U-Esta 1 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Inkosikazi uVashiti uyala ukulalela inkosi uAhasuweru

¹ Ngensuku zikaAhasuweru, lowo owabusa kusukela eIndiya kuze kube seEtiyopiya, amazwe alikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa,

² lapho esebusa esigodlweni sakhe iSusa,

³ ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wenzela izikhulu zakhe lenceku zakhe zonke idili. Lapho induna zempi yakhe yasePerisiya laseMede, leziphathamandla zakhe, lababusi bamazwe, sebebuthene phambi kwakhe,

⁴ watshengisa inotho yombuso wakhe lobukhulu lobucwazicwazi bobukhosi bakhe insuku ezinengi ezaba likhulu lamatshumi amaficaminwembili.

⁵ Kwathi seziphelile lezonsuku, inkosi yenzela bonke abantu baseSusa umuzi omkhulu idili, bonke abakhulu labantukazana; lalenzelwe egumeni lendlu yenkosi, lathatha insuku eziyisikhombisa.

⁶ Kwakulamaveli amhlophe lamakhetheni ayibubende elengiswe ngentambo zelembu elihle leliyibubende emasongweni esiliva ezinsikeni zelitshe elilukhuni. Kwakukhona lemibheda yegolide leyesiliva phezu kwendawo egandelweyo ngamtshe abomvu lamhlophe layibubende lamnyama.

⁷ Banathela enkezweni zegolide, inkezo zenhlobo ezehlukeneyo, lewayini lenkosi laba linengi ngokuphana kwayo.

⁸ Kwanathwa ngokomthetho, kungekho obanjwa ngamandla; ngoba inkosi yayilayile induna zonke zesigodlo sayo ukuba zenze njengokufisa kwabo bonke abantu.

⁹ Inkosikazi uVashiti layo yenzela abesifazana idili esigodlweni senkosi uAhasuweru.

¹⁰ Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, nxa inkosi isilomdlozela, yalaya oMehumani loBizitha loHaribona loBigitha loAbagitha loZethari loKarikasi, abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababeyisebenzela

¹¹ ukuba balethe inkosikazi uVashiti enkosini ethwele umqhele wakhe, ukuba itshengise abantu lezikhulu ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayemuhle kakhulu.

¹² Kodwa inkosikazi uVashiti yala ukulilalela ilizwi lenkosi elalilethwe ngabathenwa. Inkosi yathukuthela ngalokhu, lolaka lwayo lwavutha.

¹³ Inkosi yasicebisana lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo ayesazi imithetho, ngoba kwakungumkhuba wayo ukucebisana labo bonke abaziyo imithetho lokwahlulela,

¹⁴ labo ababeseduze layo babengoKarishena loShethari loAdimatha loTarshishi loMeresi loMarisena loMemukani, beyizikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePerisiya laseMede, ezaziyizo ezazivunyelwa ukuya enkosini, zilesikhundla esiphambili embusweni;

¹⁵ yazibuza yathi: Umthetho uthi kungenziwani enkosikazini uVashiti ngokungalaleli kwayo ilizwi lenkosi uAhasuweru elalethwa kiyo ngabathenwa na?

¹⁶ UMemukani wasephendula phambi kwenkosi lezikhulu esithi: Inkosikazi uVashiti wonile kungesikho enkosini kuphela, kodwa lasezinduneni zonke lebantwini bonke basemazweni wonke enkosi.

¹⁷ Bonke abesifazana bazakuzwa lokhu inkosikazi ekwenzileyo, kubenze badelele omkabo, bathi: Inkosi uAhasuweru watshela inkosikazi uVashiti ukuba ize kuyo, kodwa kayizanga.

¹⁸ Lamhlanje amakhosikazi amakhulu asePerisiya laseMede asezwile ngesenzo senkosikazi azatshela izikhulu zenkosi, kube khona ukungahloniphi lokuthukuthela okukhulu.

¹⁹ Uba kulungile enkosini kayikhuphe umthetho wenkosi, kulotshwe emithethweni yamaPerisiya lamaMede, ungabuyi uphendulwe futhi, uthi uVashiti kasayikubuya eze enkosini uAhasuweru; inkosi inike isikhundla sakhe sobukhosikazi omunye owesifazana osifaneleyo kulaye.

²⁰ Kuzakuthi lapho umthetho wenkosi usumenyezelwe kuwo wonke umbuso wayo omkhulu, bonke abesifazana bazahlonipha omkabo, abakhulu labantukazana.

²¹ Iseluleko sikaMemukani sayithokozisa inkosi lezikhulu; inkosi yenza njengokweluleka kwakhe.

²² Kwathunyelwa izincwadi kuwo wonke amazwe enkosi, kuwo wonke amazwe ngokugwala kwawo lakubo bonke abantu ngolimi lwabo, ukuze ileyo laleyondoda ibuse umuzi wayo.