʻí mo Hāmani ki ha houa kai lahi. Naʻe ʻeke ange ai ʻe he tuʻí kia ʻĒseta pe ko e hā ʻokú ne fiemaʻu ke ne fai maʻana. Naʻe pehē ʻe ʻĒseta te ne toki tala ange kiate ia ʻo kapau te ne toe haʻu mo Hāmani ki ha toe houa kai ʻi he ʻaho hono hokó.

ʻI he houa kai ko iá naʻe tala ai ʻe ʻĒseta ki he tuʻí: ‘ʻE tāmateʻi ʻa hoku kakaí mo au.’ Naʻe ʻita ʻa e tuʻí. Naʻá ne ʻeke ange: ‘Ko hai ia te ne fai ha meʻa pehē?’

Pea pehē ʻe ʻĒseta: ‘Ko e tangata kovi, ko e fili, ko e tokotaha kovi ko ʻeni ko Hāmaní!’

Naʻe ʻita lahi ʻaupito ʻa e tuʻí. Naʻá ne tuʻutuʻuni ke tāmateʻi ʻa Hāmani. ʻI he hili iá, naʻe ʻai ʻe he tuʻí ʻa Motekiai ke fika ua pē kiate ia ʻi he maʻu mafaí. Pea naʻe ʻai ʻe Motekiai ke fokotuʻu ha lao foʻou ke fakangofua ki he kau ʻIsilelí ke nau tau ke maluʻi ʻenau moʻuí ʻi he ʻaho naʻe teu ke tāmateʻi ai kinautolú. Koeʻuhi naʻe hoko ʻa Motekiai ko ha tangata mahuʻinga pehē, naʻe tokoniʻi ʻe he kakai tokolahi ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí, pea naʻe fakahaofi ai kinautolu mei honau ngaahi filí.