U-Esta 4 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UEsta uthemba ukukhulumela abantu bakibo

¹ Kwathi lapho uMoridekayi esekuzwile konke okwenziweyo wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wagqoka ezokulila, wazithela ngomlotha, wadabula phakathi komuzi ekhala kakhulu kabuhlungu.

² Wafika eduze lesango lesigodlo, ngoba kwakungavunyelwa umuntu ogqoke ezokulila ukungena ngesango.

³ Kuwo wonke amazwe okwafika kuwo umthetho lesimemezelo senkosi kwaba khona ukulila okukhulu phakathi kwabaJuda, bazila ukudla bakhala kakhulu; abanengi babo balala ngengubo zokulila emlotheni.

⁴ Kwathi lapho incekukazi labathenwa benkosikazi uEsta bemtshela wezwa ubuhlungu kakhulu, wathumela izambatho kuMoridekayi ukuba akhumule izigqoko zakhe zokulila agqoke zona, kodwa wala ukuzithatha.

⁵ UEsta wasebiza uHathaki omunye wabathenwa benkosi owayemiselwe ukuba amsebenzele, wamtshela ukuba abuze uMoridekayi ukuba ukhathazwa yini lokuba konke lokhu kutshoni.

⁶ UHathaki waya kuMoridekayi egcekeni lomuzi ngaphambi kwesango lesigodlo;

⁷ uMoridekayi wamtshela konke okwenzeke kuye, lokuthi uHamani uthembise ukukhupha imali engakanani ayifake enothweni yenkosi ukuze kubulawe abaJuda.

⁸ Wasemnika incwadi yomthetho omiselwe ukubulawa kwabo owenziwa eSusa ukuba ayitshengise uEsta, amtshele ngayo, amtshele ukuba aye enkosini, ayemncengela kuyo lokuncengela abantu bakibo.

⁹ UHathaki wayamtshela uEsta lokho okwakutshiwo nguMoridekayi.

¹⁰ Yena wasembuyisela kuMoridekayi lalelilizwi

¹¹ lokuthi: Zonke inceku zenkosi labantu bamazwe ayo bayazi ukuthi uba umuntu owesilisa loba owesifazana efika phambi kwenkosi egumeni elingaphakathi engabizwanga, umthetho munye kuphela wokuthi lowomuntu kabulawe, ngaphandle kokuba inkosi imelulele intonga yayo yegolide, ng’khonake ezakusila. Sekuzinsuku ezingamatshumi amathathu ngingabizwanga ukuya enkosini.

¹² Lapho bemtshela uMoridekayi okutshiwo nguEsta,

¹³ uMoridekayi wabatshela ukuba babuyele kuye bathi: Ungacabangi ukuba wena wedwa phakathi kwabaJuda uzakuphepha ngoba usesigodlweni senkosi.

¹⁴ Uba ungakhulumi ngalesikhathi esinje, ukusizwa lokukhululwa kwabaJuda kuzavela kwenye indawo, kodwa wena lendlu kayihlo lizakubhubha. Ngubani kambe owaziyo ukuthi kawubanga khona embusweni ngenxa yalesisikhathi esinje na?

¹⁵ UEsta wasebanika limphendulo ukuba bayise kuMoridekayi,

¹⁶ wathi: Hamba uyebuthanisa bonke abaJuda abaseSusa, lizile ukudla ngenxa yami, lingadli linganathi okwensuku ezintathu ubusuku lemini. Lami lezincekukazi zami sizazila ukudla njengani. Ngemva kwalokho ngizakuya enkosini loba lokhu kuphambene lomthetho; uba ngibhubha, ngizabe ngibhubhile njalo.

¹⁷ UMoridekayi wasehambake, wenza njengokutshelwa kwakhe nguEsta.