U-Esta 2 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UEsta uba yinkosikazi

¹ Emva kwalokho, lapho ulaka lwenkosi uAhasuweru seludedile, wamkhumbula uVashiti lalokho ayekwenzile, lalokho okwamenyezelwa ngaye.

² Inceku zenkosi zasezisithi: Inkosi kayidingelwe intombi ezinhle,

³ ikhethe izinduna kuwo wonke amazwe ombuso wayo ukuziletha lezozintombi ezinhle ezindlini zabesifazana emzini omkhulu iSusa, zinikezwe kuHegayi umthenwa wenkosi olondoloza abesifazana ukuba zinikwe amakha azo;

⁴ kuthi leyo ekhanga inkosi ibe yinkosikazi yayo esikhundleni sikaVashiti. Lokhu kwayithokozisa inkosi, yenza njalo.

⁵ Kwakukhona eSusa emzini omkhulu umJuda othiwa nguMoridekayi indodana kaJayiri kaShimeyi kaKishi, owakoBenjamini.

⁶ Wayethunjiwe eJerusalema kanye lalabo uNebukadineza inkosi yaseBabiloni ayebathumbe loJekoniya inkosi yakoJuda.

⁷ Wayelomntwana amondlayo uHadasa othiwa nguEsta, umntakamalumakhe, owayeyintandane; wayeyintombi enhle lebukekayo okwathi ekufeni kukayise lonina uMoridekayi wamondla waba yindodakazi yakhe.

⁸ Kwathi lapho umthetho wenkosi usumenyezelwe, kwalethwa intombi ezinengi eSusa emzini omkhulu ukuba zinikezwe kuHegayi; uEsta laye wasiwa esigodlweni senkosi ukuba anikezwe kuHegayi owayenguye owayelondoloza abesifazana.

⁹ Intombi yamthokozisa, wayithanda; wahle wayinika amakha lesabelo sayo sokudla, lamantombazana akhethiweyo ayisikhombisa awesigodlweni senkosi, wayisa yona lamantombazana ayo endaweni enhle yendlu yabesifazana.

¹⁰ UEsta wayengakhulumanga umhlobo wakhe langabantu bakwabo, ngoba uMoridekayi wayemalele ukwenza lokhu.

¹¹ Insuku zonke uMoridekayi wayehambahamba ngaphambi kweguma lendlu yabesifazana ukuze ezwe ukuthi uEsta uqhubeka kanjani lokuthi kuyini okwenzeke kuye.

¹² Isikhathi esipheleleyo sokulungiswa kwabesifazana esimiswe ngumthetho sasizinyanga ezilitshumi lambili, inyanga eziyisithupha begcotshwa ngamafutha lemure, lenyanga eziyisithupha begcotshwa ngamakha lezinye izinto zokuqhola. Lapho isikhathi sesiphelile, intombi leyo laleyo iye enkosini uAhasuweru,

¹³ yayivunyelwa ukuba ihambe lalokho loba kuyini efuna ukuhamba lakho lapho isuka endlini yabesifazana ukuya esigodlweni senkosi.

¹⁴ Yayingena esigodlweni ntambama, iphume ekuseni, ibuyele kwenye indawo yendlu yabesifazana, ilondolozwe nguShashigazi umthenwa wenkosi owayelondoloza abanye abafazi benkosi; yayingabuyeli futhi enkosini ngaphandle kokuba iyithandile, yayibiza ngebizo.

¹⁵ Kwathi lapho sesifikile isikhathi sikaEsta, indodakazi kaAbihayili umalumakhe kaMoridekayi owayemondlile, sokuba aye enkosini kacelanga lutho ngaphandle kwalokho akutshelwa nguHegayi umthenwa wenkosi owayelondoloza abesifazana. UEsta wabathokozisa bonke abambonayo.

¹⁶ Kwathi ekusiweni kwakhe enkosini uAhasuweru esigodlweni sayo ngomnyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kwayo, ngenyanga yetshumi, inyanga kaTebethi,

¹⁷ inkosi yamthanda ukwedlula bonke abanye abesifazana bayo, yamphatha kuhle yaba lomusa kuye ukwedlula zonke ezinye intombi; yamthwalisa umqhele wobukhosi, yamenza inkosikazi yayo esikhundleni sikaVashiti.

¹⁸ Inkosi yasisenzela zonke izikhulu zayo lezinceku zayo idili elikhulu, idili lokuthokozela uEsta. Yamemezela usuku lokuphumula kuwo wonke amazwe ayo, yapha lezipho ezifanele inkosi.

UMoridekayi utshela uEsta ukuthi kukhona abenza icebo elibi ngenkosi

¹⁹ Kwathi intombi sezibuthanisiwe, uMoridekayi waba khona esigodlweni.

²⁰ UEsta wayengawuvezanga umhlobo wakhe labantu bakibo njengokutshelwa kwakhe nguMoridekayi, ngoba uEsta wamlalela njengokwenza kwakhe esondliwa nguye.

²¹ Ngolunye usuku uMoridekayi ekhona esigodlweni oBigithani loTereshi abathenwa benkosi ababili ababelinda umnyango wesigodlo ababelenzondo, baceba ukubulala inkosi uAhasuweru.

²² UMoridekayi wakuzwa lokhu, wayitshela inkosikazi uEsta, yona yatshela inkosi imphatha ngebizo uMoridekayi.

²³ Leyondaba yahlolwa, yafumaniseka iliqiniso; labobantu ababili baphanyekwa. Konke lokhu kwalotshwa ogwalweni lwezindaba phambi kwenkosi.